PROFIBUS supports PROLIST

PI (PROFIBUS and PROFINET International) supports the activities of PROLIST® INTERNATIONAL e.V to standardize features for data exchange between manufacturers of process control devices and device users in feature lists. PROLIST INETRNATIONAL is an emerging, independent organization of users and manufacturers of automation devices, systems, and tools with the objective of providing feature lists to manufacturers and users to enable efficient planning, design, service, and procurement of electrical and process-control devices and systems. As part of an agreement, PI is providing PROLIST INETRNATIONAL with agreed-upon elements of the PROFIBUS specifications for use in the PROLIST feature lists, which will be published in the NAMUR recommendation NE 100, as well as for IEC standardization activities to harmonize with the eCl@ss System.

The basis for this is the electronic data exchange between manufacturers and users or between different systems within companies (both manufacturers and users), such as ERP and CAE. This will prevent typographical errors caused by repeated entry of the same data and will reduce the quantity of paper documents. The PROLIST feature lists will enable optimum business processes, reduced process costs, and improved process quality. The created feature lists will also be carried over into the international standardization activities of IEC.

The collaboration with PROLIST will result in a standardized mapping of PROFIBUS interface properties into PROLIST feature lists. As a result, all companies that produce or use PROFIBUS products can benefit from electronic data exchange throughout their business processes.