Abstract: A method for providing a digital twin for a nondigital automation engineering field device, comprising the following method steps: connecting a connecting unit to the nondigital field device; downloading data concerning the connecting unit that are held in the nondigital field device; producing a timestamp for the downloaded data; transmitting the downloaded data together with the timestamp to a cloud; instantiating a digital image of the nondigital field device in the cloud; producing and providing an authenticated link for downloading the digital twin; downloading the digital twin; linking the digital twin executed on the computer unit to a product database located in the cloud; checking whether the product data held in the product database have undergone a change in comparison with the data that were supplied to the digital image at the time of the timestamp.

Abstract: A method for integrating at least one field device into a network of automation technology, wherein a plurality of field devices are arranged distributed in an automated plant, wherein accessing of the field devices occurs via a field access unit, which communicates with at least one automation/integration platform and at least one web server of a service provider, wherein the service provider provides for each field device a virtual image of the field device in a database, wherein the service provider transmits to the operator of the automated plant via cloud-computing web services, or Internet based services, automatically or on query, the virtual image of the field device with concrete field device- and application-specific properties at run time (the virtual image is preferably transmitted directly into the field device, and wherein the field device performs its function in the automated plant, as soon as it is integrated into the network.

Abstract: A method for integrating at least one field device into a network of automation technology, wherein a plurality of field devices are arranged distributed in an automated plant, wherein accessing of the field devices occurs via a field access unit, which communicates with at least one automation/integration platform and at least one web server of a service provider, wherein the service provider provides for each field device a virtual image of the field device in a database, wherein the service provider transmits to the operator of the automated plant via cloud-computing web services, or Internet based services, automatically or on query, the virtual image of the field device with concrete field device- and application-specific properties at run time (the virtual image is preferably transmitted directly into the field device, and wherein the field device performs its function in the automated plant, as soon as it is integrated into the network.