isDTMcreator Base

FDT is a new approach to the integration of commissioning, configuration and control software. The capability of FDT goes beyond all comparable device description languages like DDL and EDDL. The introduction of FDT in the automation market offers the benefit of having one single concept, which allows the automation device manufacturer to provide only one configuration component. This component should be able to run within any engineering or control environment which implements the FDT standard, regardless of the vendor of the software. In FDT such a component is called Device Type Manager (DTM). Beside all advantages it leaves the manufacturer with the task of writing this component.

A DTM represents a component which manages and configures all devices of a certain class, the boundaries of the class defined by the device (DTM) manufacturer. It can cover just one device type but may be also suitable for a whole device range. A DTM typically provides no user interface. In order to allow access to the parameters, the manufacturer can provide a set of user interfaces (ActiveX), which are managed by the DTM.Using the Toolkit.  The isDTMcreator Base eases the task of DTM development considerably. Compared with a original DTM development, the use of the Toolkit will result in the reduction of time and cost for the development process.
The isDTMcreator Base contains the following components:

• isFDT Wizard (a DTM Wizard)
• Template Library
• Object Library
• isFDT MiniFrame.

The isDTMcreator Base aides the development of CommDTMs and Device DTMs. The communication protocols HART, Profibus, Foundation Fieldbus and OPC are supported. The wizard provides a step by step approach to the definition of the DTM functionality in Visual C++. The user is guided to the DTM by a set of dialogs, which for instance offer the choice between different kind of DTM types or between supported communication protocols. Finally a Visual C++ project is generated, which can be compiled into a compliant (but empty) DTM.

The wizard creates a project framework for the DTM, which includes a number of ActiveXes and a number of CommChannel for CommDTMs. The required FDT interfaces are inherited by the generated DTM from the Template Library. This project frame forms a shell into which the user can implement the configuration functionality for the device as well as to design and connect its graphical user interface. The task of DTM development is thus reduced to describing the device capabilities without worrying about the specifics of the FDT standard.