S&C has developed a native Modbus OPC Server for the OptiRamp Virtual Tag Server (VTS) that supports Modbus TCP communication, which allows us to seamlessly acquire Modbus data and capture data on the edge. For example, we are now able to directly read Modbus data from OptiRamp Rational SCADA wireless devices, creating tight integration for this solution and making data available for real-time simulation, optimization, predictive analytics, and visualization.
Modbus TCP communication is currently the only protocol supported, although plans to extend the Modbus OPC Server for the Modbus RTU (serial) protocol are in the works.
The Modbus OPC Server continuously tracks communication status with the Modbus device through a special OPC item and continuously attempts to re-establish lost communication. Additionally, the Modbus OPC Server supports the following features:
- Floating point numbers
- Byte ordering for 32-bit values (Little-/Big-Endian)
- Scaling (input and holding registers)
We’re excited to share this new development; check back for additional product updates.
