Glossary · Distributed automation and IEC 61499
Eclipse 4diac
Also known as: 4diac, 4DIAC, 4diac IDE, 4diac FORTE
German: Eclipse 4diac
Eclipse 4diac is an open-source environment for distributed control applications based on IEC 61499, hosted by the Eclipse Foundation, consisting mainly of the engineering tool 4diac IDE, the runtime 4diac FORTE for embedded devices and a library of function block types.
- IEC 61499
- Standards
- Vendor product
In one sentence
Eclipse 4diac is an open-source IEC 61499 environment: 4diac IDE for engineering, 4diac FORTE as runtime and a function block library.
Example
A university lab builds a distributed sorting station: the application is drawn in 4diac IDE, mapped to two Raspberry Pi boards running 4diac FORTE, and the boards exchange data through PUBLISH and SUBSCRIBE blocks.
How it applies
- Components: 4diac IDE is the engineering tool, built on the Eclipse platform: it edits function block types (basic, simple, composite, service interface), adapters, subapplications, applications and the system configuration, maps blocks to devices, deploys them and monitors running values. 4diac FORTE is a small, portable IEC 61499 runtime written in C++ for embedded controllers, industrial PCs and single-board computers. The 4diac library provides standard types such as the Annex A event function blocks, plus I/O and communication blocks. Both main components are published under the Eclipse Public License 2.0.
- Standard coverage: 4diac follows IEC 61499-1 closely and uses the XML exchange format of IEC 61499-2, which makes it a common reference for research, teaching and prototypes. Its libraries also contain types that go beyond the standard, such as additional event and utility blocks.
- Use in practice: Universities, research institutes and companies use 4diac for training, proofs of concept and products. Some device and platform vendors build their IEC 61499 offerings on 4diac FORTE or support it on their hardware. Communication blocks map to protocols such as MQTT, OPC UA, Modbus and fieldbus-specific layers, depending on the build.
- Documentation: When an application is developed in 4diac, record the IDE and FORTE versions, the FORTE build options (which modules, protocols and I/O drivers were compiled in) and any library types that are not from IEC 61499. These details decide whether the project can be rebuilt and moved to another runtime.
Eclipse 4diac vs. Eclipse IDE
The Eclipse IDE is the general open-source development platform. Eclipse 4diac is a separate Eclipse Foundation project whose engineering tool is built on that platform; its runtime FORTE doesn't need Eclipse at all.
Keep in mind: product names, components, supported protocols and features change between releases. Check the current 4diac documentation before relying on a specific capability.