Collection of SANS standards in electronic format (PDF)

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The South African Bureau of Standards accepts no liability for any damage whatsoever
than may result from the use of this material or the information contain therein,
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This standard may only be used and printed by approved subscription and freemailing clients of the SABS.

ICS 29.240.99; 91.140.50 NRS 009-6-9:1997

ISBN 0-626-14118-4 First edition 1997, reconfirmed 2002

Rationalized User Specification

ELECTRICITY SALES SYSTEMS

Part 6: Interface standards

Section 9: Standard transfer

specification/Numeric token
technology — Token encoding
format and physical token definition

Requirements for applications in the

Electricity Supply Industry

N R S

Gr 7

Standard Transfer Specification

®
 This standard may only be used and printed by approved subscription and freemailing clients of the SABS.

This Rationalized User Specification is

issued by the NRS Project
on behalf of the
User Group given in the foreword
and is not a standard as contemplated in the Standards Act, 1993 (Act 29 of 1993).

Rationalized user specifications allow user

organizations to define the performance and quality
requirements of relevant equipment.

Rationalized user specifications may, after a certain

application period, be introduced as national standards.

Amendments issued since publication

Amdt No. Date Text affected
Reconfirmed May 2002 Notice, foreword and introduction. No technical
changes.

Correspondence to be directed to Printed copies obtainable from

South African Bureau of Standards South African Bureau of Standards

(Electrotechnical Standards) Private Bag X191
Private Bag X191 Pretoria 0001
Pretoria 0001
Telephone: (012) 428-7911
Fax: (012) 344-1568
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.sabs.co.za

COPYRIGHT RESERVED

Printed on behalf of the NRS Project in the Republic of South Africa

by the South African Bureau of Standards
1 Dr Lategan Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria

Standard Transfer Specification

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 This standard may only be used and printed by approved subscription and freemailing clients of the SABS.

NOTICE

™
This section of NRS 009-6 specifies requirements that are part of the standard transfer
specification (STS). The intellectual property rights of the STS are owned by the
STS Association. 1

Implementation of an STS compliant system will require access to encryption and decryption
tables and the STS encryption keys, which are made available under licence conditions through
membership of the STS Association. Details of requirements to become a member of the STS
Association can be obtained from the contact details given below.

Suppliers who are to claim that their equipment complies with the STS are required to have the
relevant equipment accredited by the STS Association or its agent. Such equipment will be
permitted to carry a mark that signifies compliance with the STS.

Application for accreditation of equipment as compliant with the STS can be made to the STS
Association:
[email protected]

Fax number +27(21) 914 3930

Postal address:
PO Box 2332,
Durban
4000
South Africa

Further information concerning the STS Association can be obtained from its website:
http://www.sts.org.za

1
A Section 21 “not for gain” company incorporated in the Republic of South Africa

Standard Transfer Specification

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Standard Transfer Specification

®
 This standard may only be used and printed by approved subscription and freemailing clients of the SABS.

1 NRS 009-6-9:1997

Contents
Page

Foreword ........................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 4
Key words ......................................................................................................................... 4
1 Scope ......................................................................................................................... 5
2 Normative references .................................................................................................... 5
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms ........................................................................ 5
4 Requirements .............................................................................................................. 6
4.1 Token encoding format .......................................................................................... 6
4.2 Physical token definition ........................................................................................ 7

®Standard Transfer Specification

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NRS 009-6-9:1997 2

Foreword
This section of NRS 009-6 has been adopted by the Electricity Suppliers Liaison Committee (ESLC) and
has been approved by it for use by supply authorities in South Africa.

NRS 009-6 is based on Eskom specification MC114, Requirements specification for a common vending
system for electricity dispensing systems, and consists of the following parts, under the general title
Electricity sales systems:

Part 0: Standard transfer specification — Synopsis. (Under consideration.)

Part 1: Glossary and system overview. (Withdrawn, superseded by SABS 1524-0.)

Part 2: Functional and performance requirements.

Section 1: System master stations.
Section 2: Credit dispensing units.
Section 3: Security modules.
Section 4: Standard token translators.
Section 5: Error handling.

Part 3: Database format.

Part 4: National electricity meter cards and associated numbering standards.

