The OSADL Fieldbus Framework

Title

The OSADL Fieldbus Framework

Author

Robert Schwebel

Author Information

Pengutronix, Germany, Open Source Automation Development Lab (OSADL)

Abstract

Industrial I/O components are the central interface between automation systems and the physical environment. Although Linux is becoming the OS of choice for embedded controllers, measurement devices, soft PLCs, and other control equipment throughout the industry, there is still no commonly accepted way to connect I/O devices to a POSIX operating system.

The IT industry, on the other hand, is a good example to demonstrate how an efficient framework can be built: The replacement of an I/O device such as a network adapter from one manufacturer to another requires only that the device driver be changed. It would be absolutely unacceptable if any application layer such as hardware access code in a server program needed to be adapted as well. But that is exactly how industrial I/O still works today.

One of the current projects of the Open Source Automation Development Lab (OSADL) is, therefore, to create a standardized layered framework to access fieldbus and other industrial I/O devices in a canonical way. The OSADL members (machine building companies, hardware manufacturers, software specialists and embedded Linux experts) have agreed to share their development and market forces to make such a unified framework possible.

This talk outlines the ideas and concepts behind the OSADL Fieldbus Framework and exemplifies its application.

Keywords

Fieldbus, I/O, Realtime, POSIX