MODBUS still remains the most popular industrial networking standard in the process industries.  MODBUS devices communicate over twisted pair, Ethernet, Fiber and even communicate via industrial wireless radios.  Most often MODBUS slave devices communicate over RS-485 twisted pair networks that are abundant in most plants.  The recent installation of Ethernet and Fiber backbones has led way to the use of many MODBUS/TCP devices.

The NCS NET Concentrator System has always supported peer-to-host and peer-to-peer network solutions via MODBUS RTU or MODBUS/TCP.  However three common challenges still remained with MODBUS implementation.  

First, not all legacy control and monitoring host systems supported MODBUS; second MODBUS RTU slaves cannot communicate with one another without the assistance from a host control or monitoring system; and last the field device and the host system supported different versions of MODBUS -  i.e. MODBUS RTU for the field device and MODBUS/TCP for the host system. Recently a MODBUS Master feature was added to the NCS to alleviate all three of these issues. 

When there is a need to gather or monitor data from a MODBUS slave device by a legacy control system, the NCS now acts as a MODBUS Master to poll the MODBUS slave and convert its digital data to proportional analog signals (4-20mA or 1-5vdc) that can be wired directly to the legacy host system.  The NCS has two independent MODBUS RS-485 ports which allows for more advanced MODBUS communication functions.  For instance, when MODBUS RTU devices need to communicate with one another, the NCS can now poll a MODBUS RTU slave and write that data to another MODBUS RTU slave.  Lastly the NCS can act as a gateway by gathering MODBUS RTU data from slave(s) and offering that as MODBUS/TCP data to a compliant MODBUS/TCP host. 

If MODBUS is installed, or you are considering installing MODBUS in your plant, consider the NCS as universal MODBUS interfacing tool. The NCS has hazardous area approvals so installation in most field locations is not a problem.  

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