Modbus

The Modbus Protocol is a messaging structure. It is used to establish master-slave/client-server communication between intelligent devices. It is a de facto standard. The Modbus RTU specification defines the default communication protocol over serial lines. The Modbus TCP/IP specification takes the Modbus instruction set and wraps TCP/IP around it.

HSYCO supports both Modbus TCP and Modbus RTU, acting as a Modbus master in both cases.

This support is implemented as a set of Java APIs that allow read/write functions as described in the HSYCO Programming Handbook, and an I/O Server with a data point representation that you can use in the EVENTS language to poll Modbus data and generate events.

General Configuration

Modbus TCP

If a Modbus TCP/IP device is used to interface HSYCO to a Modbus RTU or ASCII bus over RS485, the gateway should be configured as Modbus TCP/IP slave and Modbus RTU/ASCII master.

HSYCO can also directly access Modbus TCP slave devices.

Modbus RTU

HSYCO supports Modbus RTU over RS485, using the FTDI’s USB-RS485 cable, a USB to RS485 levels serial UART converter cable incorporating FTDI’s FT232RQ USB to serial UART interface IC device which handles all the USB signaling and protocols. The cable provides a fast, simple way to connect devices with a RS485 interface to USB.

The USB-RS485 cable connects to any USB port of the HSYCO server, and doesn’t require external power supply. It offers an internal 120 Ohm resistor for line termination, and +5Vcc and ground level references that could become handy to connect pull-up and pull-down resistors for lines’ polarization (See the MODBUS over Serial Line Specification & Implementation guide for additional information about line polarization and termination).

  The USB-RS485 cable doesn’t provide opto-isolated RS485 lines. Transient currents and voltage levels exceeding the cable’s specification could damage the USB-RS485 cable, HSYCO server and any Modbus device attached to the RS485 line.

HSYCO Configuration

Options

ID	Default	Values	Description
eventslog	false	true	if the general eventsLog option is also true in hsyco.ini, Modbus events for this gateway are written in the log files
		false	Modbus events for this gateway are not written in the log files, even if the eventsLog option is true in hsyco.ini
extendednames	false	true	when this option is set, data point names used to return values will have the postfix .FF, where FF is the 2-digit decimal function code
		false	data points’ default naming convention is used

Modbus Integration

Because the Modbus protocol is not asynchronous, but is based on polling, you always have to request a read to tell the driver to actually read the data and eventually generate an event on the associated data point if the data has changed.

Datapoints

The naming convention HSYCO uses for the events is closely related to the Modbus addressing standards and data types.

The data point names always begin with the same format: ID.unitid.address, where ID is the I/O server id, unitid is the Modbus slave device address, from 1 to 247, and address is the initial register address you are reading.

The supported public function codes are:

• 01: Read Coils
• 02: Read Discrete Inputs
• 03: Read Holding Registers
• 04: Read Input Registers
• 05: Write Single Coil
• 06: Write Single Register
• 15: Write Multiple Coils
• 16: Write Multiple Registers

Read operations with functions 03 and 04 support the following data types:

Type code	Description	Return range	Number of registers
ushort	unsigned short integer	0 ... 65535	1
uint	unsigned integer	0 ... (232 - 1)	2
ulong	unsigned long integer	0 ... (264 - 1)	4
short signed	short integer	-32768 ... +32767	1
int	signed integer	-231 ... (231 - 1)	2
long	signed long integer	-263 ... (263 - 1)	4
float	signed IEEE 754 floating point	+/- 2-149 ... (2-2-23)x2127	2

Read Coils

Reads from 1 to 2000 contiguous coils, using function code 01. Each coil returns a binary value, 0 or 1, in distinct data points, one for each coil.

ID	Value	R/W	Description
unitid.address	readcoils:<n>	W	executes the Read Coils function, reading <n> coils
unitid.address.1 ... unitid.address.<n> or unitid.address.01.<n> if extendednames is set	0	R	the status of the <n>-th coil starting at address is off
	1	R	the status of the <n>-th coil starting at address is on
unitid.address.error or unitid.address.01.error if extendednames is set	0, null, >0	R	the error status. 0: no error; null: unknown error; >0: modbus exception code

The <n> value after readcoils: can also be a variable, that will be replaced with its numeric content, for example:

IO modbus.27.400 = readcoils:$number

Read Discrete Inputs

Reads from 1 to 2000 contiguous discrete inputs, using function code 02. Each input returns a binary value, 0 or 1, in distinct data points, one for each coil.

