FDI

Accelerated deployment of Field Device Integration accepted

Foundation joins other industry leaders in recent expansion of EDDL Cooperation Team into new FDI Cooperation

The HART® Communication Foundation announces its support of accelerating the deployment of the Field Device Integration (FDI) technology by enlarging the scope of the EDDL Cooperation Team into the new FDI Cooperation. The FDI Cooperation supports a uniform device integration solution for process industries across all control and host systems, devices and field device communication protocols as requested by end users around the world.

The new cooperation initially consists of major technology trade organizations, FDT Group, Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation, OPC Foundation and PROFIBUS Nutzerorganisation, and control equipment supplier companies, ABB, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, Invensys, Siemens, and Yokogawa. The addition of these supplier companies, who have agreed to support FDI solutions in their systems and products, will provide valuable resources for the completion of this project.

“The Foundation fully supports the development of a unified device integration solution. Not only are we working towards fulfilling the requirements of our global users but we are also simplifying the development and support requirements for suppliers,” says HART Communication Foundation Executive Director Ron Helson. “Simplifying the integration of a variety of devices manufactured by different suppliers into multiple control and asset management systems is our common goal.”

In addition to the finalization of the FDI specification, which is scheduled for mid 2010, the scope of the enlarged FDI Cooperation is to cover common design and test tools, common binary format and interpreter across the protocols of HART, FF and PROFIBUS.

The FDI project was initially kicked-off at the 2007 Hanover Fair at which time ECT welcomed FDT Group with the primary objective of harmonizing EDDL and FDT/DTM technologies. Since then, the project has carefully shaped the technology direction for the converged FDI solution.