Several major automation vendors are demonstrating Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL) solutions in their systems and for their devices at the ISA104 standard’s committee booth at ISA Expo in Houston. The information displayed on the systems is controlled by the device vendors, but unlike previous demonstration the devices are interoperable.
Device types include simple transmitters, but this year’s focus is on complex devices such as variable-speed drives, control-value positioners, and bus diagnostics. To date, EDDL functionality typically has been demonstrated via handheld devices or in stand-alone instrument diagnostic software. By integrating EDDL technology into automation systems, the vendors are significantly increasing the effectiveness of the device diagnostics in operations and maintenance by also making it accessible from operator consoles.
The demonstrations include systems from ABB, Emerson, Invensys, and Siemens interoperating with devices from Emerson, Endress+Hauser, Foxboro Eckardt, Metso, MTL, Samson, and Siemens. As a text-based standard, EDDL files are independent of operating systems and thus not made obsolete by operating system upgrades.
The EDDL standard (IEC 61804-3) was created to support rich user interfaces for advanced diagnostics and sophisticated setup for multiple protocols. Also new this year is a demonstration of the use of EDDL technology coupled with the WirelessHART communications protocol, illustrating its use in an easy to load and license key-free format.
ISA Expo
www.isa.org