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HART Releases New Device Description Development Tools Friday, July 16, 2004 The HART® Communication Foundation (HCF) released its new Device Description Integrated Development Environment (DD-IDE). The DD-IDE tool suite is a set of integrated software tools for development, testing, and maintenance of Device Descriptions (DDs). The new HART DD-IDE is just one of several important enhancements to the Device Description Language (DDL) technology currently underway at HCF, which claims it new tool suite will reduce DD development time by 30 to 40%. The Device Description Language was approved by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as an international standard (IEC 61804-2) on March 19, 2004. “The new Integrated Development Environment reduces the time requirements for development of a typical HART Device Description by as much as 30-40%,” says HCF Chief Engineer Wally Pratt. “The DD-IDE simplifies and streamlines the DD development process with an integrated tool suite to support rapid edit-build-test cycles allowing the developer to test new scenarios quickly and efficiently.” The new DD-IDE components include a DDL knowledgeable editor with wizards and search capability, sample device descriptions (DDs), an improved DDL Tokenizer, the XMTR-DD device simulator, and the new SDC-625 Smart Device Configurator for DD validation and testing. According to HCF, the HART protocol is used by seventy percent of all smart process measurement and control instruments installed each year. |