Section 1: National electricity meter cards.
Section 2: National electricity meter numbers.
Part 5: Testing of subsystems.
Part 6: Interface standards.
Section 1: Credit dispensing unit — Standard token translator interface.
Section 2: System master station — main frame. (Suspended; see annex A of NRS 009-2-1.)
Section 3: System master station — Credit dispensing unit. (Previously NRS 009-3.)
Section 4: Data transfer by physical media System master station Credit dispensing unit.
Section 5: Not allocated
Section 6: Standard transfer specification — Credit dispensing unit Electricity dispenser —
Categories of token and transaction data fields.
Section 7: Standard transfer specification — Credit dispensing unit Electricity dispenser —
Token encoding and data encryption and decryption.
Section 8: Standard transfer specification — Disposable magnetic token technology — Token
encoding format and physical token definition.
Section 9: Standard transfer specification — Numeric token technology — Token encoding
format and physical token definition.

Part 7: Standard transfer specification — The management of cryptographic keys.

ISBN 0-626-14118-4

Standard Transfer Specification

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 This standard may only be used and printed by approved subscription and freemailing clients of the SABS.

3 NRS 009-6-9:1997

This first edition of this section of NRS 009-6 was reconfirmed by a Working Group that comprised the
following members:

S J van den Berg (Chairman) Mangaung Municipality

P A Johnson (Project leader) NRS Project Management Agency
V Bissett City of Cape Town
R Devparsad eThekwini Electricity
J O’Kennedy Eskom Distribution
V E Rengecas SABS
M Singh eThekwini Electricity
D W van Reenen City Power Johannesburg
J Westenraad City of Tshwane

The working group acknowledges the contribution of S Leigh, who compiled the standard transfer
specification while with Conlog, under a contract to Eskom. The intellectual property rights to the STS
have been ceded to the STS Association. See the notice at the front of this section of NRS 009-6.

A Manufacturers’ Interest Group (MIG) was consulted on the reconfirmation of this edition of this section
of NRS 009-6. The MIG comprised the following members:

R Hill Circuit Breaker Industries

S Leigh Prism
R Lewis Tellumat SA
F Pucci Schneider (t/a Conlog)
A Stoner Energy Measurements Limited
D Taylor Actaris Measurements

The Working Group was appointed by the ESLC, which at the time of reconfirmation of this edition of this
section of NRS 009-6, comprised the following members:

R Wienand(Chairman) eThekwini Metropolitan Council, AMEU

M N Bailey Distribution Technology, Eskom
A J Claasen Electrical Engineering Standards, SABS
P Crowdy Distribution Technology, Eskom
W Dykman City of Tshwane, AMEU
A H L Fortmann AMEU
B de Jager Mangaung Electricity, AMEU
P A Johnson Technology Standardization, Eskom
J Machinjike Transmission, Eskom
D M Michie Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality, AMEU
S V Moodley City Power Johannesburg (Pty) Ltd
J S van Heerden SABS NETFA
R van der Riet City of Cape Town, AMEU
D J van Wyk uMhlathuze Electricity, AMEU

Recommendations for corrections, additions or deletions should be addressed to the NRS Project
Manager, c/o SABS, Private Bag X191, Pretoria, 0001

Standard Transfer Specification

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 This standard may only be used and printed by approved subscription and freemailing clients of the SABS.

NRS 009-6-9:1997 4

Introduction
This section of NRS 009-6 is one of a series of specifications that describe the standard transfer
specification (STS), whereby transactions can be securely transferred from point of sale equipment to
individual electricity dispensers 2 by means of encrypted data on tokens.

The STS is specified in the following parts or sections of NRS 009. Compliance with all the normative
(mandatory) requirements of all the following is a requirement for implementation of an STS compliant
electricity sales system:

a) NRS 009-6-6, equivalent to STS Part 1;

b) NRS 009-6-7, equivalent to STS Parts 2 and 2c;

c) NRS 009-6-8, equivalent to STS Part 3a;

d) NRS 009-6-9, equivalent to STS Part 3b; and

e) NRS 009-7, equivalent to STS Part 2b.

This section of NRS 009-6 describes numeric tokens that are intended primarily for use in prepayment
electricity dispensing systems. However, these tokens can also cater for the transfer of units of other
utility types, for example water or gas.

Key words
Electricity sales systems; Payment systems; Prepayment; Standard transfer specification; Electricity
dispenser; Token; Numeric token.

2
The term “electricity dispenser” (abbreviated “ED”) is used in this and other parts and sections of
NRS 009. It is synonymous with the term “prepayment meter”.

