This part of IEC 61804 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.