What is FDT/DTM Technology?
FDT/DTM technology establishes a standardized framework for field devices to exchange data efficiently with control systems, engineering tools, and asset management applications. What sets FDT apart is a focus on complete device configuration and optimization irrespective of vendor, protocol, device type, data model, or network configuration. This flexibility ensures that manufacturers can optimize their operations without being locked into a specific vendor ecosystem.
Universal Device Management
In today's rapidly evolving industrial landscape, seamless integration and efficient management of field devices are paramount. FDT/DTM (Field Device Tool / Device Type Manager) technology is at the forefront of this revolution. It is a robust, software-based solution implemented in industrial systems and sensor-based device solutions. Its purpose is to simplify device integration, communication, and management within engineering and control applications, specifically for the industrial process, hybrid and factory automation markets.
Driving Digital Transformation
FDT technology modernizes asset integration and enhances access to performance data, enabling businesses to visualize critical operational issues. This capability is a cornerstone of digital transformation initiatives, empowering organizations to achieve higher efficiency, reliability, and agility in their operations.
The FDT solution supports a range of functionalities, including:
- Standardized Point-to-Point Communication: Simplifying connections between devices and systems.
- Integrated Engineering Applications: Seamlessly bringing together tools and processes for enhanced productivity using DCS, PLC and Asset Management environments.
- Sensor-to-Cloud Enterprise Capabilities: Promoting a unified approach to asset management for IT/OT domains enabling real-time data flow from the field to the cloud, facilitating advanced analytics and decision-making.
FDT Technology Case Studies
Inter Pipeline - Extraction Plant
Canadian company Inter Pipeline streamlines plant start-up and safety procedures with smart instrumentation information monitoring and asset management solutions
GranBio - Bioethanol Plant
Bioethanol producer employs advanced automation technology to optimize integration, operation and lifecycle management of critical assets
Nedmag Industries - Mining
Nedmag Industries Mining modernized manufacturing practices with an integrated asset management system using FDT Technology enhancing productivity and savings in maintenance and service operations.
Dalum - Paper Mill
This paper mill has been modernized to boost its efficiency without compromising its consistently high product quality with a preventive maintenance strategy with FDT enabled paper machines.
Littleton - Water Treatment
FDT technology simplifies network configurations, improves efficiency for Colorado water treatment plant
Shell Scotford – Refinery
Intelligent automation saves millions at frigid oil refinery utilizing real-time daily instrument troubleshooting with a more predictive maintenance strategy
SNF - Chemical Plant
French manufacturer SNF reduces maintenance effort and cost by implementing a modern FDT-based device management tablet solution for plant processes and well injection skids.
Designed for the Modern Industrial Infrastructure
Empowering Industrial Automation Environments
FDT is an open, scalable, secure, and interoperable architecture for the modern industrial enterprise. The technology provides a vendor-neutral software interface for integrating assets and delivering access to device intelligence for end-users with process, factory (discrete) and hybrid operations. In these diverse markets, with unique operational requirements, the technology enables a common environment for utilizing smart devices’ most sophisticated features.
Process Automation
FDT meets process industry requirements for advanced control, monitoring and innovative simulation. This includes continuous or batch mixing, reaction and separation of materials to produce other materials of higher value.
Factory Automation
FDT meets factory (discrete) automation requirements, including the use of a DCS and PLCs to operate and control motors, conveyors, robots, inspection systems, and similar devices that work together to complete the manufacturing process.
Hybrid Automation
FDT meets the needs of various hybrid applications, which combine elements of discrete, batch and continuous process control and typically require a process control system that can deliver both PLC and DCS capabilities.
FDT Ecosystem
FDT holds the key to integrating any device, system or network in today’s complex industrial automation architecture. The current technology platform (FDT 3.0 ecosystem) consists of three major components: FDT Server, FDT Desktop, and the FDT/DTM. Together, these components establish FDT as an enabler of the new era of automation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), while continuing its heritage as the open, standardized, platform-independent architecture for universal device integration and asset management.
IIoT-ready FDT Server Solutions
The FDT Server is a distributive, multi-user server solution employing a Web Services portal that allows access from authenticated mobile devices or any major browser. It also includes an OPC UA Server for IT/OT convergence and enterprise access. Its rich control features ensure that any industrial communication protocol or vendor device can be seamlessly integrated as part of smart manufacturing practices.
- Utilizes .NETCore open-source software to build device, cloud and IIoT applications
- Compatible with a choice of operating systems, including iOS, Linux and Windows
- Offers a variety of deployment options, including cloud, edge, on-premise air-gapped systems
- Employs Server Common Components to simplify developer efforts
FDT Desktop Integration Advantage
The FDT Desktop is a single-user Microsoft Desktop environment intended for applications running on a desktop personal computer or mobile computing device. As the automation vendor community advances its FDT-enabled applications and system offerings, all legacy FDT/DTMs will function in this environment updated to the FDT 3.x standard. Such an approach makes it possible to freely mix all generations of DTMs within a desktop application.
Unlocking Universal Device Integration
The FDT Device Type Manager™ (FDT DTM) contains application software that defines all the parameters and capabilities included in an automation device. The DTM encapsulates device-specific data, functions and business rules such as the device structure, its communication capabilities, internal dependencies, and human-machine interface (HMI) structure. Recent developments allow for the creation of an FDT 3.0 DTM that will seamlessly integrate with any FDT Server (multi-user) or Desktop (single-user) hosting environment.
Device DTM
Device DTMs are utilized by a host of field instrumentation—from simple devices to valves and other complex devices, which employ DTMs for advanced diagnostics and asset management. Device DTMs can support one or a family of common devices such as pressure or temperature transmitters.
