In 2003, the three leading field device foundations (Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation and PROFIBUS Nutzerorganisation) signed a cooperative agreement to develop a common specification for graphical visualization and persistent data storage enabled by Electronic Device Description Language. All three of the organizations utilize EDDs for parameterization and description of their devices. In 2004, OPC joined the cooperation team. With EDDL™, an established IEC standard, it made sense for the OPC specification to base their data structure on that same standard and work with the organizations to develop a standard interface to the Unified Architecture. The four organizations signed an agreement in 2004 to cooperate in the development of that interface. Hans Georg Kumpfmueller, is chairman of the committee.

In April 2006 the FDT Group joined the ECT on the basis of a technical agreement to jointly develop a new common standard for device integration called FDI. The Steering Committee is comprised of the presidents of each foundation plus one representative from each organization’s membership.

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