ISA100.11a D2 Interoperability and Interchangeability

Overview:

The ISA100.11a D2 draft is a major step forward over D1. The D2 document is the first draft that attempts to be a full specification of the network and application protocols for process monitoring and control devices. However, it is incomplete.

The editors have done a substantial amount of work in generating the newest version of the specification. A large number of comments were reviewed, accepted, accepted in principal or otherwise incorporated into the document. In addition, new technical material was developed to fill in the technical omissions that existed in the old document. As a result, the D2 draft requires a thorough review.

In reviewing the document the first goal is to determine if the technical details meet the overall goals stablished for the standard. This paper considers the primary goal of a standard: the interoperability and interchangeability of products (Section 6.2). The intent of this paper is to provide the reader with objective information about the draft to enable them to determine if these goals are met and to assist them in providing comments to the ISA100 committee.