Fieldbus Device United Integration Architecture

Device integration techniques are necessary to integrate fieldbus devices into systems. EDDL and FDT (referred as E&F) are two major techniques. But they are not consistent with each other. Due to lack of mutual migration paths to integrate the two kinds of products, Information Island may be formed. It's hard for users to take choice. If both techniques were adopted, maintenance cost would be very high. Therefore, a new united integration technique is needed. FDUIA (Filedbus Device United Integration Architecture) provided here can meet the requirements and solve the existing problems. FDUIA has characteristics such as adopting E&F techniques and overcome the insufficiencies; providing migration paths to integrate E&F; providing backwards compatibilities, so existing E&F productions can go on working in FDUIA; providing good extensibilities to OPC UA and FDI; introducing service concept into device integration. FDUI Component and FDUI Service are two major elements. Proprietary and EDD files can be converted into Parameter Description, Business Logic and HMI Definition files in XML format. After further processing, FDUI Component and Service are built from XML files and FDT components. FDUI Component and Service have different entities to meet different requirements. It's easy to integrate devices with their support. A FDUIA prototype system was set up in laboratory. Fieldbus devices were integrated into FDUIA host application successfully. This proved the feasibility. However FDUIA is not mature enough and need more work.