Open source initiatives as basis for the establishment of new technologies in industrial automation: 4DIAC a case study

This paper intends to prove that an open source strategy is an adequate means for pushing current developments within the industrial automation domain and for bringing together interested partners to focus and unite their efforts on the development of an open, distributed and flexible automation environment. After introducing the new IEC 61499 standard and the “Framework for Distributed Industrial Automation and Control” (4DIAC), open source initiative based on the same standard, the authors provide an overview of the various research activities and industrial domains where 4DIAC project outcomes are currently used. Finally, evidences of the support provided by the initiative to both the establishment of new technologies and products, based on open standards, and the appearing of new actors in the industrial automation domain will be provided.