Profibus International donates FDT SPEC to ZVEI

Citation

(2002), "Profibus International donates FDT SPEC to ZVEI", Assembly Automation, Vol. 22 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2002.03322bab.001

Profibus International donates FDT SPEC to ZVEI

Keywords: Profibus, Fieldbus, Standards

The large number of different types of devices and suppliers within a system make configuration difficult and complex, repeatedly presenting system manufacturers and operators with a problem. To resolve the situation the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI) initiated a working group in 1998 to define a vendor-independent Field Device Tool (FDT) Interface.

Work on the FDT specification continued in a PROFIBUS working group. PROFIBUS technology fulfilled the requirements to include engineering topics such as Asset Management, which are supported by the FDT concept. The first products using DTMs (Device Type Managers) were presented at INTERKAMA 2001 (Dusseldorf/Germany).

The FDT concept defines the interface between device-specific software components (DTM – Device Type Manager) supplied by the device manufacturers and the engineering system supplied by the control system manufacturers. DTMs are delivered by the device manufacturer together with the device. The device manufacturer is responsible for the functionality and quality of the DTM, which is integrated into engineering systems via the FDT interface.

With an FDT it is not the device description language itself that is standardized but the interfaces within the programs that contain the device description. Irrespective of the specific communication technologies of the various fieldbuses and the specific system environments, devices from different manufacturers can be integrated into the automation systems. For the system operator this means integrated, consistent device configuration and documentation (device- specific knowledge is not required), consistent configuration of the process control system of the fieldbuses and devices, easy and fast integration of device types into the process control system and centralized data management and data backup.

The FDT concept is independent of the communication system being used. To facilitate more widespread use of the FDT specification, the PROFIBUS International is transferring to the ZVEI by contract the rights to the latest technology developed within PROFIBUS International, for general use. Other fieldbus organizations thus have the opportunity to agree on appropriate rights of use with the ZVEI.

Technical support and further development of the FDT specification are continuing in the relevant PROFIBUS working group. Further developments will be made available to the ZVEI when they have been completed successfully. With the FDT concept PROFIBUS International and ZVEI are enabling vendorand fieldbus-independent integration of field devices into engineering systems.

Reader enquiries should be directed to: Bob Squirrell, Chairman, The PROFIBUS Group, 6 Oleander Close, Locks Heath, Southampton, S031 6WG, England. Tel/Fax: 01489 589574; E-mail: uk@profibus.com; URL: http://www.profibus.com