Easily read and write data to Modbus devices using IOTech's high-performance Modbus connector and edge software services
Product Overview
What is Modbus? Modbus is a widely used open industrial communications protocol that delivers data between control systems and devices
Who uses Modbus? Modbus is one of the most prevalent protocols used in OT systems - particularly in Industrial Automation and Building Management
Quick Facts:
- Modbus is master/slave protocol and uses a set of fixed commands to communicate. The Modbus master device can write data to a Modbus slave device and optionally request a response from the slave. Modbus data is stored using single-bit coils and discrete input types, as well as 16-bit input registers and holding registers for more detailed information
- The most common versions of Modbus are Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP. Modbus RTU runs over serial lines and uses cyclic redundant checking to ensure reliability, while Modbus TCP delivers the Modbus commands and data using TCP/IP frames over TCP networks.+
IOTech Modbus Device Connector Features
IOTech’s Modbus device connector support both Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP variants and wide variety of functionality including performance gains from batch reading or writing data where possible
The Modbus device connector implements the following key features:
- Support for both Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP devices
- Read operations for input statuses, coils, input registers and holding registers
- Write operations for coils and holding registers
- Batch (multi) read operations for input statuses, coils, input registers and holding registers
- Batch (multi) write operations for coils and holding registers
- Support for Boolean, Int8, Uint8, Int16, Uint16, Int32, Uint32, Int64, Uint64, Float32, Float64 and String data types
- Support for byte and word swapping for Int32, Uint32, Int64, Uint64, Float32, and Float64 data types which is required for communication with some Modbus devices
- Support for reading individual Boolean bits from input registers and holding registers
- Support for writing individual Boolean bits to holding registers
- Support for the base address mechanism required for communication with some Modbus devices
IOTech Device Connectivity
IOTech software greatly simplifies the work required to connect to and communicate with edge devices and sensors. Modbus is one of the many protocols for which IOTech support fast and scalable two-way data flow. Once collected, the data can be processed and analyzed at the edge or streamed to cloud and other IT systems.
IOTech device connectors require only simple configuration to connect to a specific device and begin to receive data. This reduces integration effort enormously with our graphical tooling making it even quicker and easier to onboard devices and collect their data.
Edge Data Processing and Cloud Streaming
Each of the IOTech device connectors enable the data to be easily collected and passed to either of the Edge Xpert and Edge Xrt software platforms for edge processing and delivery to the cloud if needed.
The edge processing capabilities of Edge Xpert and Edge Xrt include:
• Data aggregation and fusion with other data sources
• Running rules, decision making and control
• Delivery to analytics and AI engines
• Presentation onto operator dashboards
• Streaming to cloud and IT systems
