Investigation into the Applicability of Software Requirements from Legal Metrology to Sensor Networks

Abstract

Technological progress has opened the door for the development of measurements performed by interconnected distributed components. Legal requirements to put such measuring instruments on the market, such as the Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) in Europe, do not yet address this new kind of instruments and therefore might require revisions. To identify necessary modifications, a general list of components is derived, forming the proposed baseline of any type of distributed measuring systems. Based on the MID, assets to be protected and associated security properties are formulated for each of the described general components. By utilizing the recently revised general requirements for software-controlled measuring instruments of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), the necessary interpretations and changes to fully protect all assets of a generalized distributed measuring system are shown and analysed. Finally, a summary of this investigation presents the current and potential future state of sensor networks under a legal metrology framework.