ISA NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Infantino
(919) 990-9287
jinfantino@isa.org
ISA Forms Field Device Tool (FDT) Interface Specification Standards Committee
Research Triangle Park, NC (3 April 2006) - ISA has announced the formation of a FDT Interface Specification standards committee. The committee, ISA SP103, will develop a standard to fully integrate fieldbuses, devices and sub-systems as seamless parts of the automation life-cycle. The main application domains will be industrial process control and manufacturing execution systems.
"This standard is needed to ensure the consistent management of a plant-wide control and automation technology, focused on life-cycle management," said Klaus-Peter Lindner, Standard and Practices Board Member and interim chair of the committee.
A goal of the standard is to create universal and central plant-wide tooling for the life-cycle management of heterogeneous fieldbus environments, multi-vendor devices and sub-systems in process and manufacturing. The standard also aims to develop integrated and consistent life-cycle data of the control system. The committee targets to enact simple but still powerful vendor-independent integration of different automation devices and sub-systems into life-cycle management tools, either stand-alone ones or those of a control system.
The standard will define the interfaces for both the vertical and the horizontal data flow, called Function Control and Data Access, in the framework of a Client-Server architecture. It will allow application software and configuration tools to interact with field devices in a unified way. It will open the manufacturer-specific interaction with devices or sub-systems using software modules.
The architecture and interface specification will define the following functions and features:
* A channel oriented interface for analogue and discrete input and
output process variables
* An interface for device or sub-system parameters and diagnosis
data
* An interface for persistent data storage of all instance data
* A communication interface which allows nested communication over
different bus systems
* A session model which defines the interaction between the
software components and the host application using XML based data exchange
The standard will allow any field bus, device or sub-system specific software tool to be integrated as part of a universal life-cycle management tool of a plant automation system. "As part of ISA's commitment to the development of global standards for industry, the committee will also be working with and attempting to harmonize their end products with the work of IEC SC65C WG14 (Field Device Tool)," noted
Ian Verhappen, ISA VP of Standards and Practices.
For more information about ISA SP103 or any of ISA's standards committees, please visit us online at www.isa.org/standards.
About ISA
Founded in 1945, ISA (www.isa.org) is a leading, global, nonprofit organization that is setting the standard for automation by helping over 30,000 worldwide members and other professionals solve difficult technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and personal career capabilities. Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, ISA develops standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; and hosts the largest conference and exhibition for automation professionals in the Western Hemisphere. ISA is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org).
About WBF
WBF provides an open forum for the exchange of information related to the management, operation, and automation of manufacturing processes. Created in 1994, members of the non-profit, professional organization include end-users, vendors, consultants and academics. WBF provides organization, management, and structure to facilitate networking among its members and sharing of knowledge and information related to manufacturing processes. WBF documents best practices and guidelines for implementation of standards that apply to batch control and the exchange of batch data, as well as conducting technical conferences and technical training programs. WBF is a founding charter member of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org). More information about WBF is available at www.wbf.org.
About OMAC
OMAC–The Open Modular Architecture Controls Users’ Group (www.omac.org) is an affiliate organization of ISA- The Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society- and works to collectively derive common solutions for both technical and non-technical issues in the development, implementation, and commercialization of open, modular architecture control (OMAC) technologies, and to facilitate the accelerated development and convergence of industry and government developed OMAC technology guidelines to one set that satisfies common use requirements. OMAC has about 500 member representatives from end-user companies, OEM's, and technology providers and integrator companies. OMAC currently operates three Work Groups: Packaging Machinery, Manufacturing Infrastructure, and Machine Tool. OMAC is a founding charter member of The Automation Federation (www.automationfederation.org).
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