Omron leads FDT Technology into Factory Automation

(03/01/2007)

FDT (Field Device Tool) technology standardizes the communication interface between field devices and systems. The key feature is its independence from the communication protocol and the software environment of either the device or the host system.

Though origination from the process industry, leading manufacturers of automation solutions for the factory automation and machine construction sectors have found a “home” in the FDT Group, under the leadership of Omron. The FDT Group founded the ad hoc “factory automation” working group, with the objective of utilising FDT technology in production & machine automation.

The main purpose of this initiative is to ensure a balance between the demands on process automation and those on production automation. As members of the working group Bosch Rexroth, Infoteam, Omron, Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact, Schneider Electric, Sick, Turck and Wago have already agreed on a joint procedure. The priorities have been determined.

In close cooperation, it is intended to define integration solutions for IO-Link, safety products and drives and to highlight the advantages of FDT technology. All companies will launch FDT products onto the market. Omron already provides FDT products by means of fieldbus configuration tools for both Profibus and CompoNet - part of the CX-One engineering tool of Omron - and DTMs (Device Type Manager) software modules for its Profibus & CompoNet products.

Related categories:  Machine Safety   Operator Interface   Speed drives