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CommunicationsModbusFunctionality

Topic:P198

CommunicationsModbusFunctionality
Master/Client
Function
Codeand
DataType
Support

ThefollowingtableliststheModbusdatatype,thefunctioncodeandtheCPUsourcedatatypethatis
supportedwhentheCPUistheClientorMasteronaModbusTCPorserialconnection.

ModbusClient/MasterSupport(UsingMRXandMWXInstructions)
Modbus
ProductivitySuite
984
Modbus
Function
Function
TagTypes
Addressing
984
Code
Name
(Datadesignation
(Zero
Addressing
orsource)
Based)
01

ReadCoil
Status

000000
065535

000001
065536

DiscreteOutput
(DO)
Boolean(C)
BooleanSystem
(SBRW)

02

ReadCoil
Status

100000
165535

100001
165536

DiscreteInput(DI)
Boolean(C)
BooleanSystem
(SBRW)

400001
465536

Integer8bit
Unsigned(U8)
Integer16bit(S16)
Integer16bit
Unsigned(U16)
Integer16bitBCD
(B16)
Integer32bit(S32)
Integer32bitBCD
(B32)
Integer32bitFloat
(F32)
Integer16bit
System(SWRW)

03

04

Read
Holding
Registers

Read
Input
Registers

Write
Single
Coil

05

06

Write
Single
Register

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400000
465535

300000
365535

000000
065535

400000
465535

300001
365536

000001
065536

400001
465536

Integer8bit
Unsigned(U8)
Integer16bit(S16)
Integer16bit
Unsigned(U16)
Integer16bitBCD
(B16)
Integer32bit(S32)
Integer32bitBCD
(B32)
Integer32bitFloat
(F32)
Integer16bit
System(SWRW)
DiscreteInput(DI)
DiscreteOutput
(DO)
Boolean(C)
BooleanSystem
(SBRW)
BooleanSystem
ReadOnly(SBR)
Integer8bit
Unsigned(U8)
Integer16bit(S16)
Integer16bit
Unsigned(U16)
Integer16bitBCD
(B16)
Integer32bit(S32)
Integer32bitBCD
(B32)
Integer32bitFloat
(F32)
Integer16bit
System(SWRW)
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Integer16bit
SystemReadOnly
(SWR)

15

Write
Multiple
Coils

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000000
065535

000001
065536

DiscreteInput(DI)
DiscreteOutput
(DO)
Boolean(C)
BooleanSystem
(SBRW)
BooleanSystem
ReadOnly(SBR)

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ModbusClient/MasterSupport(UsingMRXandMWXInstructions)
Continued
Productivity
Modbus984
SuiteTagTypes
Function
Function
Addressing
Modbus984
(Data
Name
(Zero
Addressing
Code
designationor
Based)
source)

16

Write
Multiple
Registers

400000
465535

400001
465536

Integer8bit
Unsigned(U8)
Integer16bit(S16)
Integer16bit
Unsigned(U16)
Integer16bitBCD
(B16)
Integer32bit(S32)
Integer32bitBCD
(B32)
Integer32bitFloat
(F32)
Integer16bit
System(SWRW)
Integer16bit
SystemReadOnly
(SWR)

Slave/Server
Function
Codeand
DataType
Support

ThefollowingtableliststheModbusdatatype,thefunctioncodeandtheCPUsourcedatatypethatis
supportedwhentheCPUistheServerorSlaveonaModbusTCPorserialconnection.

