Modbus and Wireless HART Protocol’s Comparison

Habtamu Wondim, Selamawit Getasew, Kebebush Meresaeta

Telecommunication Information System
Addis Ababa Institute of Technology
Addis Ababa,Ethiopia
[email protected],[email protected], [email protected]

I. INTRODUCTION A. What is Modbus Protocol

Modbus is a messaging protocol that resides at the applica-

tion layer, level 7 of the OSI model. Its primary objective is
to enable client/server communication between devices that Modicon (formerly Schneider Electric) released a serial
use various bus types or are linked to various networks. communications protocol in 1979 for use with its pro-
Modicon, a PLC maker that is now part of Schneider Electric’s grammable logic controllers (PLCs). Its simplicity and robust-
Telemecanique, created it in 1979.In simple terms, it is a ness have led to it being a de facto standard communication
method used for transmitting information over serial lines protocol, and it is currently one of the most widely used
between electronic devices. The device seeking information methods of linking industrial devices.
is known as the Modbus Master, while the devices delivering
information are known as Modbus Slaves. A basic Modbus
∗ It was designed with industrial applications in mind.
network has one Master and up to 247 Slaves, each having a
∗ ]it is openly released and royalty-free.
unique Slave Address ranging from 1 to 247.. The Master can
∗ it is simple to deploy and maintain.
also send messages to the Slaves. Modbus is an open protocol,
∗ It was designed with industrial applications in mind.
which means that manufacturers can incorporate it into their
products without paying royalties.
It has become a highly standard protocol that is widely used Modbus enables communication between a large number
by numerous manufacturers across several industries. Modbus of (about 240) devices linked to the same network, such as
is commonly used to send signals from instrumentation and a system that senses temperature and humidity and transmits
control devices back to a central controller or data gathering the findings to a computer. In supervisory control and data
system. Modbus data is sent between devices over serial acquisition (SCADA) systems, Modbus is frequently used to
lines. A single serial cable connecting the serial ports of two connect a supervisory computer to a remote terminal unit
machines, a Master and a Slave, would be the most basic (RTU). Many data types are named for their use in controlling
configuration.The data is transmitted as a series of ones and relays: a single-bit physical output is referred to as a coil, and
zeroes known as bits. Each bit is transmitted as a voltage. a single-bit physical input is referred to as a discrete input
Positive voltages are delivered as zeroes, and negative voltages or a contact. The MODBUS communication interface is built
are sent as ones. The bits are transmitted in a very short period on messages whose format is independent of the physical
of time. The average transmission speed is 9600 bauds (bits interface used. A MODBUS device can communicate with
per second). multiple devices at the same time, even if their interfaces are
The Wireless HART the first open wireless communication different. Messages are transmitted in plain form through a
standard which designed for industrial environments in which network specialized to MODBUS communication using basic
plant applications need reliable, secure and simple wireless serial communication hardware interfaces such as RS-232 and
communication was released on September 2007. When com- RS-485.When communicating across more advanced network
pared to legacy star-connected systems, the protocol’s archi- systems, such as TCP/IP over Ethernet, the messages are
tecture provides dependability and ease of installation and included in packets that adhere to the format specified by the
maintenance. physical interface. In this circumstance, MODBUS and other
connections can share the same physical interface, which is
no longer dedicated to a particular MODBUS.
 C. funcations of wireless HART and MODBUS Protocol”s
The Modbus protocol is the universal language utilized by
all Modicon controllers. This protocol defines a message struc-
ture that controllers will understand and utilize independently
of the network type used. It explains how a controller asks
access to another device, how it responds to requests from
other devices, and how mistakes are identified and reported.
It defines a standard format for the appearance and content of
message fields. Messages carrying the Modbus protocol are
embedded in the network’s frame or packet structure on other
networks.
Modicon network controllers for Modbus Plus or MAP, for
Fig. 1. An example of a MODBUS network architecture example, enable conversion between the embedded Modbus
message protocol and the specific frame protocols used by
those networks to interact amongst their node devices, together
B. What is HART Protocol
with related application software libraries and drivers. This
Diagnostics now include information about the device, the conversion also includes resolving node addresses, routing
equipment to which the device is connected, and, in certain pathways, and error-checking mechanisms unique to each net-
situations, the actual process being monitored. WirelessHART work type.. For example, Modbus device addresses contained
is aimed at sensors and actuators, rotating equipment such as in the Modbus protocol will be converted into node addresses
kiln dryers, and environmental health and safety applications prior to transmission of the messages. Error-checking fields
such as safety showers, condition monitoring, and flexible will also be applied to message packets, consistent with each
production, in which a piece of the plant can be modified for Messages carrying the Modbus protocol are embedded in
specific products. WirelessHART also drove extensions to the the network’s frame or packet structure on other networks.
fundamental HART protocol, guaranteeing that future devices, Modicon network controllers for Modbus Plus or MAP, for
such as vibration monitors, would be fully supported. example, enable conversion between the embedded Modbus
Communications in WirelessHART are precisely scheduled message protocol and the specialized frame protocols used by
using Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and a channel- those networks to interact amongst their node devices, together
hopping strategy for increased system data bandwidth and with related application software libraries and drivers.
robustness. In the wireless mesh network, the vast majority This conversion also includes resolving node addresses,
of communications are directed through graph routes. Graphs routing pathways, and error-checking mechanisms unique to
are a type of routing structure that connects network devices each network type. Modbus device addresses, for example, can
via one or more hops and one or more pathways. A centralized be found in messages.The protocol of the network. However, at
network manager performs scheduling by combining overall the final point of delivery—say, a controller—the contents of
network routing information with communication require- the embedded message, expressed in Modbus protocol, define
ments provided by devices and applications.The schedule is the action to be executed.
converted into transmit and receive slots and passed from the
To overlay digital communication signals to the analog 4-20
network manager to individual devices; devices are only given
mA signal from the transducer, the HART protocol employs
information about the slots for which they must transmit or
FSK (Frequency Shift Keying). Both signals (analog and
receive. The network manager constantly modifies the network
digital) can coexist in this manner without interfering with
graphs and network schedules in response to changes in
one another.The HART protocol is transmitted at a baud rate
network topology and communication demand.
of 1200 bps (bits per second), allowing a host application
(master) to obtain two or more digital updates per second from
a device2. As a result, the HART protocol may accommodate
at least two simultaneous communication channels: a 4-20 mA
analog signal and a digital signal. The 4-20 mA signal conveys
the primary measured value (for example, the temperature
of a process). Additional information (such as device status,
diagnostics, additional measured or calculated values, and so
on) is communicated by superimposing a digital signal on the
analog signal. The two communication channels work together
to give a full, low-cost, very resilient, and simple-to-use and
setup system.
Fig. 2. A WirelessHART Network The HART protocol is a master-slave communication pro-
tocol, which implies that each slave data transmitting (HART
device) is triggered by a request (or instruction) from the mas-
ter communication device during normal operation (host). The
master or host is typically a distributed control system, such
as a PLC or a PC-based system. The slave device is often a
device that measures some physical variable such as pressure,
level, temperature, flow, or even an electromechanical actuator
such as a proportional valve.
R EFERENCES
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Privatization: The Case of Ethio Telecome
[2] ODVA. EtherNet/IP - CIP on Ethernet Technology: Technology
Overview. ODVA, 2006.
[3] ABB Automation Technology Products. IndustrialIT cpmPlus Enterprise
Connectivity (version 4.0): Product Guide. ABB, 2009.