ISO 16484-5:2014 defines data communication services and protocols for computer equipment used for monitoring and control of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) and other building systems. It defines, in addition, an abstract, object-oriented representation of information communicated between such equipment, thereby facilitating the application and use of digital control technology in buildings.

It provides a comprehensive set of messages for conveying encoded binary, analog, and alphanumeric data between devices including, but not limited to, hardware binary input and output values, hardware analog input and output values,software binary and analog values, text string values, schedule information, alarm and event information, files, and control logic.

It models each building automation and control computer as a collection of data structures called "objects," the properties of which represent various aspects of the hardware, software, and operation of the device. These objects provide a means of identifying and accessing information without requiring knowledge of the details of the device's internal design or configuration.