FDT / DTM (Field Device Tool, Device Type Manager)

The interaction between FDT (Field Device Tool) and DTM (Device Type Manager) is fundamental in modern industrial automation systems, enabling seamless communication and device management. FDT acts as a standardized framework that provides the infrastructure for integrating various field devices—such as sensors, actuators, and transmitters—into a control system. It ensures compatibility across different communication protocols like CC-Link, PROFIBUS, and FOUNDATION Fieldbus, making it easier to work with devices from different manufacturers. 

Within this framework, DTMs play a crucial role. A DTM is a device-specific software module designed to facilitate communication with a particular field device. Each device type, whether it is a valve positioner, temperature transmitter, or flow meter, comes with its own DTM. This software knows how to interact with the device, retrieve its data, configure its parameters, and perform diagnostic tasks. 

When a user connects a device to the system, the FDT framework loads the appropriate DTM for that device. The DTM then provides a user-friendly interface, allowing operators to monitor device performance, adjust settings, and troubleshoot issues. The combination of FDT and DTM ensures that devices from various manufacturers can be easily integrated, configured, and managed within a unified automation system, enhancing efficiency and reliability. 

As a leading company in the field of industrial communication, Hilscher offers a broad portfolio of technologies and solutions for networking industrial environments. 

This includes a wide range of interface solutions for connecting sensors, actuators and controllers to industrial communication networks. The communication controllers of the netX family form the basis for this. The multi-protocol-capable SoCs can be integrated into automation components as required and their extensive chip peripherals enable powerful, efficient and flexible solutions. A protocol change is achieved by simply reloading Hilscher's own netX firmware, which is available for all common fieldbus or real-time Ethernet protocols. Building on this, the company also offers embedded modules and PC cards in all form factors in order to realise the netX communication interface with less integration effort. 

Hilscher also offers a comprehensive managed industrial IoT portfolio under the netFIELD brand. This ranges from edge gateways as an application-oriented computer platform with integrated container management and the Edge OS Runtime running on it to the central cloud portal, via which the docker containers are deployed to the edge devices, through to turnkey containers for communication applications. 

Gateways and switches, devices for network diagnostics as well as masters and bridges for the wireless connection of IO-Link sensors round off the automation portfolio.