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Time for a Field Device Integration workshop?
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Macy
Posted 12/10/2007 19:03 (#257018)
Subject: Time for a Field Device Integration workshop?



There has been a lot happen on the field device front the past few months.  Many field devices are starting to integrate features that have surpassed the ability of management software vendors to keep up.   Most notably are the wide variety of guidance patterns and formats that are now available, and which need to be ported between systems.  And, we have the GS2 that can support background imagery... but not in a conventional imagery format.  How much longer before other hardware can support imagery, too... and in their own way?

For the first few years of its life, FODM was developed and used only by MapShots.  But in the past couple of years, Agco, Farmworks, and some other unnamed vendors have really stepped up to the plate and gotten involved with writing FieldOp Device Drivers (FODDs), or providing client-side support.  They are using much more of the FODM capability of reading a wide variety of formats, or writing device-specific setup files.   As more have gotten involved, the list of "can we make it do this" stuff has really started to ballon.   FODM knows nothing about guidance patterns and background imagery, for two obvious reasons.

And, as people have grown more dependent upon FODM, we've been asked a few times "what happens if MapShots sells to another company", or "what happens if Macy gets hit by a bus".   These are very legitimate questions.   For starters, we are drafting a legal document that places the FODM concept and source code into the public domain.  This will make it clear that FODM is not a MapShots asset as regards the sale of the company, or any insolvancy (and, no, one is not pending :)).    I don't the details of how this works, yet, but it is in process.

So... basically, we are saying that FODM is going Open Source.   But, I don't want to do that in a void.   I think there needs to be serious community discussion about the future of FODM.   Should it be frozen, as-is... plug a few holes, but concede that otherwise it is doing ok for what it was supposed to do.   And, if so, is it time to start FODM2?   FODM2 would probably have tighter integration to the ISO11783 spec, but from my limited experience with it, 11783 as a spec for the desktop side already falls far short of what can be done with today's hardware (DaveKS, is there anything related to guidance or background imagery in the spec)?

If there is interest, I think it would be appropriate to have a two-day on-site workshop this winter to discuss the entire scope of field device integration.  I would suggest that we bring in an expert on the 11783 desktop integration spec to present the pros and cons of that framework.   And, it would be a good time to discuss how we might structure an open-source effort that would provide a set of core components (like there now is for the machine side) and separate spaces for device-specific integration.   Maybe, it would even be a good venue to give hardware vendors a chance to "train" on their available device components?

Personally, I think you should all come out of the snow to Atlanta for this meeting.   Great airport, and maybe we could get Agco to host it?    But, realistically, Des Moines may be a more practical location.   Pioneer is very interested in this and has hosted a FODM workshop in the past.

I'm posting on this venue because I don't know of a better place to reach all of the key players.   I do not want to send direct e-mails because I'm sure I would leave someone out (we don't require people that are using FODM to let us know, so I don't have a mailing list).   But, if you are interested in attending a workshop on this topic, please drop me a note with the e-mail button on this post.   I'll start off accumulating interest and building a list, and if there is sufficient interest, we'll get something scheduled.   If interested, let me know of your availability, and things you would like to take away from the workshop.   And, if there is interest, we'll get a collaborative discussion site going to get the groundwork in place.

Thanks!

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