ModbusServer/SlaveSupport
Function
Function
Modbus984
ProductivitySuiteTag
Code
Name
Addressing
Types
01

ReadCoil
Status

000001
065536

DiscreteOutput(DO)
Boolean(C)
BooleanSystem(SBRW)

02

ReadCoil
Status

100001
165536

DiscreteInput(DI)
BooleanSystemReadOnly
(SBR)

400001
465536

Integer8bitUnsigned(U8)
Integer16bit(S16)
Integer16bitUnsigned
(U16)
Integer16bitBCD(B16)
Integer32bit(S32)
Integer32bitBCD(B32)
Integer32bitFloat(F32)
Integer16bitSystem
(SWRW)
String

03

Read
Holding
Registers

04

ReadInput
Registers

300001
365536

AnalogInput,Integer32bit
(AIS32)
AnalogInput,Float32bit
(AIF32)
Integer16bitSystemRead
Only(SWR)

05

WriteSingle
Coil

000001
065536

DiscreteOutput(DO)
Boolean(C)
BooleanSystem(SBRW)

WriteSingle
Register

400001
465536

Integer8bitUnsigned(U8)
Integer16bit(S16)
Integer16bitUnsigned
(U16)
Integer16bitBCD(B16)
Integer32bit(S32)
Integer32bitBCD(B32)
Integer32bitFloat(F32)
Integer16bitSystem
(SWRW)
Integer16bitSystemRead
Only(SWR)
String

Write

000001

DiscreteOutput(DO)

06

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15

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Multiple
Coils

065536

Boolean(C)
BooleanSystem(SBRW)

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Function
Code

16

ModbusServer/SlaveSupport(Continued)
ProductivitySuiteTag
Function
Modbus984
Name
Addressing
Types

Write
Multiple
Registers

400001
465536

Integer8bitUnsigned(U8)
Integer16bit(S16)
Integer16bitUnsigned
(U16)
Integer16bitBCD(B16)
Integer32bit(S32)
Integer32bitBCD(B32)
Integer32bitFloat(F32)
Integer16bitSystem
(SWRW)
Integer16bitSystemRead
Only(SWR)
String

Assigning
Modbus
Addresses
toTags

TherearemanydifferentdatatypesintheCPU.Becauseofthis,theModbusaddressesneedtobemapped
tothevarioustagdatatypesintheCPU.

TherearetwowaystomapModbusaddressestoTagsintheProgrammingsoftware:
ModbusmappinginTagDatabasewindow.
ModbusmappingwhencreatingTags.
1.ModbusmappinginTagDatabasewindow:
ThereareonlytwodatasizesintheModbusprotocol:bitsandwords.IntheCPU,therearemultiple
sizetypes,soitissometimesnecessarytomapmultipleModbusaddressestoasingleTagentity.
TherearealsoarraydatastructuresintheCPU.WhenModbusaddressesaremappedtoarrays,they
willbemappedasacontiguousblockofaddresses.Thisis,infact,themostefficientmethodtohandle
Modbuscommunications.
IntheTagDatabasewindow,therearetwocolumnsnamedModStartandModEnd.Tomapa
ModbusaddresstoatagintheTagDatabasewindow,simplydoubleclickintheModStartfieldfor
theTag.

Whenyoudothis,youwillseetwovaluesappearinthefield.TheleftmostvalueistheModbusdata
type.Thisisfixedbaseduponthetagdatatype.ThechartbelowindicatesthefourdifferentModbus
datatypesinthe984addressingscheme.

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Address
Identifier
0xxxxx
1xxxxx
3xxxxx
4xxxxx

Modbus984AddressType
Coil(Read/Writebit)
Input(ReadOnlybit)
InputRegister(ReadOnly16bitword)
HoldingRegister(Read/Write16bit
word)

TherightmostvaluethatyouseeintheModStartfieldistheaddressoffset(rangeisfrom165535).
Youcanacceptthevaluethatisprefilledforyouorthevaluecanbechanged.Thesoftware
automaticallyprefillstheaddressoffsetwiththenextavailableaddress.

2.ModbusmappingwhencreatingTags:
ModbusaddressescanbeassignedtoTagsastheyarecreatedintheTagDatabase.

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TypeintheModbusoffsetvaluewhenenteringtheTagNameandDataType.Iftheaddressisalready
assigned,awarningmessagewillappear.

