Let the future come.
The PACTware consortium announces the release of its latest version of software, PACTware 5.0, that is fully based on the FDT2 standard. This is the first FDT2 product from the organization consisting of 22 member companies in the device and automation solution industry. The consortia members commonly develop an FDT based Frame Application and have chosen to leverage the improved performance and security offered by the FDT2 technology. PACTware 5.0 is open source to the members of the PACTware Consortium.
“The addition of FDT2 is an essential step as we serve the best interest of the broad automation market and our diverse membership. As an FDT2 Frame Application, PACTware enables users to benefit from increased performance and security associated with the technology while maintaining compatibility with previous PACTware projects.”, states Holger Sack, leader of marketing for the PACTware consortium. “In addition, PACTware has been upgraded for the future by employing .Net as the underlying technology thereby ensuring the investment and maintainability of PACTware 5.0 for years to come. The .Net technology not only provides greater independence from the hardware platform, it also opens up new opportunities to design a more advanced graphical user interface. In the future this will, for example, enable intuitive finger operations similar to those used on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.”
“The PACTware consortium has always been a leader for products based on the FDT standard. We are delighted to now have PACTware supplying product based on our latest standard, FDT2.” observes Glenn Schulz, Managing Director of the FDT Group. “As a result of this PACTware release, we have now reached the tipping point – the majority of FDT based applications in the marketplace are now at the FDT2 technology level.”
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About FDT2
The FDT2 standard is the newest version of the FDT standard, enriching the 15 year track record of the FDT standard. FDT2 is backward compatible to the tens of millions of devices that have shipped with DTMs, the FDT device driver from the device manufacturer, supplied under early versions of the standard. FDT2 is built upon .Net to insure future extensibility and operating system independence. Many new features and capabilities were added to FDT2 including enhanced security, a client/server architecture, and significant speed and performance enhancements for mega installations.
The FDT2 standard continues its rich history of integrating all industrial and process networks in the marketplace. The FDT DTM remains the most feature rich, end user satisfying device configuration method but the FDT2 standard also supports the use of DD’s, GSD, Device Packages, and other methods of configuring devices if a DTM is not available.
Central to the excellent interoperability of FDT2 based products are developers’ tool kits known as Common Components, available for DTM and Frame developers. These highly tested tool kits ensure greater interoperability, backward compatibility, higher conformance to the FDT2 standard, reduced development time, and accelerated FDT2 certification.
About the FDT Group AISBL
The FDT Group AISBL is an international non-profit corporation consisting of over 90 leading worldwide companies active in process and factory automation. The major purpose of the FDT Group is to provide an open and non-proprietary interface for the integration of field devices with engineering, automation and asset management systems. In this environment, end users, manufacturers, universities, and research organizations are working together to develop the technology; to provide development tools, support, and training; to coordinate field trials and demonstrations; and to enable product interoperability. Visit www.fdtgroup.org and www.fdt2.org for more information.
FDT® is a registered trademark and FDT2™ is a trademark of the FDT Group AISBL.
About the PACTware Consortium
The PACTware Consortium e.V. was founded to create a platform for distribution of the manufacturer-independent configuration software PACTware. Beside the maintenance and further development of PACTware, a central task of the association is the advancement of DTM and FDT technology.
PACTware is open source and available free-of-charge to the members of the PACTware Consortium. Each member is free to use the software and further develop it. However, this takes place on the condition is that all further developments be made available to the association as open source. The association is the custodian of PACTware and has proprietor rights. The development work is financed through membership fees. Visit www.PACTware.com for more information.
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