Suppliers announce support for accelerated FDI

To accelerate deployment of field device integration (FDI) technology, a number of key suppliers have agreed to enlarge the scope of the EDDL Cooperation Team, which will become the FDI Cooperation. The intent is to assure a uniform device integration solution for process industries across all host systems, devices and protocols as required by end users.

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

The addition of supplier companies, which have agreed to support FDI packages in their systems and products, will strengthen this effort by providing resources for the completion of this project.

Besides the finalization of the FDI specification, which is scheduled for mid-2010, the scope of the enlarged EDDL Cooperation Team includes common design and test tools, common binary format and interpreter across the protocols of HART, FF and Profibus. The intent is to assure a uniform device integration solution for process industries across all host systems, devices and protocols as required by end users.

This cooperation will initially consist of the associations: FDT Group, Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communications Foundation, OPC Foundation and Profibus Nutzerorganisation, as well as the companies ABB, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, Invensys, Siemens, and Yokogawa.

ABB is one company that says it fully supports and has been actively engaged in the important collaborative effort, which will help customers integrate a myriad of intelligent field devices, regardless of vendor or communications protocol.

“This will ultimately result in better access to critical information from intelligent field devices, lower overall operating costs, and will deliver the full value potential of current and next generation intelligent devices. In addition, rationalization of EDDL across all process instrumentation protocols will reduce lifecycle support and development costs for instrumentation and control system vendors. It is a win-win for customers and the entire automation community,” said Daniel Huber, business unit manager, Open Control Systems, ABB.

Also expressing its support is Endress+Hauser, which says it supports the initiative because it is what its customers want, i.e. FDI Device Packages as a common and unified device integration solution across the major fieldbus protocols for process automation. On top of this, it will also simplify the company’s product development.

Michael Ziesemer, chief operating officer of the Endress+Hauser Group said: “Key for us is an open solution which shows a clear migration path from the installed base to future solutions. The specification for the FDI Device Packages has to allow the use in either classical DCS system architectures or in FDT based tools.

For our customers this means protection of their investment, especially in terms of the life cycle management. Thus, it is worth to support this initiative with all the power we can afford.”