Modbus
Options

TheModbusprotocoldoesnothaveaspecificmethodoutlinedfordatatypesoutsideofbitsand16bitwords.
Mostsystemsnowhave32bitdatatypes.Inordertotransport32bitdatatypesacrossModbus,theymustbe
placedintotwoModbus16bitregisters.Unfortunately,somedevicesdonotsupportthisandthereare
sometimesincompatibilitiesintheorderofthe16bithighwordandlowwordhandlingbetweenthedevices.

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Inordertohelpalleviatethissituation,therearesomeoptionsforhandlingthisintheprogrammingsoftware.
TofindtheModbusAddressoptions,gotoFileandclickonProjectPropertiesandthenclickontheModbus
ServerSettingstab.

a.NoexceptionresponsefornonexistingModbusaddressrequests:BecausetheModbus
addressescanbemanuallyassignedtotags,itispossiblethatgapscanoccurintheModbusaddress
mapping.Forexample:Tag1hasModbusaddress400001assignedtoitandTag2hasModbus
address400003assignedtoit.

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MostModbusMaster/ClientdeviceswillattempttooptimizetheirdatarequeststoaModbus
Slave/Serverdevicebyrequestingblocksofdatainsteadofindividualregisters.Inthecaseabove,
mostModbusmasterswouldsendonereadrequeststartingat400001andasizeofthreeinsteadof
sendingtworeadrequestsstartingat400001withsizeoneand400003withsizeoneasshownbelow.

Intheexampleshownaboveonleft,aModbusSlave/Serverdeviceshouldgiveanexception
responsesincethereisnoModbusAddressof400002inthedevice.Thismethodcancausesalotof
inefficiencies.ByselectingtheNoexceptionresponsefornonexistingModbusaddressrequests
option,theCPUwillnotgiveanexceptionresponsetotherequest.NotethatifModbusaddress
400002byitselfwererequesteditwouldgiveanexceptionresponse.

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b.Wordswapoption(S32,AIS32,AOS32,F32,FI32,FO32):

Wordswapallowsthewordorderof32bittagstobechangedwhensendingthevaluesacross
Modbus.Thedefaultselectionison,whichreturnsthedatalowwordfirst.

c.Mapvaluetoasingle16bitModbusregister:

Thisoptionallowsforcompatibilitywithdevicesthatdonotsupport32bitModbusfunctionality.This
optioncanbeselectedindividuallyfortheAnalogInputandOutputSigned32datatypesandthe
InternalSigned32datatypes,includingthearrayformofthesedatatypes.Thisfunctionisonlyuseful
whenthevaluecontainedina32bittagdoesnotexceedasigned15bitvalue(32,765).

Tag1(Integer,32Bit)=22136(hex=0x00005678)

With"MapValuetoasingle16Bitregister"turnedOFF=
Tag1Modbusaddress=400001,400002
ModbusreplyforTag1(WordSwapON)=01030456780000

With"MapValuetoasingle16Bitregister"turnedON=
Tag1Modbusaddress=400001
ModbusreplyforTag1=0103025678

d.Mapvaluetotwoconsecutive16bitModbusregisters:Allowsfor32bitdatatypestobemappedto
twoconsecutive16bitregisters.Thisoptionisselectedasdefault.

AlloftheoptionsintheModbusAddresstaboftheProjectPropertiesonlyapplytotheModbus
Slave/Serverfunctionality.SimilaroptionsareavailablefortheModbusMaster/Clientfunctionsas
wellandareavailableintheMRXandMWXModbusinstructions.

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CommunicationsModbusFunctionality

Modbus
Instructions

ToreadorsetdatainotherModbusSlave/Serverdevices,therearetwoinstructionsavailableinthe
programmingsoftware,ModbusReadandModbusWrite.

TheModbusRead(MRX)instructionisusedtoreaddatafromotherModbusdevicesintoTagsofthe
CPU.