Standard Transfer Specification

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5 NRS 009-6-9:1997

SPECIFICATION

Electricity sales systems

Part 6: Interface standards

Section 9: Standard transfer specification/Numeric token technology — Token

encoding format and physical token definition

Requirements for applications in the Electricity Supply Industry

1 Scope
This section of NRS 009-6 details the token encoding format and physical token definition for the numeric
token technology.

This section of NRS 009-6 is intended for use by manufacturers of electricity dispensers (EDs) that have
to accept numeric tokens compliant with the standard transfer specification (STS) and also by
manufacturers of vending systems that produce STS-compliant tokens.

2 Normative references
The following standard and specification contain provisions which, through reference in this text,
constitute provisions of this section of NRS 009-6. At the time of publication, the editions indicated were
valid. All standards and specifications are subject to revision, and parties to agreements based on this
section of NRS 009-6 are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of
the documents listed below. Information on currently valid national and international standards and
specifications can be obtained from the South African Bureau of Standards.

NRS 009-6-7:2002, Electricity sales systems — Part 6: Interface standards — Section 7: Standard
transfer specification/Credit dispensing unit — Electricity dispenser — Token encoding and data
encryption and decryption.

SABS 1524-0:1997, Electricity dispensing systems — Part 0: Glossary of terms and system overview.

3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms

For the purposes of this section of NRS 009-6, the definitions and abbreviations given in
SABS 1524-0 apply.

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NRS 009-6-9:1997 6

4 Requirements

4.1 Token encoding format

4.1.1 Introduction

Subclause 4.1 describes the data format for token production as required by the numeric token type.

4.1.2 Binary format

Token data shall be encrypted as specified in NRS 009-6-7. The encrypted 64-bit number has its least
significant bit in bit position 0 and its most significant bit in bit position 63 (see figure 1). The
encrypted 64-bit binary number string is modified to include the unencrypted token class
(see notes 1 and 2). The 2-bit token class is inserted to occupy bit positions 28 and 27. The original
values of bit positions 28 and 27 are relocated to bit positions 65 and 64. The most significant bit of the
token class occupies bit position 28. The most significant bit of the 64-bit encrypted number occupies bit
position 63 (see figure 1).

NOTES

1 The token classes are defined in NRS 009-6-7.

2 Because the token class is not encrypted, a consistent pattern could be introduced by including it at the beginning after the
binary digit string, which would negate some of the security aspects of the encryption methodology. The token class is
therefore inserted into the body of the binary digit string.

Insert token 0 1
class
65 64 28 27 Bit positions

Move original bits

Figure 1

Example 1 — Insertion of the token class

The 64-bit binary number expressed in bytes. (Bits 27 and 28 highlighted in bold.)

0110 0101 0100 0011 0010 0001 0000 1001 1000 0111 0110 0101 0100 0011 0010 0001

Repeat bits 28 and 27 in bit positions 65 and 64, creating a 66-bit number.

00 0110 0101 0100 0011 0010 0001 0000 1001 1000 0111 0110 0101 0100 0011 0010 0001

Replace bits 28 and 27 with the token class

00 0110 0101 0100 0011 0010 0001 0000 1001 1000 1111 0110 0101 0100 0011 0010 0001

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7 NRS 009-6-9:1997

4.1.3 Decimal format

The 66-bit binary number shall be presented as a decimal number. This decimal number will be 20 digits
long. The decimal number shall represent the binary number in such a way that bit position 0 is the least
significant bit.

Example 2 — The conversion from a 66-bit binary number, presented as a binary and a hexadecimal
number, to a 20-digit decimal number

Binary number 110110010101000011001000010000100110000111011001011010101111001101

Hexadecimal 3654321098765ABCD
number
Decimal number 62636944367208999885

4.2 Physical token definition

4.2.1 Introduction

Subclause 4.2 specifies the physical attributes of the token and describes the token production process.

4.2.2 Number presentation

When printed, the 20-digit numeric token number shall be presented on one line, so formatted that the
digits are grouped into five groups of four digits with spaces between groups.

Example 3 — The 20-digit numeric token

1234 5678 1234 5678 1234

NOTE The medium for carrying the numeric token is not specified. Typically, it is intended that the digits be printed legibly and
indelibly using industry standard receipting printers such as those used in cash registers. However, in principle, the numeric
token could also be transferred verbally, for example by telephone.

sabs pta

Standard Transfer Specification

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