Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ASN.1)

Introduction

ASN.1 is used to describe the structure of data to be transferred between the Application layer & the Presentation Layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI). It is meant to provide a mechanism whereby the Presentation Layer can use a single standard encoding to reliably exchange any arbitrary data structure with other computer systems, while the Application Layer can map the standard encoding into any type of representation or language that is appropriate for the end user. ASN.1 does not describe the content, meaning, or structure of the data, only the way in which it is specified & encoded.