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TheMRXinstructioncanbeusedforModbusTCPorModbusRTU.Thereareseveralstatusbitsthat
canbeusedtodeterminewhetherthereadmessagewassuccessfulandifitwasnot,thereasonwhy.

ThereisanAutomaticPollingfeatureintheinstructiontomakeiteasiertoreadadeviceonapre
determinedpollrate.Thereisalsoapolloffsetfieldthatcanbeusedwhensimultaneousinstructions
areenabledwiththeAutomaticPollingfeaturetohelpstaggertheflowofmessagesbeingsenttothe
network.

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TheModbusWrite(MWX)instructionisverysimilarinlayoutandconfigurationtotheMRXinstruction.
ItisusedtowritevaluestoaModbusdevicefromthetagsintheCPU.

TheMWXoperatesverysimilarlytotheMRXinstruction.Therearealsomanystatusbitstoindicatethe
successorreasonoffailurewhensendingamessage.

TheAutomaticPollingoptionisalsoavailabletotheMWXinstruction,althoughgreatercareshouldbe
takenwhenusingthisfeatureinthisinstruction.ThisisexplainedinbetterdetailintheMessage
Queuesection.

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CommunicationsModbusFunctionality

Network
Instructions

TheNetworkRead(RX)andNetworkWrite(WX)instructionsareusedtocommunicatetootherCPUs.They
areverysimilarinoperationtotheMRXandMWXinstructionsbuttheytargetTagNamesinsteadofModbus
addressesintheotherCPU.ThereisalsoasignificantperformancegaininusingtheRXandWXinstructions
whencommunicatingtootherCPUsasopposedtousingtheMRXandMWXinstructions.

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ThesamestatusbitsareavailableintheRXinstructionasintheMRXinstructionandoperateinthesame
manner.ThegreatestdifferenceintheRXversustheMRXisthatwiththeRX,theTagNameinthetargetCPU
canbereferenceddirectlyanddoesnotneedacorrespondingModbusaddress.Thewaythisis
accomplishedisbymappinglocalandremotetagnamestogetherwithinthelocalCPU'sRXinstruction.Once
theinstructionissetuptoreadaremoteproject,theTagsofRemoteProjectorArrayTagsofRemote
Projectdropdownlistswillbeaccessible.MaptheTagoftheRemoteprojecttoaTagintheLocalprojectto
readthisdata.

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TheWXinstructionoperatesinthesamemannerexceptthatthedatafromtheLocaltagswillbewritteninto
theTagsoftheremoteproject.NoModbusmappingisrequired.
Note:ThePCprogrammingsoftwareprojectfortheRemoteCPUmustbeaccessiblebythePCrunningthe
programmingsoftwarefortheLocalproject.
Automatic
Pollversus
Manual
Pollingand
Interlocking

Inmanycaseswhenperformingmultiplecommunicationsrequeststootherdevices,themessageflowmustbe
explicitlycontrolledinladdercodesothatamessageisnotsentwhileanotheroneisinoperation.Thisusually
requireswritinginterlockingcodebetweentheinstructionswhichtypicallyinvolvestheuseoftimersandshift
registers,etc.SometimesthisisnecessarybecauseoftheapplicationbutinothercaseswheretheCPUjust
wantstoreadchangingvaluesfromotherdevicesandthefrequencyofthatupdateisnotcriticalitwouldbe
muchmoreefficienttoskiptheunnecessarycodecomplexityofinterlocking.

ThedesiretomakeiteasiertocommunicatetootherdevicesbroughtabouttheAutomaticPollingfeatureand
theMessageQueueintheCPU.TheAutomaticPollingfeatureallowstheusertochoosetherateatwhich
theydesiretosendmessageswithouthavingtouseaseparatetimerandenablelogic.TheMessageQueue
allowstheusertostagethemessagesfromtheladdercodetogoouttoeachphysicalcommunicationsport

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withoutrequiringinterlockinglogic.

