Modbus is a communications protocol that has been the industry standard for DAQ devices. While originally designed and implemented over 40 years ago, Modbus’s resilient simplicity and consequent adaptability has popularised it over time and made the protocol crucial for DAQ and a plethora of other industries.
MatDeck’s Modbus Platform supports both Modbus RTU and TCP includes functions and forms needed to maximise Modbus’s capabilities and integrate the protocol seamlessly with any other relevant MatDeck features. Modbus can be now implemented to read and write data and create deep lying analysis and worthwhile applications with MatDeck. Some of our Modbus Platform features include:
- Modbus Device Configuration via Excel
- Automatically connect Excel files to our Configuration GUIS and Modbus Toolbox
- DAQ Toolboxes and functions
- DSP Toolboxes and functions
- Modbus Virtual Instrumentation – Virtument
- Drag and Drop Modbus SCADA
- Modbus Process Control
- Create Modbus systems without code or use MD Script or Python
- Additional 2000 functions
Above we can see a configuration form which can be used alongside Excel for Modbus devices.
Modbus Platform
Configuring Modbus Devices with custom Excel files:
The configuration file allows you to use the address mapping to access: Analog Inputs, Analog Outputs, Analog current rages, Analog voltage ranges, Digital Inputs, Digital Outputs, PWN Outputs, Timer Outputs and more. We can see below an example of a MD Modbus Form which has loaded an Excel file.
Connect to our Configuration GUIs ans Modbus Toolbox
Our Modbus toolbox and Configuration GUIs can automatically connect to your Excels and provide you with a simple-to-use interface for configuring and communicating with your Modbus device.
Dedicated DAQ Toolboxes and Functions
MatDeck offers over 50+ Modbus functions and 10+ Toolboxes to be used alongside your Modbus device.
Dedicated DSP Toolboxes and Functions
MatDeck also comes with 60+ DSP functions and 20+ DSP Toolboxes as well as MD Formula Templates.
Drag and Drop Virtual Instrumentation Panel – Virtument
Modbus Devices can be connected to MatDeck’s Virtual PC instrumentation to offer a pleasant and intuitive way to read and write data.
Modbus SCADA
MatDeck’s SCADA can be used to control, receive and send data to and from multiple Modbus devices at once while logging the data in a file of your choice.
Modbus Process Control
Our Modbus Platform allows you to integrate SCADA, DAQ, Virtual Instrumentation as well a thousand of functions all in one place.
Create Modbus DAQ Systems without code or with Python or MD Script
Use the MD Document, Virtument or SCADA to create a complete Modbus system which can be distributed easily with our Create .EXE button.
Additional 2000+ functions and features
Alongside MatDeck’s Modbus Platform, MatDeck offers solutions for programming, engineering, research and more
Modbus – Read + Write Data
Modbus essentially design is to provide the necessary framework for communications between connected nodes. No communications would be possible without the crucial ability to read and write data between nodes. Being unable to read and write data essentially discredits Modbus’s entire purpose. MatDeck instead makes sure that Modbus is utilises correctly and facilitates that same framework so that data can be read and write between nodes. Nodes can range from computers, databases to sensory input devices all which MatDeck can both read and write to via Modbus.
One common example but a vital one, is the ability to read and write data to and from excel files. MatDeck facilitates for the simple and easy read and write of data from excel files directly in MatDeck documents. While making use of Modbus here, the true advantage lies in all the MD abilities that the data recovered by Modbus is now exposed to. In short, data in excel databases can be manipulated, analysed and controlled almost instantly through the joint use of Modbus within MatDeck.
Modbus – Excel in MatDeck
Users can add any Modbus Device via Configuration Excels. Configuration Excels allows users to access MatDeck and its functions, features and most importantly Toolboxes such as SCADA and Virtument. All of this can be done with just & columns in your Configuration Excel.
With MatDeck, Configuration Excels will allow you to control every single part of your device, for example you could control all Digital and Analog inputs and outputs, PWM Outputs, Timer outputs, all input and output voltages, current range and much more.
In the image below, we can see an example of what our Configuration file would need to look like.
The first column is the data registers on the Modbus device and the second column is a short description of what the registers are used for. In the example above, the Advantech ADAM-6050 remote I/O is used and the 2nd column shows a description of the address’s argument.
In the extract above, the address 49 has a description of “DI 4 Counter Start/Stop” meaning that the Modbus device will have a digital input at address 49 on channel 4 of “Start” or “Stop”. Essentially, this Modbus device will take a digital input to start or stop the counter on channel 4.
The 3rd column is used to store data which needs to be updated that to respective register in an eligible user format. Using the example from earlier, address 49 can only has the digital input options of “Stop” or “Start” on channel 4.