ID	Value	R/W	Description
unitid.address	readdiscreteinputs:<n>	W	executes the Read Discrete Inputs function, reading <n> inputs
unitid.address.1 ... unitid.address.<n> or unitid.address.02.<n> if extendednames is set	0	R	the status of the <n>-th input starting at address is off
	1	R	the status of the <n>-th input starting at address is on
unitid.address.error or unitid.address.02.error if extendednames is set	0, null, >0	R	the error status. 0: no error; null: unknown error; >0: modbus exception code

The <n> value after readdiscreteinputs: can also be a variable, that will be replaced with its numeric content, for example:

IO modbus.27.400 = readdiscreteinputs:$number

Read Holding Registers

Reads one data point, using function code 03 to read the appropriate number of registers, based on the data type.

Each reading returns a single value, but you can also use an extended read function to read multiple consecutive values with one single Modbus read function, by adding :<n> at the end of “readholdingregisters:<format>”, where <n> is the number of values.

ID	Value	R/W	Description
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:ushort	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 1 register and interpreting the data as an unsigned short integer
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:uint	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 2 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as an unsigned integer
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:ulong	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 4 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as an unsigned long integer
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:short	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 1 register and interpreting the data as a signed short integer
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:int	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 2 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as a signed integer
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:long	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 4 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as a signed long integer
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:bitshort	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 1 register and interpreting the data as 16 individual bits
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:bitint	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 2 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as 32 individual bits
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:bitlong	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 4 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as 64 individual bits
unitid.address	readholdingregisters:float	W	executes the Read Holding registers function, reading 2 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as a floating-point number using the IEEE Standard 754 representation
unitid.address or unitid.address.03 if extendednames is set	the returned value, according to the requested data type	R	this is the value read using the Read Holding Registers function
unitid.address.<n> or unitid.address.03.<n> if extendednames is set	the returned bit value, with <n> from 1 to 16, 32 or 64	R	this is the value read using the Read Holding Registers function with bitshort, bitint or bitlong format options
unitid.address.error or unitid.address.03.error if extendednames is set	0, null, >0	R	the error status. 0: no error; null: unknown error; >0: modbus exception code

Read Input Registers

Reads one data point, using function code 04 to read the appropriate number of registers, based on the data type.

Each reading returns a single value, but you can also use an extended read function to read multiple consecutive values with one single Modbus read function, by adding :N at the end of “readinputregisters:<format>”, where <n> is the number of values.

ID	Value	R/W	Description
unitid.address	readinputingregisters:ushort	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 1 register and interpreting the data as an unsigned short integer
unitid.address	readinputingregisters:uint	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 2 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as an unsigned integer
unitid.address	readinputregisters:ulong	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 4 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as an unsigned long integer
unitid.address	readinputregisters:short	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 1 register and interpreting the data as a signed short integer
unitid.address	readinputregisters:int	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 2 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as a signed integer
unitid.address	readinputregisters:long	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 4 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as a signed long integer
unitid.address	readinputregisters:bitshort	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 1 register and interpreting the data as 16 individual bits
unitid.address	readinputregisters:bitint	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 2 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as 32 individual bits
unitid.address	readinputregisters:bitlong	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 4 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as 64 individual bits
unitid.address	readinputregisters:float	W	executes the Read Input registers function, reading 2 consecutive registers and interpreting the data as a floating-point number using the IEEE Standard 754 representation
unitid.address or unitid.address.04 if extendednames is set	the returned value, according to the requested data type	R	this is the value read using the Read Input Registers function
unitid.address.<n> or unitid.address.04.<n> if extendednames is set	the returned bit value, with <n> from 1 to 16, 32 or 64	R	this is the value read using the Read Input Registers function with bitshort, bitint or bitlong format options
unitid.address.error or unitid.address.04.error if extendednames is set	0, null, >0	R	the error status. 0: no error; null: unknown error; >0: modbus exception code

Write Coils

Writes a single coil, using function code 05, or multiple coils, using function 15.

