PI has completed the TCI (Tool Calling Interface specification after less than a year of development work.

With TCI, PI has defined the interface for a range of device and automation-system tools, thus supporting standardized communications with field devices over network boundaries.

TCI is a manufacturer-independent interface for engineering, for PROFIBUS and PROFINET devices. The TCI specification can be downloaded (free of charge for PI members) from the PI Website. Read more in PROFINEWS:

Find out more about TCI by attending PI's half-day TCI Developers' Workshop on Wednesday, March 14, 2007, in Karlsruhe, Germany. Topics will be:

• Presentation of the concept
• From parameterization to device
• Examples: PROFIBUS/PROFINET

For more information on the TCI Workshop, email to: