Fieldbus Foundation releases updated H1 Interoperability Test Kit

December 2011 Fieldbus & Industrial Networking

H1 ITK 6.0.1 demonstrates continuous improvement of FOUNDATION developer solutions.

The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the release of H1 Interoperability Test Kit (ITK) 6.0.1. This powerful test tool, which tests the functionality of an H1 (31,25 kbit/s) fieldbus device and its conformity with the FOUNDATION function block and transducer block specifications, is available to members holding an active maintenance agreement.

H1 ITK 6.0.1 demonstrates the Fieldbus Foundation’s commitment to quality and its continuous improvement of solutions supporting developers of FOUNDATION fieldbus products. The updated test kit addresses bug fixes to the NI-FBUS Communication Manager (4.0.1) software, which have resolved issues related to alarms and obsolete descriptor errors. It also includes miscellaneous bug fixes to H1 device test cases.

Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute, an internationally-recognised expert in communication and network testing software based in Karlsruhe, Germany, the H1 ITK consists of a test engine, communication stack and function block interface card. An excellent tool for troubleshooting and debugging devices, the H1 ITK includes all hardware and software required to ensure a manufacturer’s complete device interoperability as specified by the Fieldbus Foundation’s official registration testing procedure. By using the H1 ITK, device developers can run tests identical to those used by the foundation before submitting their device for official registration.

The H1 interoperability test suite can be paired with an ITK Automation Tool designed to eliminate several manual intervention steps required when performing pre-registration testing of fieldbus devices. The tool improves ITK schedule efficiency and provides a direct reduction in the person-hours needed to complete the testing phase.

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