PROFIBUS protocols. Fieldbus Foundation, FDT Group, HART Communications Foundation

Emerson Process Management supports collaboration for field device integration

News Release from: Emerson Process Management
18/12/2009

To accelerate deployment of Field Device Integration (FDI) technology, key automation suppliers have agreed to enlarge the scope of the EDDL Cooperation Team and 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.

“Emerson Process Management welcomes this renewed commitment to the FDI project,” said Peter Zornio, chief strategic officer. “We see this as an opportunity to achieve the ultimate interoperability across host systems, field devices and communication protocols.”

The FDI project was kicked-off at the 2007 Hanover Fair. At that time the EDDL Cooperation Team welcomed the 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, the FDI Cooperation is covering common design and test tools, common binary format and EDDL interpreter across the HART, Foundation fieldbus and PROFIBUS protocols.