Global partnership to extend DDL specs

The Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation and Profibus Nutzerorganization have begun an unprecedented collaborative project to extend the specification for device descriptive language (DDL), the most important and widely used digital communication descriptive language in the manufacturing and process industries.

DDL is a text-based language for describing the characteristics of field devices used in device networks. Automation suppliers developing devices based on Fieldbus Foundation, HART and Profibus specifications all use DDL to create device description files that provide information on parameters and other data in a device.

DDL is also used to develop Device Descriptions that describe parametric information for field devices and convey digital information such as device status, process data and configuration information.

Proposed extensions to DDL include the addition of capabilities for describing display characteristics of device parameters, as well as the ability to include algorithmic relationships for complex device parameters.

The three organisations will focus on defining advanced visualisation capabilities for diagnostic and complex calibration procedures such as valve signatures, sensor calibration curves, persistent data and certain trends.