Overview
ISO/IEC 20060:2010 - Information technology - Open Terminal Architecture (OTA) - Virtual machine - defines a standard OTA kernel and its virtual machine (VM) for payment and terminal devices. The standard specifies the VM definition, the services the VM provides to terminal programmers, the token set that represents the VM’s native machine language, and the module delivery format used to load token modules into an OTA kernel. OTA enables a common software kernel and programming interface across different terminal hardware and CPU types.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Virtual Machine architecture: general principles, CPU abstraction, registers, memory model, stacks, frame mechanisms and extensible memory behaviors.
- Execution features & arithmetic: VM execution model, arithmetic operations, exception handling and resource management.
- System services: time handling, device and I/O services, database services, language/message handling and TLV (Tag-Length-Value) processing.
- Security & cryptography: standardized cryptographic services (e.g., SHA, DES operations, modular arithmetic) and secure execution sockets.
- Token set & native language: comprehensive token definitions for stack manipulation, data access, arithmetic, control flow, device I/O, smart card and magnetic stripe handling, TLV tokens and more.
- Module handling & delivery format: module ID format, socket lists, relocation, import/export lists and module procedure descriptions to support module loading and execution.
- Operating system interface: device control, OS calls and exception/I/O return codes (detailed in normative annexes).
Practical applications
- Enables portable terminal software across POS, kiosks, self-service terminals and other transaction devices by abstracting CPU and I/O differences.
- Facilitates development of payment applications, high-level libraries and terminal programs that rely on a common kernel API.
- Supports secure module loading and execution of cryptographic operations required for secure transactions.
- Standardizes TLV and database services used in payment message processing and terminal configuration.
Who should use this standard
- Terminal hardware manufacturers and firmware engineers implementing the OTA kernel on different CPUs.
- POS and payment application developers building portable, kernel-based applications.
- System integrators, security architects and vendors of smart card / magnetic stripe interfaces.
- Test and certification bodies validating terminal compliance and interoperability.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 20060:2010 complements other ISO/IEC standards for payment systems, smart cards and terminal security. Implementers should consult relevant ISO/IEC and industry payment specifications (EMV, PCI) where integration with OTA VM services and cryptography is required.
Keywords: ISO/IEC 20060:2010, Open Terminal Architecture, OTA virtual machine, OTA kernel, token set, module delivery format, terminal I/O, payment applications, TLV, cryptographic services.
