Modbus TCP vs Serial protocol Communication?

Modbus Protocol Illustration

Modbus Protocol Communication

Modbus TCP is a communication protocol that uses the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) to enable communication between devices over Ethernet networks. It is a variation of the original Modbus serial protocol, which was designed for serial communication between devices. 

Modbus Serial is a communication protocol that uses serial communication to enable communication between devices. It is one of the most widely used protocols in industrial automation and control systems.

When it comes to choosing a network for your device, Modbus TCP/IP offers several significant advantages:

Simplicity: Modbus TCP/IP simply takes the Modbus instruction set and wraps TCP/IP around it.

Simplicity Modbus TCP/IP

If you already have a Modbus driver and you understand Ethernet and TCP/IP sockets, you can have a driver up and running and talking to a PC in a few hours.

Development costs are exceptionally low. Minimum hardware is required, and development is easy under any operating system.

 

Standard Ethernet: No exotic chipsets are required, and you can use standard PC Ethernet cards to talk to your newly implemented device.

EIA/TIA 568B Standard Illustration

As the cost of Ethernet falls, you benefit from the price reduction of the hardware, and as the performance improves from 10 to 100 Mb and soon to 1 GB, your technology moves with it, protecting your investment.

You are no longer tied to one vendor for support but benefit from the thousands of developers who are making Ethernet and the Internet the networking tools of the future.

This effort has been complemented with the well-known Ethernet port 502 assignment for the Modbus TCP/IP protocol.

 

Open: The Modbus protocol was transferred from Schneider Electric to the Modbus Organization in April 2004, signaling a commitment to openness.

 The specification is available free of charge for download, and there are no subsequent licensing fees required for using Modbus or Modbus TCP/IP protocols.

Additional sample code, implementation examples, and diagnostics are available on the Modbus TCP toolkit, a free benefit to Modbus Organization members and available for purchase by nonmembers.

 Availability of many devices: Interoperability among different vendors' devices and compatibility with a large installed base of Modbus-compatible devices make Modbus an excellent choice.