A common meter support system

Until now it has not been possible to develop a support system independent of the manufacturer because there was no standard interface between the respective data. However the emergence of the IEC FLAG communications protocol and the CHIRPS common HHU (hand held unit) operating system has provided a vehicle for a new standard; OMS (Open Metering System) a data standard, the next layer up from the protocol and data transfer shells. Since OMS is a data standard, it is not restricted to protocol or transfer medium. It has developed around HHU programming and reading simply because FLAG and CHIRPS are already available. OMS is an equally suitable data format for mains signalling and smart-card communication applications. The standard allows greater flexibility for the electric utility, giving it the choice for both its operational systems and the metering technology it uses