Full Scope of Functions Available with MTP 2.0
In close cooperation with experts from NAMUR, ZVEI, and PI, work on the MTP specification 2.0 was completed and reviewed by members of the project partners in September of last year. The final versions of the documentation are currently being finalized. The review resulted in a number of interesting change requests from a number of companies. This is an indication of the high level of interest in open MTP technology throughout the industry.
In creating the specifications for MTP 2.0, the experts had two main objectives. One was to coordinate and harmonize the MTP 1.0 documentation that was available at the start of the cooperation. In addition, new requirements from the perspective of users were formulated. The requirements covered a wide range of functionality, since there is a need to implement MTP in a wide variety of different industries — from pure process automation to hybrid applications such as food and beverage and pharmaceuticals to pure production automation applications. For example, the interlock mechanisms had to be improved, a three-way valve had to be introduced, and the operating mode had to be made more precise. All parts have also been restructured and reworked so that they can be incorporated into the IEC standard practically unchanged.
Due to the variety of different tasks, boundary conditions and requirements, the experts introduced an approach already used in other PI technologies — the definition of profiles — which significantly reduces the complexity during implementation, and certification, as well as during integration into systems. A crucial requirement from manufacturers not to change the basic concepts and technologies in order to ensure MTP 1.0 compatibility was taken into account and fulfilled throughout the process. Application-specific PEAs (process equipment assemblies) already available on the market can be used with future process orchestration layer systems based on MTP 2.0.
The documentation of MTP 2.0 will be jointly published by the project partners — NAMUR, ZVEI and PI — as a new, consistent set of documents in the summer of 2025. The next step will be to provide the test specifications and tools for conformance testing so that approved test labs can perform certification tests based on the tried-and-tested processes of other PI technologies. The path is now open for users to implement new, innovative MTP projects.