Moxa Gateways Bridge Gap Between Ethernet/IP and Modbus Protocols

Summary

Nov. 8, 2022 - Modbus and EtherNet/IP are two of the most widespread protocols used in industrial automation, yet a chasm remains between them that prevents bi-directional communication, leading to inefficiencies when engineers try to extract information manually or write software to adapt legacy Modbus devices to Ethernet.

Moxa is helping engineers overcome this hurdle with its MGate 5135/5435 industrial Ethernet gateways for Modbus RTU/ASCII/TCP and Ethernet/IP networking. Designed to make migration cost-effective and easy, the gateways integrate existing Modbus devices onto an EtherNet/IP network by acting as a Modbus client collecting and exchanging data with the EtherNet/IP host. An intuitive web-based console makes configuration simple by eliminating the need to install an extra utility. In addition, a CSV file can be applied for offline configurations. HTTPS encryption of communication ensures higher network security between standalone machines and control systems.

Moxa MGate 5135/5435 gateways offer several maintenance functions that reduce the time and expense associated with network troubleshooting, including LED indicators, protocol diagnostics, traffic monitoring, and tag view. These tools help capture and check data to easily identify the root cause of issues, especially during the installation stage. A status monitoring function notifies a PLC/DCS/SCADA system in the event a Modbus device is disconnected or does not respond, while fault protection executes pre-defined actions if a host becomes disconnected, preventing end-devices from going offline for long periods of downtime.

Moxa MGate 5135/5435 gateways are protected by a rugged and compact metal housing, are DIN-rail mountable, and have built-in serial isolation. The rugged design is suitable for industrial applications such as factory automation, power, oil and gas, water and wastewater, and other process industries.

About Moxa

Moxa is a leader in edge connectivity, industrial computing, and network infrastructure solutions for enabling connectivity for the Industrial Internet of Things. With over 30 years of industry experience, Moxa has connected more than 71 million devices worldwide and has a distribution and service network to serve customers in more than 80 countries.