The past five years have been exciting for process automation. It was clear to everyone involved that a turning point was at hand. And, thus, with the development of FDI (Field Device Integration) technology, an important signal was sent. For one thing, because the technology will make future device integration in process automation significantly easier. For another thing, because the collaboration with users, fieldbus organizations, and manufacturers was exceptional. All participants pulled together and wanted to see the project succeed.

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With the completion of its goals, the FDI organization is dissolving. But the technology is just beginning its solving of user and vendor requirements. In process automation FDI presents a harmonization of FDT/DTM and EDDL. These two disparate approaches now resolve to a single solution.

FDI was developed by major industrial automation foundations, including PI, and major automation vendors with input from user organizations. FDI is designed to cover the entire lifecycle of process devices including configuration, commissioning, diagnosis, and calibration. (more…)

This white paper reports – oriented to the timeline of the technology development – which functions and capabilities of PROFINET are currently meeting the demands of process automation and which can be implemented and then used in products in the future based on specifications that are complete or in progress. (more…)