Groups unify IT/OT visualization with universal device information model

FDT Group, an independent, international, not-for-profit industry association supporting the evolution of FDT technology, today announced that in cooperation with the OPC Foundation it has developed an update to the FDT OPC unified architecture (UA) companion specification merging the information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) domains within a new server-level universal device information (DI) Model. The companion specification is now under member review with both associations for 90 days.

“The new FDT OPC UA server-level universal DI model further unifies FDT’s strength as the standardized, data-centric IIoT platform serving uniform IT/OT device-data to the enterprise,” said Glenn Schulz, FDT Group managing director in a press release. “With the launch of the FDT 3.0 Server architecture natively integrated with an OPC UA Server, end users in the process, hybrid and discrete automation markets can freely mix and match any device with any device information model, from any vendor, and communicate on any network while the FDT Server transparently unifies all the device information and pushes the data to the enterprise for any OPC UA client in real time.”

FDT OPC UA companion specification empowers FDT data-centric Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform enabling uniform IT/OT data access to the enterprise. Courtesy: FDT Group

The companion specification will provide the only protocol-agnostic, server-level device information model for process and discrete applications. With the built-in, “pre-wired” OPC UA Server, the FDT Server environment seamlessly allows access to all device and network information and metadata via any authenticated OPC UA client or application. Standard OPC UA browsing techniques are used to expose this information so authorized clients can connect to the FDT Server to browse, collect and take action on the data as needed. Optional support for a publish-subscribe environment allows for efficient, real-time data monitoring and exchange.

Plant and factory operators require proven asset management monitoring solutions. Visualization capabilities are aligned with the requirements of major end user associations and their recommendations for an open architecture to make production data easily and securely usable for plant and asset monitoring and optimization.

– Edited from an FDT Group press release by CFE Media. FDT Group and OPC Foundation are CFE Media content partners.

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