EDDL/FDT Group at Hanover Messe

FDT Group and EDDL Cooperation Team ReachAgreement to Develop Unified Solution for Device Integration Hanover, Germany (17 April, 2007) - The EDDL Cooperation Team (ECT) and the FDT Group announced today that they have reached agreement to combine efforts and work toward a unified solution for device integration that is compatible with both technologies. This would satisfy one of the most frequent customer requests. The representatives of the FDT Group and ECT have seized this historic opportunity for cooperation and will develop a common technology to benefit both users and manufacturers. As part of this agreement, the FDT Group will join the ECT as its newest member.  FDT and ECT representatives agree to work together to finalize this solution and achieve a common framework that meets the requirements of all parties. Future developments will use a subset of the OPC UA technology[1] within a client-server architecture. In addition, both parties have agreed to incorporate the advantages of FDT and EDDL technologies. "This new cooperation follows our targets of openness and freedom of choice for the benefit of end users and is strongly supported by our mem­bers," says Flavio Tolfo, managing director of the FDT Group. He continues, "After much discussion, we reached commitment to work together and protect the investment of each technology for the benefit of end users. The FDT Group is looking forward to bringing to bear its broad experience of integrating software applications in conjunction with device descriptions by joining the EDDL Cooperation Team to solve end user needs."Hans-Georg Kumpfmueller, chairman of the ECT adds: "This agreement, once brought into reality, is a major step forward for device integration in several areas. It eliminates double efforts for customers and vendors, and preserves backward compatibility and operating system independence. It is based on the upcoming OPC UA technology, providing EDDL based integration with the possibility for integrating software applications for highly complex requirements. Our agreement is the natural technical evolution based on the most up to date, open, and flexible technologies. The ECT welcomes the FDT Group as a new member to shape the future."FDT Group AISBLâ„¢: The FDT Group AISBL is a non-profit corporation consisting of over 57 leading worldwide companies active in process and factory automation.The major purpose of the FDT Group is to provide an open and non proprietary interface for the integration of field devices with engineering, automation and asset management systems. In this environment, end users, manufacturers, universities and research organizations are working together to develop the technology, provide development tools, support and training, coordinate field trials and demonstrations, and enable product interoperability. EDDL Cooperation Team: In 2003, the three leading field device foundations (Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation and PROFIBUS Nutzerorganisation) signed a cooperative agreement to develop a common specification for graphical visualization and persistent data storage enabled by Electronic Device Description Language. All three of the organizations utilize EDDs for parameterization and description of their devices. In 2004, OPC joined the cooperation team. With EDDLâ„¢, an established IEC standard, it made sense for the OPC specification to base their data structure on that same standard and work with the organizations to develop a standard interface to the Unified Architecture. The four organizations signed an agreement in 2004 to cooperate in the development of that interface. The Steering Committee is comprised of the presidents of each foundation plus one representative from each organization's membership. The organizations will rotate the chairmanship of the committee from year to year. Currently, the HART Communication Foundation member representative, Hans Georg Kumpfmueller, is chairman of the committee. 

[1] OPC UA (Unified Architecture) is a technology of the OPC Foundation