To accelerate deployment of Field Device Integration (FDI) technology, key automation 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.
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 Process Management, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, Invensys, Siemens and Yokogawa.
The FDI project was kicked-off at the 2007 Hannover Fair. At that time, EDDL Cooperation Team 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. 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, FDI Cooperation is covering common design and test tools, common binary format and EDDL interpreter across the HART, Foundation fieldbus and Profibus protocols.
