FDT & FDI Technology

Introduction

In today's competitive environment, intelligent information in installed smart measurement devices is the answer to achieving operational excellence. Industrial organizations have documented the many powerful benefits of integrating device information with control or asset management applications to improve plant reliability, reduce operating costs and optimize process performance. Hence the necessity of connecting these devices (flowmeters, valves, motors, drives etc.) to enable easy data acquisition for efficient configuration, calibration, diagnostics and monitoring which are performed during commissioning and the device life-cycle.

Before the start of the integration device information, industries spent lots of time and effort for installation, operation and accurate version management of field devices due to variety of technologies used device suppliers. There was a significant need to a robust, flexible and well defined communication links between the devices led to advent of Field device integration standards commonly known as FDT and FDI.

FDT Technology holds the key to integrating a wide range of devices and networks in today's complex process automation architecture. Ongoing development of this technology, driven by growing instrumentation supplier involvement, is enabling end users to realize the true potential of decentralization, transparency, integration, and a unified view of all data and functions within the manufacturing enterprise. Being a non-profit international organization, developed an open-standard for enterprise-wide network and asset integration enabling seamless transmission of data from sensors to the cloud

FDT/DTM standardises the communication interfaces between systems and field devices. Installing and operating an intelligent field device as well as communicating with the device becomes easy with the DTMs. It is supported by more than 60 field device and control systems suppliers, and over 1300 certified DTMs available now are compatible with existing automation equipment. FDT has certified 3000+ devices across the world. FDT supports 16+ industrial standard communication protocols like HART, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, Profinet, ISA100, EthernetIP, and CANOpen

FDT2 is based on the .NET Framework and uses the scope of functions available in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Windows Forms libraries, among others. In addition, FDT2 implements persistent storage of device instance data to speed access time to device data. Interoperability, performance and operation of the DTM and FDT Frame applications are also optimized by the introduction of what are called Common Components.

All major instrumentation suppliers now provide DTMs for over 40 different FDT-enabled interface applications such as stand-alone configuration applications, control systems and asset management applications. Indeed, the steady pace of certifications for compliant products is evidence of the technology's growth. The FDT Group membership exceeds 100 automation vendors who have included FDT Technology in more than 8,000 devices supported by over 500 certified DTMs.

Increasing Worker Mobility: With mobility solutions, visibility, control and information literally in workers hands, plant processes and productivity are transformed. This enables end users to employ the functionality they appreciate in FDT standards on all mobile platforms.

Harnessing the Industrial Internet of Things: The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will provide seamless integration of the physical and digital worlds through networked sensors, machine learning and big data. The promise is remote access to connected machines and devices to realize transformative operational and process performance improvements. FDT Technology will play a vital role in the IIoT with applicability across industrial communication networks, automation systems, and device suppliers.

Supporting Industry 4.0: The industrial sectors seek smart factories use information and communications technologies to digitize their processes and reap huge benefits in the form of improved quality, lower costs, and increased efficiency. Industrial 4.0 points toward intelligent, networked systems, which combine previously separated production environments to produce a universal production world combining a physical nature and the functionality of web connectivity.

Implementing Cloud Computing: The FDT Group's approach to communicating device and machine data using OPC UA will provide an effective combination of local control and monitoring with global overview and aggregation via cloud computing-without the need for end users to develop their own global IT infrastructure. This technique will also offer the advantages of relatively quick deployment and minimal overhead cost structure.

Leveraging Predictive Analytics: Changes in modern industrial plants present new challenges in maintaining uptime. On the one hand, an ever-increasing supply of operational data is now available, which can provide insights into the health of production assets. On the other hand, dwindling domain experience places additional strain on production staff responsible for analyzing data in a time frame needed for improved uptime and reduced operations and maintenance costs. FDT's support for smart instrumentation information monitoring optimizes the lifecycle cost of the plant while enhancing maintenance activities, increasing safety, and improving product quality.

Co-developed by major industry leaders and manufacturers, FDI brings new IIoT/Industry 4.0 technology to the management of smart devices in the Process Automation Industry. It is the next generation, unifying deice integration technology. The primary objective of DI is to dramatically simplify software installation, configuration, maintenance and management of field instruments and host systems. This has solved one of the biggest need of device integration was having to install different drivers for different devices relying various information files such as EDD or a DTM to provide access to the features and functions of the device. FDI brings standardization to the packaging and distribution of all the software and tools necessary to integrate a device with a host system.

With the recent public release of the Field Device Integration (FDI) specification, instrument and automation manufacturers can now develop compatible products and host systems for managing field devices. For the user, the specification combines the attributes of competing Device Integration technologies: EDDL and FDT/DTM. A key objective of the specification is to combine the simplicity of the text-based DD technology with the flexibility of specialized Windows-based FDT features and complex graphical representation.

The FDI device package will serve all devices and tools. Each device comes with an FDI package used by all the tools or systems, including standalone PCs, field instruments, and process control and automation systems. The FDI device package makes sure all device management tools function with Devices without any issues, regardless of the manufacturer. Each host interprets a device driver slightly differently to fit into the layout of its user interface (UI) layout.


Why FDI and FDT Technologies are Crucial for Modern Industrial Architecture?

FDI and FDT Technologies play a major part in modern industrial network architecture especially in "Field Device Type integration".

