Posted to News on 18th Dec 2011, 15:29
CLPA to promote FDT as an international standard
The CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) has signed a co-operation agreement with the FDT Group to promote the use of the FDT as an international standard. Under the agreement CLPA will support the development of an annex of the protocol for the FDT standard to support the CC-Link family of networks including its CC-Link IE Field Gigabit Industrial Ethernet.
CLPA's participation is significant for the growth of FDT technology because of its pre-eminence in the Asian markets. In November 2010, FDT will make a presentation to a selected audience of members, users and the press at the CLPA 10th anniversary celebrations in Tokyo.
FDT standardises the communication and configuration interface between all field devices and host systems. It provides a common environment for accessing the devices' most sophisticated features. Any device can be configured, operated, and maintained over the CC-Link networks through the standardised user interface - regardless of supplier or type.
Steve Jones, the European General Manager of the CLPA, states: "We find increasingly that users are demanding common tools to enable them to access and integrate intelligent field devices. Implementing the common environment provided by FDT provides this, but also gives us the potential to add new functionality for users of CC-Link networks."
Glenn Schulz, the Managing Director of the FDT Group, adds: "We are pleased to have formalised this excellent working relationship with CLPA. Their broad acceptance in the automation market place is a compliment to the core goals and objectives of the FDT standard."
In addition to CC-Link, FDT supports more than 13 network protocols including Hart, Profibus, Foundation Fieldbus, DeviceNet, Interbus and AS-Interface.
