ADVANCED DEVICE DESCRIPTION TOOLKITS LEVERAGE EDDL TECHNOLOGY EXTENSIONS

Main Menu | News By Date | News By Supplier | News By Category | About Us

ADVANCED DEVICE DESCRIPTION TOOLKITS LEVERAGE EDDL TECHNOLOGY EXTENSIONS
25 October 2005 - Fieldbus Foundation

The Fieldbus Foundation today announced the release of its AT-400 Device Description Tokenizer Toolkit Version 5.0 and the AT-401 Device Description Services Toolkit Version 5.0. These powerful, advanced development toolkits enable instrumentation manufacturers to read and generate the Device Description files necessary for distribution with a FOUNDATION fieldbus device, and take advantage of new Electronic Device Description Language technology extensions in their fieldbus product development projects.

The Fieldbus Foundation's DD technology gives end users access to vivid graphs for comparative capabilities like valve signatures, and charts for trending, without proprietary software drivers. The powerful, advanced visualization features of EDDL are derived from the superset specification of the descriptive technology language currently shared by the Fieldbus Foundation, Hart Communication Foundation and PROFIBUS Nutzerorganisation e.V.

Delivered as a defined subset of the IEC 61804-2 'EDDL' standard, customers benefit from the open, uniform configuration, easy setup, improved operation, expanded diagnostics and maintenance features that bring a multi-vendor, interoperable environment to the end users. Developers appreciate a single Electronic Device Description for all hosts and Operating System platforms, plus the integrity of built-in revision control managed by the Fieldbus Foundation.

The DD Tokenizer checks for syntax or logical errors in DD source files, converts DD source files into the DD binary file format, and issues error messages that help trace and correct errors. Ensuring interoperability, the Tokenizer interlocks redefinition of information imported from standard DDs. For example, it prevents redefinition of a floating-point-type variable as an integer-type variable, or deleting a parameter from a standard function block.

The DD Tokenizer Kit 5.0 fully supports the enhanced EDDL language elements and includes the new DD Super Viewer that simplifies the device development process by providing access to the generated DD binary for testing and verification. The DD Super Viewer supports direct rendering of the new extensions including enhanced dialogs, images, graphs, and charts.

The Fieldbus Foundation's AT-401 Device Description Services Toolkit Version 5.0 is a comprehensive source code library that makes it easy for controls suppliers to decode DD binaries and access DD information. Its source code library includes all of the FOUNDATION Fieldbus standard blocks and delivers a consistent presentation of data for all devices to make it easier for a system supplier to develop DD based applications.

The AT-401 toolkit is compatible with DD binaries generated by the DD Tokenizer 4.x and 5.x. Compatibility with DD Tokenizer 4.x assures continued support for the existing installed base of DDs while enabling support of the new language extensions in future devices.

The Fieldbus Foundation's device development toolkits provide continuous support for the existing installed base of DDs while enabling implementation of the EDDL language extensions in future devices. Forward and backward compatibility is assured with EDDL's well-earned leadership role and commitment to the existing DD technology's binaries generated by the DD Tokenizer 4.x and 5.x products.

The AT-400 Device Description Tokenizer Toolkit Version 5.0 and the AT-401 Device Description Services Toolkit Version 5.0 are available to both Fieldbus Foundation members and non-members.

http://fieldbus.org/

About: Fieldbus Foundation
Suppliers of control and instrumentation products gain a competitive advantage through membership in the Fieldbus Foundation. In addition to a tested, interoperable fieldbus specification, software licenses and other valuable intellectual property, the foundation provides fieldbus education, development workshops, interoperability testing, conformance testing, testing tools, development software, newsletters and field trial assistance for companies that wish to implement FOUNDATION technology in their automation products.

More News:
  • For October 2005
  • From Fieldbus Foundation
  • For Control Products