IO Ninja cuts through Modbus analysis complexity

February 2022 Fieldbus & Industrial Networking

Modbus is ubiquitous in the industrial world. It is simple, time-tested and robust. However, because it is a very old communications protocol, Modbus can feel cryptic, particularly by modern standards. IO Ninja simplifies working with Modbus thanks to two features: the Modbus Analyser layer and binary packet templates.

The Modbus Analyser layer interprets Modbus request and response packets and then displays them in a human-readable format. There is no need to translate every bit of the packet manually – the user just adds the layer to the pipeline and everything is automatically parsed for them.

Packet templates make it easy to create packets for transmission in various protocols. Users simply load a stock template (or create their own) and use a property grid to tailor the packet to their needs. For Modbus RTU, this script will even calculate the checksum automatically.

Free Modbus tools lack the sophistication for anything more than occasional use, while most paid applications are quite expensive and many still don't offer a streamlined experience. Competitively priced, IO Ninja provides all the tools needed to work with Modbus (and more) as well as a clean, modern interface.

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