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Theimplementationofhowthemessagequeueworksisslightlydifferentbasedonwhethertherequestisa
readrequestorawriterequest.

Writerequestswillfillthequeuemuchfasterthanreadrequests.That'swhyitisadvisabletocarefullychoose
whendoingwriterequestswhethertousetheAutomaticPollfeatureortomanuallysendwriterequestsonly
whenneeded(datatowritehaschanged).Whendesigningasystem,itisimportanttoknowthetotaltimeit
takestosendarequestandgetareplyforeachtargetdevice.ThePolltimeshouldbelongerthanthistime.
Thelongerthepolltimecanbe,withintoleranceoftheapplication,thebettertheoverallnetworkperformance.
Soforefficiencyinprogrammingandforthebestpossibleperformanceforthesystem,conservativepollrates
shouldbeusedwhenutilizingtheAutomaticPollfeature.

ThereisalsoaPolloffsetfieldinthecommunicationsinstructions.Thishelpspreventtheinstructionsfrom
beingqueuedallatthesametime.WhentheCPUprojectstarts,thereisamastertimerthatbegins.Theladder
scanwilllooktoseeiftheinstructionisenabled.Ifitisenabled,itwillbegintheAutomaticPolltimeratthe
specifiedpolloffsetvaluefromthemastertimeclock.

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Iftheapplicationrequiresmoreexplicit,orderlycontrolofeachmessagesenttothedevices,turnoffthe
AutomaticPollfeature.Usingtheinstruction'sstatusbits,logicallycontroleachmessageasrequired.
Alloftheaboveexplainshowmessagesgetintothequeue.Thereareseveralfactorsinvolvedwithhoweach
queue(1foreachphysicalport)isemptied.

Serialportqueues:TheserialportqueuesemptyslowerthantheEthernetportqueues,notjust
becauseofthehardwarespeeditselfbutbecauseofthenatureofserialcommunications.Eachrequest
sentmustwaitforaresponseoratimeout(whichevercomesfirst).Oncethereplyisreceivedfora
requestoratimeouthasoccurred,thenextiteminthelistcanbesent.Sotheresponsetimeofthe
slavedevicesonthenetworkwilllargelyaffectthespeedatwhichthequeuefillsandempties.
Ethernetportqueues:TheEthernetportqueuecanemptyfasterbecausewhensendingrequeststo
multipledevices,theCPUdoesnothavetowaitonaresponsefromonedevicebeforesendinga
requesttoanotherdeviceduetotheinherentnatureoftheEthernethardware.However,sending
multiplerequeststothesameEthernetdevicedoesnecessitatethattheCPUwaitsforaresponsefrom
thefirstrequestbeforesendinganotherrequesttothatsamedevice.
AnotherdifferenceintheEthernetportqueueversustheSerialportqueuespawnsfromtheTCP'connection'
basedbehaviorofModbusTCP.IfaTCPconnectionislosttoadeviceandtherearestillrequestsinthe
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queueforthatdevice,thoserequestswillbedroppedfromthequeue.Therearethreewaysthiscanhappen:
1.IfaTCPtimeoutoccurs(serverdevicefailstorespondwithinspecifiedtimeoutvalue),theTCP
connectionislost.
2.Iftheserverdeviceclosestheconnection,thenalloftherequestswillbedropped.
3.And,finally,ifallrungswithcommunicationsinstructionstoadevicearedisabledforfiveseconds,the
CPUwilldroptheTCPconnectionforthatdeviceinordertofreeupvaluableresourcesthatcouldbe
usedelsewhereinthesystem.
Thisisanotherfactorthatshouldbeconsideredwhendesigningthesystem.Ifitisimperativethatnomessage
belostwhencommunicatingtoadevice,eachinstructionshouldbeexplicitlyhandledonebyone
(interlockinglogic).

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