ID	Value	R/W	Description
unitid.address	bit:0 bit:false bit:off	W	executes the Write Single Coil function, setting the coil to off
	bit:1 bit:true bit:on	W	executes the Write Single Coil function, setting the coil to on
	bits:<0|1|-...	W	executes the Write Multiple Coils function, setting consecutive coils based on the binary sequence. The left-most bit in the sequence is the first coil
unitid.address.<n> or unitid.address.05.<n> if extendednames is set	0	R	the write function returned a correct response, and the new status of the coil is off
	1	R	the write function returned a correct response, and the new status of the coil is on
unitid.address.error or unitid.address.05.error if extendednames is set	0, null, >0	R	the error status. 0: no error; null: unknown error; >0: modbus exception code

Examples

Reading an integer value from two registers

TIME: IO modbus.27.400 = readholdingregisters:uint
IO modbus.27.400 : UISET mydata.text = IO modbus.27.400

The first line executes the read holding registers function on a Modbus device with address 27, reading two contiguous registers starting at address 400.

The second line sets a text object of the Web interface with the value read from the Modbus device.

Reading several values at once

TIME: IO modbus.27.220 Modbus.27.222 Modbus.27.224 = readinputregisters:float
IO modbus.27.220 : UISET mydata1.text = IO modbus.27.220
IO modbus.27.224 : UISET mydata1.text = IO modbus.27.224

The first line is a compact form for reading multiple data points.

Reading binary data

TIME: IO modbus.27.1000 = readdiscreteinputs:24
IO modbus.27.1000.1 = 0 : UISET mylabel1.color = g
IO modbus.27.1000.1 = 1 : UISET mylabel1.color = r
...
IO modbus.27.220.24 = 0 : UISET mylabel24.color = g
IO modbus.27.220.24 = 1 : UISET mylabel24.color = r

The first line executes the read discrete inputs function on a Modbus device with address 27, reading two contiguous registers starting at address 1000 and interpreting the first 24 bits as binary values.

The following lines change the color of some objects of the Web interface to green if the bit status is 0 or red if the status is 1.

Reading in extended mode

If the option extendednames was specified in System Settings:

TIME: IO modbus.27.1000 = readholdingregisters:ushort
IO modbus.27.1000.03 : UISET mydata.text = IO modbus.27.1000.03

The first line executes the read holding register function for an ushort value on a Modbus device with address 27, reading the registers 1000.

The following line changes the attribute text of a text object setting it to the value just read.

Writing a single coil

TIME : IO modbus.27.1220 = bit:1

Set coil 1220 to on.

Writing multiple coils

TIME : IO modbus.27.1220 = bits:100

Set three coils starting from 1220 to 1, 0, 0.

Writing registers

TIME : IO modbus.27.210 = ushort:2048 
TIME : IO modbus.27.220 = float:-123.22
TIME : IO modbus.27.230 modbus.27.240 = long:200000000

The first line executes the write single register on a Modbus device with address 27, writing the register at address 210 with an unsigned short number.

The second line executes the write multiple registers on a Modbus device with address 27, writing two consecutive registers starting at address 220 with an IEEE-754 floating-point number.

The third line executes the write multiple registers on a Modbus device with address 27, writing four consecutive registers starting at address 230 and four at 240 with a signed long number.

Release Notes

3.3.0

• added support for Write Multiple Coils function:
  • writeMultipleCoils(String name, int unit, int address, int coils, byte[] bytes) Java method
  • ID.unitid.address = bits:<0|1>... in EVENTS

3.2.1

• EVENTS: minor fixes to the readcoils and readdiscreteinputs actions

3.2.0

• reading multiple consecutive values with a single Modbus read is now supported for readholdingregisters and readinputregisters

3.1.1

• using format options bitshort, bitint and bitlong for readholdingregisters and readinputregisters, it is now possible to read 1, 2 or 4 registers and return the individual bit values

3.1.0

• new error events on Modbus read or write errors
• new option extendedNames. When this option is set, data point names used to return values will have the postfix .FF, where FF is the 2-digit decimal function code

3.0.3

• fixes to the Modbus write functions
• variables can now be used in value strings

3.0.0

• initial release

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Modbus is a registered trademark of Modbus Organization, Inc.