PRESS RELEASE: FieldComm Group Provides Path for Process Automation Instrument Suppliers to Embrace Digital Transformation with Release of HART-IP™ Developer Kit 

PRESS RELEASE: FieldComm Group Provides Path for Process Automation Instrument Suppliers to Embrace Digital Transformation with Release of HART-IP™ Developer Kit 

Open Source Software Available to Enable Rapid Development of Fully Digital HART® Compatible Instruments and Infrastructure 

AUSTIN, Texas, April 29, 2020 – FieldComm Group, the leading worldwide member organization for developers of process automation instrumentation, systems and services and owner of the HART® Communication Protocol, today announces the availability of a software, hardware and services development platform for HART-IP™ enabled instruments. With an installed base over 40 million instruments, HART® is by far the most dominant communications protocol used in process manufacturing facilities around the world. 

HART® embraced Internet Protocol (IP) in 2009, shortly after the release of the WirelessHART® protocol. Now, as low-cost, 2-wire, Ethernet enabled solutions for field instrumentation get ready to enter the market, the time is right for HART-IP™ enabled wired instruments. Based on the popular Raspberry PI (3B+) system and using GitHub repositories, the HART-IP™ Developer Kit provides a path for process instrumentation manufacturers to prototype and demonstrate high speed HART-IP™ instruments with minimal engineering effort. 

Initially configured to work with power-over-ethernet (PoE) solutions, the developer kit features a replaceable Ethernet module that will be upgraded to support 2-wire Ethernet-APL as components become available in the future.  Planned upgrades also include incorporation of FieldComm Group’s OPC UA-centric Process Automation Device Information Model (PA-DIM™), for interoperability with OPC UA based enterprise applications, as well as support for JSON and XML based DeviceInfo files for use with lightweight IIoT edge gateway solutions. 

“FieldComm Group is committed to continued support of the vast installed base of HART® devices and the enhancement of the HART® protocol to migrate these assets in the age of digitalization.  Over 375 FieldComm Group members, representing major suppliers to the process industry, can now leverage this development to build upon the value from field devices by extracting more data at the speed of internet. We are excited to show users a path that will lead them to an ethernet-based solution while protecting their investment and not impacting their reliability.”, claims Ted Masters, President and CEO of FieldComm Group. 

Continuing, Mr. Masters states, “Device integration and seamless plant floor to cloud data transfer is a requirement for digital transformation since the ultimate goal is to provide data in a standard way across all suppliers and protocols. Combined with other technologies, such as Field Device Integration (FDI®), JSON and Process Automation Device Information Model (PA-DIM™), these technologies offer suppliers and users a well-defined path to realize this vision.” 

Pricing and Availability 

The HART-IP™ Developer Kit is currently available to both FieldComm Group members and non-members.  The kit includes hardware, software access to a HART-IP™ server, HART-IP™ client and a sample EDD as well as instructions and four hours of technical support from FieldComm Group technical staff.  Members can purchase the kit for $995, while non-members can purchase it for $1495 directly from FieldComm Group’s online store:  go.fieldcommgroup.org/orderform.