While Pactware 6.0 brought with it a new user interface with intuitive structures, Pactware 6.1 offers functions that many users have long been waiting for: All member companies of the Pactware Consortium make the software available for download with the drivers that match their respective devices. However, the question of whether a DTM or an FDI package is better has so far divided opinion. Both technologies are used for commissioning and diagnosing field devices and previously required different software environments. Now, for the first time, both can be used in one tool. With the new version, the software supports both standards, FDT/DTM and FDI packages.

The FDT 3 standard is also supported. It offers users the option of working with FDT3-DTM. This allows HTML-based user interfaces to be used. The advantages of this are modern and standardized displays of information in common environments combined with current operating philosophies.

"Pactware is one of the best known freeware hosting environments for FDT device configuration, serving millions of connected devices via DTMs today. We are excited that the latest 6.1 platform supports the new FDT3 standard and extends the integration of FDI Device Packages and FDT web-based DTMs, while maintaining backward compatibility with the current install base. Users can now leverage a unified environment for modern industrial device management with the data model of their choice and experience new capabilities offered with new DTMs that are OPC UA and mobile ready, providing the market with an easy path to scalable, data-driven IIoT applications," said Steve Biegacki, Managing Director of FDT Group.

Ted Masters, President of FieldComm Group, adds, "We are thrilled that Pactware 6.1 now supports FDI Devices Packages. As the preferred integration technology of large end-user organizations such as NAMUR, the many current end-users of Pactware now have the ability to configure the FDI Device Package for HART, Foundation FieldBus and Profibus/Net devices directly in Pactware. Users can now benefit from the many advantages of FDI technology, including enhanced 'device health' according to NAMUR NE107, HTML5 user interface support, offline configuration, secure device packages, access to documentation and soon simplified IIoT integration with PA-DIM."

Pactware 6.1 is available for free download on the websites of the member companies of the Pactware Consortium e.V.