Challenge: To find a standardized IIoT migration path that aligns with industry needs for a unified environment for device integration, operation, and maintenance providing actionable data, consistency and accessibility across the enterprise.

Solution: The FDT Unified Environment (FDT UE), based on the FDT3 standard, has evolved to a distributed software-based FDT Server (also an OPC UA server and web server) solution delivering OT data consistency to IT applications empowering data-driven operations.

Result: Scalable IIoT Solutions – support the current install base and integrate smarter instrumentation delivering service-oriented device management, maintenance, and data analytics improving reliability with real-time production visibility.

Summary: It’s no secret, IIoT connectivity will dominate the industrial automation workplace enabling modern ways to integrate intelligent device information. At the heart of the IIoT is FDT Group’s integration standard. The latest FDT UE (FDT3) version, has evolved to support both legacy and IIoT applications.

For end-users, system, and device suppliers, FDT is the data interoperability standard for the secure and reliable configuration and visualization in industrial automation devices and systems independent of protocol, vendor, and device (type and data model) for process, hybrid and discrete applications. Today, there are millions of smart device DTMs in use and serviced by FDT hosting environments – engineering, automation, and asset management applications.

Migrating to FDT UE carries forward traditional device management and data consistency features and adds support for modern IIoT device management use cases. The FDT Server environment (deployable in the cloud, on-premise, and edge) offers service-oriented, data-driven IT/OT operations with authenticated OPC UA, FDT, and mobile clients delivering faster performance, ease of use, and investment protection. New FDT Desktop applications offer complete backward compatibility supporting all DTM generations (FDT3, FDT2, and FDT1.2 and other representations). Modern DTMs come equipped with a WebUI allowing interfaces to be completely portable standardizing worker mobility.

The vendor community can jump-start FDT UE development with Common Components, to create FDT Server, FDT Desktop, and FDT device DTM solutions. Toolkits are available today and ensure specification compliance so vendors can focus on value-add. Toolkits auto-enable OPC UA, greatly enhance interoperability and help developers expedite time to market.