Consequently, the 4th column stores the data which needs to be updated to the respective registers in terms of the actual direct data that is written to Modbus device registers. For our example, the two optional bits that can be the digital input are 1 or 0. In the reference to the counter, 0 is the equivalent for “Stop” to stop the counter and 1 is the equivalent for “Start” to start the counter.
Naturally, the type of functionality of the address needs to be specified and is declared in the 5th column. In the extract from above, the address is used for digital input, “DI” as declared in the column. I/O devices will have addresses of varying functionality and this is can be seen in the excel files such as the extracts below.
This extract has “DO” declared which means this address is used for digital output in this I/O Modbus device.
Another example such as the one below has “AI” declared meaning address 301 takes an analogue input.
Device series number is stored in the 6th column and the respective action type is included in the 7th column.
Modbus Mappings always hold address with the same functions together. In the example above, we can see how all the Digital Output Counter Values are held in address 40001 to 400023 for DI0 to DI11, with each increment of the address, the DI channel number also increases by 1. This happens with nearly all Modbus addresses.
An entire Modbus device’s registers and its specifics can be represented in an excel file which MatDeck can read and write to and from MD documents, Virtual instrumentation and GUIs simultaneously. Excel files provide a basic user-friendly medium for Modbus registers and MatDeck provides the universal interface to make use of the data being written and read.
Modbus – MD Virtual Instrumentation
Being able to interpret and control data that is being read and written using Modbus is critical. Virtument, MatDeck’s virtual instrumentation toolbox, is a drag and drop instrumentation environment where users can manipulate, control and interpret data from Modbus devices. Below, we showcase a Virtument panel which was used along side an ICP DAS device.
Here, MatDeck merges the concepts of quick and simple communication with vibrant and understandable instrumentation that users of varying experience can understand. Virtual Instrumentation in MatDeck includes 18 customisable drag and drop instruments/widgets which are displayed below.
MD Virtual Instrumentation provides users the necessary framework and foundation for users to utilize data they retrieve from Modbus channels in a meaningful way. Drag and drop widgets allow the users are not required to write a single line of code or have any coding experience to display and manipulate data transferred via Modbus on MatDeck. Drag and drop Virtual instruments means users can
Modbus GUI Designer
MatDeck offer three visual solutions for creating Modbus applications: SCADA, Virtual Instrumentation and our GUI Designers. We offer drag and drop GUI Designer alongside our already codeless SCADA and Virtument, this allows user to choose the exact way they would like to create their Modbus system with all the option being on the table. Below we showcase an example TCP Modbus Widget we which have created in the MatDeck GUI Designer.
Our GUI Designers offer you unparalleled accessibility and customisation alongside common GUI Widgets such as textboxes, combo boxes, entry widgets, tree views and more.
Modbus – MD forms and MD documents
MatDeck takes its universal orientated design to Modbus applications as well, providing numerous functions and features compliant with Modbus directly in MD documents.
Where users may not want to use instrumentation to interact with data, standard MD document capabilities can be used just the same with Modbus. MD documents can show deep analysis and narrative text editing of data retrieved using Modbus protocols. This includes a range of graphs, mathematical functions and custom forms.
Modbus’s framework is design with simplicity in mind with its main purpose to establish communication between nodes. While useful, reading and writing data has no merit if there is no way to control, manipulate and analysis this data on a deep thorough basis. MatDeck’s toolboxes and forms step in here to bridge the gap between the raw data being transferred via Modbus and the data that human users can actually interpret. Custom MD forms can be set for specific Modbus device cards and as seen below have a thorough level of adaptability contingent on the user’s application and the type of Modbus device used.
Similar to the intended advantages of Virtual Instrumentation, MD’s document structures allow users to visually interact with data retrieved using Modbus protocols without having to code or complete tedious low-level design.
Modbus – SCADA + Virtument
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) are larger, advanced virtual instrumentation systems intended for use on industry applications. Where Virtual Instrumentation can be used to interact with a single DAQ card, SCADA applications are meant to comprehensively utilise 100s of DAQ cards to produce an analysis and control that human users can understand. MatDeck provides a SCADA solution that utilises Modbus protocols as well. SCADA applications in MatDeck have incredible levels of depth in customizability and adaptability making sure they can interact with any data received over Modbus protocols from data cards.
Virtual TCP Modbus
MatDeck offer a Virtual TCP Modbus Toolbox which allows you to simulate connecting to a TCP Modbus Device. First you must have created and added your configuration Excel and then all you need to do it is click on the Virtual Modbus Toolbox. Now you can connect to your simulated Modbus device and use it with our Modbus Toolbox. Below, we use the Virtual Modbus TCP to simulate a, ICP DAS 7017 Device.
As we can see, we used our Modbus Toolbox with the Configuration Excel to export AI and DO channels for Virtument and SCADA without a single line of code, now we easily add a Graphical User Interface to communicate with out device.