IEC 62541-14-2026 PDF

Full title and description

IEC 62541-14:2026 — OPC unified architecture - Part 14: PubSub. Defines the OPC UA publish–subscribe (PubSub) communication model that complements the client–server Services in IEC 62541-4. The document specifies PubSub concepts, configuration parameters, mappings to messages and transport protocols, and a configuration model to enable distribution of data and events to observers in device networks, IT systems and cloud analytics.

Abstract

IEC 62541-14:2026 (Edition 2.0) provides a complete specification of the OPC UA PubSub pattern: conceptual model, configuration items, message mappings and transport protocol mappings. The second edition updates the 2020 edition with technical revisions including a Quantity Model for engineering units and expanded rules for the ValuePrecision property, and clarifies mappings to common transports (e.g., MQTT, AMQP, UDP/UA Binary) to support industrial, edge and cloud deployments.

General information

• Status: Published / Current
• Publication date: 12 January 2026
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
• ICS / categories: 25.040.40 (Industrial process measurement and control); 35.100.05 (Multilayer applications)
• Edition / version: Edition 2.0
• Number of pages: 316 pages

Scope

This part of IEC 62541 specifies the OPC UA PubSub communication model and related configuration model. It describes the publish–subscribe pattern as an alternative/complement to the client–server Services, defines PubSub configuration parameters, and provides mappings of PubSub concepts and configuration parameters to concrete message formats and transport protocols. The standard targets use across device networks, industrial automation systems, IT and cloud analytics, and does not require every OPC UA application to implement every mapping; profiles and conformance requirements are addressed by IEC 62541-7 and related parts.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of PubSub concepts: publishers, subscribers, DataSetMessages, DataSetWriters/Readers, connection models and lifecycle.
• PubSub configuration model for runtime and engineering-time configuration of publishers, subscribers and DataSets.
• Mappings of PubSub configuration and DataSetMessages to transport bindings and message encodings (including MQTT, AMQP, UDP/UA Binary and JSON/HTTP as applicable).
• Specification of message encoding, sequencing, metadata and timestamps required for interoperable data exchange.
• Addition of a Quantity Model to reference engineering units and provide alternative units and conversions for EngineeringUnit properties.
• Expanded rules for ValuePrecision property (including use with Duration and Decimal subtypes and handling of negative values).
• Conformance guidance: interaction with IEC 62541-7 (Profiles) to determine which mappings/features are required for a given product profile.
• Considerations for interoperability with client–server Services (IEC 62541-4) and security implications for PubSub deployments (alignment with IEC 62541-2 where relevant).

Typical use and users

Used by device and gateway manufacturers, industrial automation vendors, system integrators, software developers, cloud and analytics providers, and testing/laboratory organizations. Typical applications include high-throughput telemetry from field devices, edge-to-cloud data delivery, event distribution in industrial networks, publish/subscribe integrations between OT and IT systems, and applications requiring multicast or brokered messaging models.

Related standards

IEC 62541 is a multipart OPC UA specification; closely related parts include IEC 62541-1 (Overview and concepts), -2 (Security model), -3 (Address space model), -4 (Services), -5 (Information model), -6 (Mappings), -7 (Profiles), -8 (Data Access), -9 (Alarms & Conditions), -11 (Historical Access), -12 (Discovery and global services), -13 (Aggregates) and Part 100 (Device Interface). Implementers commonly use IEC 62541-7 for profile/conformance definitions and IEC 62541-2 for security requirements when deploying PubSub.

Keywords

OPC UA, PubSub, publish–subscribe, DataSet, DataSetMessage, MQTT, AMQP, UDP, engineering units, Quantity Model, ValuePrecision, IEC 62541, industrial telemetry, edge-to-cloud

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC 62541-14:2026 is Part 14 of the IEC 62541 OPC Unified Architecture series and specifies the OPC UA publish–subscribe (PubSub) communication model, its configuration model, and mappings to message encodings and transport protocols.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers PubSub concepts and terminology, configuration parameters and models, how to map those parameters to concrete message formats and transports (for example MQTT, AMQP and UDP/UA Binary), message structure and metadata, and specific additions such as a Quantity Model and ValuePrecision rules introduced in the 2026 edition.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Device manufacturers, gateway and middleware vendors, system integrators, software developers, cloud/analytics providers and test labs use this standard to implement interoperable publish–subscribe communications in industrial and IoT solutions.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: This edition (Edition 2.0) was published 12 January 2026 and replaces the 2020 edition. It is the current published edition as of the publication date.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes. IEC 62541 is a multipart OPC UA standard. Part 14 works together with other parts (for example Parts 1, 4 and 7) to define the complete OPC UA architecture, services and conformance profiles.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: OPC UA, PubSub, publish–subscribe, DataSetMessage, DataSetWriter, DataSetReader, MQTT, AMQP, UDP, Quantity Model, ValuePrecision, configuration model, interoperability.