telecommunication Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...

s and

computer networking A computer network is a collection of communicating computers and other devices, such as printers and smart phones. In order to communicate, the computers and devices must be connected by wired media like copper cables, optical fibers, or b ...

, Concrete Syntax Notation One (CSN.1) is a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

and flexible notation that describes data structures for representing, encoding, transmitting, and decoding data, specifically

GPRS General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), also called 2.5G, is a mobile data standard on the 2G cellular communication network's Global System for Mobile Communications, global system for mobile communications (GSM). Networks and mobile devices wit ...

used for

cell phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...

s. Many examples of CSN.1 encoded data structures can be found in

3GPP The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is an umbrella term for a number of standards organizations which develop protocols for mobile telecommunications. Its best known work is the development and maintenance of: * GSM and related 2G and ...

TS44.060 and an informative description of the CSN.1 syntax is found in

TS 24.007. Here is an example of a CSN.1 description of a message. If the first bit is 1, an apple structure follows, which is a 5-bit Apple code. If the first bit is 0, on the other hand, a 3-bit orange code, and a 2-bit peel type follow. ::= 0; ::= < Apple Code : bit(5) >; ::= ; The "concrete" CSN.1 is named in reference to the "abstract"

ASN.1 Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1) is a standard interface description language (IDL) for defining data structures that can be serialized and deserialized in a cross-platform way. It is broadly used in telecommunications and computer networ ...

. ASN.1 is abstract in that it only defines what kinds of data occur in a message, not how they are encoded. CSN.1, on the other hand, directly describes the stream of bits.

Advantages

* It is relatively simple to understand. * The notation is extremely compact - any bit can be addressed

Disadvantages

* It is very difficult to maintain when extensions and new releases of the protocols need to be implemented * Creating a compiler for the language is very difficult, because the language can include expressions that refer to any named elements previously decoded. * The CSN.1 structures listed in communication standards are not checked and are often filled with errors and non-standard notation.

References

{{Reflist

External links

* Annex B o
3GPP TS 24.007
contains a detailed description of CSN.1.
CSN1.INFO
provides a complete online description of CSN.1 (including those parts not explained on TS 24.007), with examples and common pitfalls.

Mobile telecommunications standards 3GPP standards