System and method for directed provision and installation of device-specific functionalities, in particular for field devices

A distributed system, in particular a distributed automation system, for directed provision and installation of device-specific functionalities and/or information for field devices to be integrated in it,

• wherein
• a field device to be connected to the system is equipped with basic functionalities and/or basic information for operation of the field device in the system, bypassing a higher-level controller for the system, and wherein
• upgrade functionalities and/or upgrade information which are or is required to produce the full functional scope of the field device are/is installed automatically by the higher-level controller using the existing basic functionalities and/or basic information.

A firmware memory medium associated with a field device arranged in a distributed system for receiving a computer-language based basic functionalities and/or basic information based on a method for directed provision and installation of device-specific functionalities and/or information, the method comprising:

• in a first step, a field device to be connected to the system is supplied with basic functionalities and/or basic information for operation of the field device in the system, bypassing a higher-level controller for the system;
• and
• in a second step, the higher-level controller automatically installs further required upgrade functionalities and/or upgrade information in order to produce the full functional scope of the field device, using the existing basic functionalities and/or basic information.