Major Benefits of using FDI Device Packages to enhance current investment in FDT based solutions

  • FDI technology significantly simplifies software installation, configuration, maintenance, and management of field instruments and host systems
  • The FDI Device Package is designed to be a single package with all files necessary to operate a device of a given protocol, independent of host system.
  • For native FDI host systems, FDI Device Packages are imported to the host and are operating system independent.
  • For FDT based host systems, FDI Device Packages are integrated with the FDT application through an FDI DTM.
  • By using FDI Device Packages and FDT applications, the need for specific Device DTM's for process automation field devices is greatly reduced.

Overall the advent of FDT DTM and FDI software have provided many benefits including Improved efficiency with direct communication link with field devices, Increased Productivity enabling scaling the production capability with continuous process monitoring, Increased flexibility by integrating field devices, and being Compatible to IIoT allowing to integrate with Cloud by sending Bigdata and enabling analytics and visualizations


FDI Benefits for Manufacturers

  • Integrated Development Environment ensures interoperability and cost-efficient development of FDI Device Packagess
  • Single toolset used for both product development and device registration.
  • Single toolset to develop many protocol variations - familiar user interface for simplicity and ease of development with FDI Common Host Components ensuring device to host interoperabilit.
  • Central Repository for FDI Device Package distribution for Users and Host Manufacturers

FDI Benefits for System Manufacturers

  • A single toolset for both FDI Packages and legacy EDD systems covering multiple communication protocols including HART, HART-IP, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, ISA100, and PROFIBUS/PROFINET
  • The client-server architecture simplifies the use of device data and functions in powerful, distributed control systems, with client-side installation no longer required
  • Transparent access to device data and functions through the OPC UA information model facilitates the integration with other applications; the central management of data prevents inconsistencies

FDI Benefits for Device Manufacturers

  • Reduced development effort and cost savings - FDI Device Package is created for only one device, instead of the current host specific EDD variants and DTMs
  • Scalability - common technology delivering simple device packages for simple devices, and sophisticated device packages for complex devices

Why Should You Partner with CoStaff?

CoStaff is one of the preferred choices when it comes to providing the solutions in this domain with the below capability and offerings:

Skill and Expertise
  • CoStaff has extensive experience in industrial automation domain.
  • CoStaff has successfully delivered more than 300 device integration solutions for our global customers across various sectors.
  • Costaff has deep expertise in the lesser tapped category FDT 3.0 IIoT SERVER (FITS TM).
  • We understand the challenges that end users, control system manufacturers, and device manufacturers face and we offer innovative device integration services that cover all the aspects of device integration, configuration, and engineering.
  • We offer comprehensive consulting and provide you with state-of-the-art tools and services required to develop your device integration solutions that addresses your unique needs to bring products to market faster, with higher quality and stronger security.
  • We offer consulting services in developing custom tools for converting to FDT 2.x Device DTM from various FDT/DD/FDI hosts.

Below are the offerings from Costaff categorized broading into Four areas:

FDT/DTM Offerings
  • FDT/DTM Host Consultation & Development
  • FDT Test & Certification Support
  • Device DTM, Communication DTM & Gateway DTM
  • Migration of DTM to FDI UIP
  • FITS (FDT 3.0) Consultation Support
  • OPC support for FDT Host
  • Automation Test Framework for FDT components
  • Mobile Based Development and Support
  • Mobile migration projects to latest MAUI technologies from legacy (Xamarin or WPF)
EDDL Offerings
  • EDD Development (HART, FF, ISA100, PROFINET and PROFIBUS)
  • Legacy DD conversion & Maintena
  • DD to FDI Migration
  • EDDL Certification & replica orologi svizzeri Consultation

FDI Offerings
  • FDI Android/Linux CHC SDK
  • FDI Host/Asset Management
  • FDI Communication Server Development
  • FDI Package Development & Maintenance
  • FDI UIP Development
  • FDI Certification, Workshop & Consultation
Automation Host Systems
  • Industrial Control System - Controller, IO Modules, HMI Development.
  • Protocol support for Control systems - HART, FF, EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, PROFINET, etc.
  • DD/FDT/FDI Host Support for HART, FF, PROFIBUS, EtherNet/IP, proprietary protocols.
  • Handheld host, configurator, calibrator support.


INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION

Industrial Automation

  • Instrumentation, Control Systems
  • Comissioning, Configuration, Calibration, Diagnostics, Monitoring
  • Product Management
  • EDD, DTM, FDT, FDI, OPC
  • DCS and PLC Automations
  • Product Management
  • Calibration and Standards

Industrial Communication Protocols

  • HART
  • ProfiBus / ProfiNet
  • Ethernet IP
  • Modbus TCP
  • Cloud Connectivity

FDI

  • Common Component Features
  • Production Migration -> New Generation DTM
  • Specifications & Standards
  • Design UIP for packages
  • Central repository for FDI packages

FDT

  • FDT 1,2, 2.0 and 3.0
  • DTM library generation
  • Mobile apps for process devices
  • Integrate with ERP and PLC apps
  • IIoT, ML and Big Data
  • Smart Factories
  • DTM Certifications
  • FDT Hub and Host

Field Devices

  • Temperature Sensors
  • Pressure Transmitters
  • Flow Level, Positioners
  • Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems
  • Liquid & Gas Process Analyzers

Technology Capability

  • Mobile/Desktop App - MAUI, Xamarin
  • DevOps, CI/CD, Containerization, SRE
  • Azure, AWS, GCP
  • Development and Mainteance using C#, .NET, WPF