IEC 61804-3:2020 specifies the electronic device description language (EDDL) technology, which enables the integration of real product details using the tools of the engineering life cycle. This document specifies EDDL as a generic language for describing the properties of automation system components. EDDL is capable of describing ' device parameters and their dependencies; ' device functions, for example, simulation mode, calibration; ' graphical representations, for example, menus; ' interactions with control devices; ' graphical representations: - enhanced user interface, - graphing system; ' persistent data store. EDDL is used to create electronic device description (EDD) for e.g. concrete devices, common usable profiles or libraries. This EDD is used with appropriate tools to generate an interpretative code to support parameter handling, operation, and monitoring of automation system components such as remote I/Os, controllers, sensors, and programmable controllers. Tool implementation is outside the scope of this document. This document specifies the semantic and lexical structure in a syntax-independent manner. A specific syntax is defined in Annex A, but it is possible to use the semantic model also with different syntaxes. IEC 61804-4 specifies EDD interpretation for EDD applications and EDDs to support EDD interoperability. IEC 61804-5 specifies the EDDL builtin library and provides the profiles of the various fieldbuses.

This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2015. This edition constitutes a technical revision. This edition was developed by merging material from multiple variants of existing EDDL specifications including those from FieldComm Group (FOUNDATION' Fieldbus , HART® ), PROFIBUS' Nutzerorganisation e.V. (PNO), and ISA100_Wireless' Compliance Institute (ISA100 WCI). Any places where there may be a profile deviation are now indicated in the context where the related deviation is found. As a result, the formatting and numbering of this edition may be different from any of the individual specifications from which this edition was derived. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition: ' Communication profiles ISA100 and GPE were added. ' EDD Identification Information has a new LAYOUT_TYPE attribute. ' New construct SEMANTIC_MAP was added. ' CLASS attribute values LOCAL_A and LOCAL_B were added. ' Extended LIST functionality to support device managed lists.