Interpreter DTM
Interpreter DTMs interpret other types of device representations, such as Device Descriptions (DDs), Electronic Device Descriptions (EDDs), Field Device Integration (FDI) Device Packages, and IODD to allow configuration and parameter access within an FDT system.
Universal DTM
Universal DTMs universally represent all devices with the compliant parameters of a specific protocol.
Communication (Comm) DTM
Communication DTMs standardize the communication channel to the operations of the mapped IT/OT network protocol.
Gateway DTM
Gateway DTMs allow communication to transition between the communications paths of different protocols.
Open Standard for Sensor-to-Cloud Integration
FDT is a global standard for universal device and network integration for the process, hybrid and factory automation markets. It is engineered for use with all major communication protocols and proprietary protocols with fully transparent tunneling through any mixed network topology.
When incorporating a network into the FDT standard, they are officially named as an FDT supported network “Annex.”
Endless Business Benefits
FDT enables automation industry suppliers to take advantage of disruptive technology developments to drive business growth. The technology intersects the variety of process and factory networks attached to intelligent instrumentation and the higher-level systems that interact with these devices. It was specifically developed to tie edge devices into higher-level systems that include manufacturing, enterprise and cloud-based applications.
Deploying Mobile Applications
FDT technology expands access to critical device data and improves workflows for plant personnel with its mobile device management interface along with apps to enhance maintenance efficiency. Utilizing Web Services, solutions are provided for client-and browser-based applications involving a wide range of mobile devices.
- Drive real-time, data-driven analytics
- Enable cloud-based enterprise data access
- Utilize robust device diagnostics
- Employ augmented reality in asset management and predictive maintenance
- Address critical lifecycle management issues
Implementing Built-in Security
FDT security empowers a comprehensive solution designed to safeguard data access from the enterprise all the way down to the device level. This allows end-users to meet both connected and air-gapped requirements and comply with contemporary security policies in a typical industrial setting.
- TLS security enabling Web Sockets Secure (WSS) and Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) deployments with encrypted communications
- On-the-wire Security via CIP to ensure comprehensive, end-to-end, enterprise-wide security
- Role-based User Security to determine the user’s role and rights within an application
- 509×3 certificates to verify the correct server and confirm the client device is authorized to communicate with the server
Expanding Data Exchange
A critical feature of a FDT Server solution is the integration of an OPC UA Server providing the information model for enterprise-level data exchange. Unlike patchwork solutions that try to gain access to device information through OPC UA, the scalable FDT Server natively employs an OPC UA Server allowing all devices on all networks to be accessed through the FDT Server.
- Requires no special configuration by the end-user
- Allows any OPC UA Client with the correct security profile to browse the entire plant project structure and access any information available from the FDT Server
- Provides the assurance of utmost security with flexible deployment options for the process, hybrid and factory automation markets
Optimizing Development Efforts
The latest generation FDT Device Type Manager (FDT/DTM) provides platform independence, mobility solutions, and a contemporary development environment to reduce costs and expedite DTM certification. Optimized development efforts can take place in a modern GUI employing HTML 5.0 Javascript. The DTMs comply with the NAMUR NE-107 recommendations for viewing the status of instrumentation in a simple and uniform way.
- Allows for separation of DTM User Interface (UI) and Business Logic (BL)
- Enables device vendors to add customizable features to differentiate their DTMs
- Supports specific parameters providing the best device health and analysis capabilities
- Utilizes a modernized development environment where the tools are platform independent, cost-effective, and easy to use
Benefits Across the Industrial Automation Market
FieldComm Group is supporting the transformation journey into the Fourth Industrial Revolution with the emerging FDT 3.x standard and IIoT and Industry 4.0 applications. FDT-based solutions, including Servers and DTMs, will meet the demands of rapidly advancing smart plants and factories by enabling the highest levels of universal device integration and asset management.
- Supports a collaborative platform enabling robust networking integration
- Allows for seamless integration mapping for connecting intelligent assets
- Enables device-specific diagnostic data to be relayed across the enterprise
- Utilizes mobility apps to increase the productivity of plant personnel
- Ensures greater confidence through built-in security
Empowering End Users
FieldComm Group's goal to address interoperability issues for automation end-users by empowering them with open access to device intelligence with the freedom to choose systems/devices that best fit their application, and seamlessly connect and communicate independent of the chosen vendor or network. Today, FDT technology has evolved to keep pace with the latest trends in smart manufacturing.
Supporting System Suppliers
Control system suppliers can implement the well-established FDT standard they are familiar with and expand their portfolio offerings to meet the requirements for next generation applications. A modernized integration development environment allows suppliers to jump-start development of FDT-based universal solutions meeting market demands.
Enabling Device Developers
FDT provides a forward-looking solution for developers of advanced field instrumentation equipment with the promise of significant business benefits derived from support for the new era of industrial automation.
FDT/DTM Registered Catalog
FieldComm Group’s Product Registry provides a current list of FDT/DTM products and downloadable registration certificates from a multitude of manufacturers and categories. Products that carry the registration mark(s) have been tested to ensure conformance to the standards for interoperability and functionality regardless of manufacturer.
FDT Specifications and Resources
The FDT library of Specifications and Resources serves as a valuable asset for both automation suppliers and end-users looking to learn more about FDT Technology and product development. Find the information you need on the subjects important to you.
FDT Developer Tools
FieldComm Group strongly supports developers in delivering FDT compliant system and device products. As such, it has established a set of platform-independent tools saving countless engineering hours when creating FDT-enabled solutions. These tools ensure specification compliance, greatly enhance interoperability, and work together to ease developer efforts in delivering robust, FDT-compliant solutions while accelerating time to market.