FA³ST Ecosystem: AI-supported Development and Use of Asset Administration Shells (AAS)

The FA³ST ValidAItor ensures error-free, standard-compliant Asset Administration Shells. Using the official IDTA AAS test engine and AI-powered analysis, it detects deviations from the AAS standard, identifies semantic inconsistencies and suggests specific solutions.

For companies, this means less manual testing, higher quality, and lower costs when creating administration shells. An intuitive user interface makes errors immediately visible, correction suggestions automatically generated, and changes easily implemented.

Whether you are an AAS expert or a beginner - the FA³ST ValidAItor helps to strategically improve Asset Administration Shells and create the basis for precise Digital Twins.

✅ Fast validation, intelligent corrections, better AAS quality

The FA³ST Service is an open-source implementation for Digital Twins according to  the IDTA's AAS standard and the Industry 4.0 Platform. As a central component in the FA³ST Ecosystem, it enables the active execution of asset administration shells and interactive communication via HTTPS, REST, and OPC UA.

Thanks to its open architecture and flexible adaptability, the FA³ST service can be deployed both out-of-the-box and customized. It is particularly powerful in edge deployments, where it synchronizes with existing IT and OT systems via common protocols such as HTTP, MQTT, and OPC UA.

The FA³ST Service is available as a Java application, Docker container, or software library and supports Digital Product Passports (DPPs) for sustainable value chains. The active open source community ensures continuous development and innovation.

🛠 Easy to integrate, highly customizable, fully standards-compliant

The FA³ST Client is a Java backend library that enables user-friendly communication with AAS servers and registries. It provides methods for standardized interaction with Asset Administration Shells via the IDTA API – for example, for retrieving all submodels of an AAS.

In the AAS lifecycle, the FA³ST Client is used during the usage phase and facilitates connection to the FA³ST Service and the FA³ST Registry via HTTP/REST. Integration into Java projects is straightforward as a Maven or Gradle dependency. By default, the client offers simple authentication via username and password, but can be extended with a custom HTTP client if required.

A practical example is its use in an AI-supported chatbot that queries and modifies AAS data.

🔌Flexible, standards-compliant and seamlessly integrated into existing applications.

The FA³ST Mapper facilitates the linking of heterogeneous data sources with asset administration shells (AAS). Users can create mapping rules for OPC UA, MQTT, and HTTP and export them as AssetConnections. These ensure automatic synchronization between Digital Twins and physical assets.

AAS files in AASX, JSON, or XML can be loaded and visualized in the tool. An intuitive tree structure enables clear data mapping and the targeted selection of relevant AAS elements. The mapper supports three types of mappings depending on the protocol (OPC UA, MQTT, or HTTP):

• Value – Reading and writing values ​​from the asset
• Operation – Processing function calls
• Subscription – Subscribing to changes and automatically updating

The mappings created can be saved and reused as JSON configuration files for the FA³ST service. By supporting various protocols, the FA³ST Mapper enables flexible and standard-compliant data integration.

🔄 Versatile, user-friendly and perfect for interoperable Digital Twins.

The FA³ST Registry serves as an address book for Asset Administration Shells (AAS) and their submodels. It is based on the specifications of the Plattform Industrie 4.0 and the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA) and enables efficient discovery and management of Digital Twins.

Asset Administration Shells and submodels are stored in the registry in the form of descriptors. In addition to the ID, these contain additional metadata, such as name, description, and endpoints. Users can search, retrieve, and manage available Asset Administration Shells or submodels.

The FA³ST Registry consists of two components:

• AAS Registry – Directory for Administration Shells
• Submodel Registry – Management of submodels

Various persistence options are available for storage: an in-memory version for fast, temporary applications and a JPA-based solution for relational databases such as PostgreSQL.

The FA³ST Registry is a Java application that can be used as a command line tool or Docker container.

📖 The FA³ST Registry makes administration shells easy to find and efficient to use.

The FA³ST EDC Extension extends the Eclipse Dataspace Connector (EDC) to provide Asset Administration Shells easily and automatically in a data space. This makes data exchange more efficient, while users benefit from simplified contract processing.

The extension automatically synchronizes all elements of the Asset Administration Shell and creates an up-to-date data description in the data space. This significantly reduces manual effort - especially in the case of frequent changes and large data volumes. In addition, predefined contracts are automatically attached so that users only need to accept them to retrieve the data.

To make it even easier to use, the complex contract negotiation process has been automated: Instead of performing several steps manually, users receive the data directly after confirming the predefined conditions. Experienced users can still submit their own contract proposals.

Furthermore, functional enhancements have been integrated to optimally utilize Asset Administration Shells in the data space. It is now possible to execute operations directly and display data immediately without additional implementation.

🌍 The FA³ST EDC Extension makes the secure and efficient exchange of Asset Administration Shells in data space easier than ever before.

The FA³ST Viewer enables user-friendly visualization of asset administration shells, their submodels, and properties. Its clear structure and intuitive interface allow users to quickly grasp, understand, and track the contents of an Asset Administration Shell – without requiring in-depth technical knowledge.

The application offers interactive navigation through hierarchical AAS structures, making it easy to understand the relationships between different models and data points. Filter and search functions facilitate quick access to relevant information. In addition, changes to the data are displayed in real time, enabling dynamic interaction with the Digital Twin or even the physical asset.

The FA³ST Viewer supports various display modes to meet the different requirements of developers and specialist users. An adaptive user interface will ensure ergonomic use in the future, both on desktop systems and on mobile devices.

🖥️ The FA³ST Viewer provides companies with a powerful tool for efficiently visualizing Asset Administration Shells and making optimum use of their content.