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Connect to a Modbus Device (Tutorial) teaches you to:

  • Configure communication channels
  • Add device nodes
  • Map device addresses to tags
  • Monitor communication status

Prerequisites:

In this page:

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Devices →  Tutorial | Concept | How-to Guide | Reference


Create Device Channel

  1. Navigate to Devices → Channels
  2. Add new channel:
    • Name: ModbusChannel
    • Protocol: Modbus Master
    • Settings:
      • Interface: TCP/IP
      • Port: 502
      • Timeout: 3000ms

Add Device Node

  1. Go to Devices → Nodes
  2. Create node:
    • Name: PLC1
    • Channel: ModbusChannel
    • Station: IP Address (use 127.0.0.1 for simulator)
    • Device ID: 1

Create Device Points

  1. Navigate to Devices → Points
  2. Add points:

Digital Input:

  • Name: PLC1_DI_001
  • Node: PLC1
  • Address: 10001 (Modbus coil)
  • Data Type: Digital

Analog Input:

  • Name: PLC1_AI_001
  • Node: PLC1
  • Address: 30001 (Modbus input register)
  • Data Type: Integer
  • Scaling: Enable if needed
Step 4:

Map Devices Points to Tags

Method 1 - Direct Mapping:

  1. Go to Unified Namespace → Tags
  2. Select existing tagIn Device column, select: PLC1_AI_001

Method 2 - Auto-create Tags:

  • In Devices → Points
  • Select points
  • Right-click → Create Tags
  • Tags created with same names
    1. In Address column: N0001

    Starting Modbus Device Simulator

    For testing without real hardware:

    1. Devices → Protocols 
    2. Select Modbus
    3. Start Simulator
    4. Monitor values, input values

    Test Communication

    1. Start Runtime (F5)
    2. Open Devices → Monitor
    3. Check status:
      • Green = Connected
      • Red = Error
      • Yellow = Timeout

    Troubleshooting

    IssueCheck
    No connectionFirewall, IP address, port
    Wrong valuesAddress offset, data type
    IntermittentTimeout settings, network
    No updatesPolling rate, scan groups

    Using Device Simulator

    For testing without real hardware:

  • Devices → Tools → Simulator
  • Select protocol matching your channel
  • Start simulator
  • Values update automatically

    Next Steps

    • [Connect to a PLC] - Specific PLC brands
    • [Define Alarms] - Alarm on device values
    • [Historian] - Log device data

    In this section...

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