Software Module for Connecting Modbus TCP Controllers to Industrial IoT Applications

As a flexible Docker container is dataFEED edgeConnector Modbus suitable for accessing Modbus TCP controllers, e.g. from Schneider Electric, Wago, Beckhoff or Phoenix Contact. In addition, many other manufacturers also support the open communication interface Modbus TCP. The product has an integrated OPC UA Server for simple and secure data connectivity to higher-level management systems, such as ERP, MES or SCADA systems. As part of an overall solution architecture the implemented OPC UA communication protocol can also be used for data exchange with other Docker containers such as Microsoft OPC Publisher or AWS IoT SiteWise.

In addition, an MQTT interface is available for direct integration of control data into private or public IoT cloud applications, supporting a variety of different cloud providers. Like OPC UA, MQTT also provides modern security mechanisms such as encryption, certificate management and user authentication, thus contributing to high data security.

dataFEED edgeConnector Modbus can be managed locally via a web interface or remotely via a REST API. The configuration is simple and flexible. Precisely tuned security settings for instance include role-based access rights for OPC UA Client applications.

Access to data in Modbus controllers by OPC UA clients

• Read and write access to Modbus controls, e.g. from Schneider Electric, Wago, Beckhoff, Phoenix Contact, etc.
• Integration of higher-level management systems such as ERP, MES or process visualization via integrated OPC UA server
• Standardized OPC UA communication for data integration or for data exchange with other docker containers like Microsoft OPC Publisher or Amazon AWS IoT SiteWise
• Suitable for retrofit upgrades of existing systems, thus protecting previous investments
• Namespace configuration using a text file created by the user with standard Modbus syntax
• Creation of up to 20 Modbus-TCP connections with a container runtime

Easy cloud-driven or local deployment

• Images available in different online repositories like Docker Hub, Azure Container Registry (ACR)
• Simple data transmission to an MQTT broker using the MQTT publisher functionality for local or cloud-based solutions
• Recipe manager functionality for writing process data from the cloud to controllers (MQTT Subscriber)
• Licensing via Softing Floating License Server

Lightweight Flexible Container Solution

• Less resources plus increased scalability and flexibility
• Support of security standards as SSL/TLS, X.509 certificates, authentication and data encryption
• Highly flexible state-of-the-art application to be started or stopped immediately, if needed
• Deployment and configuration also via management systems such as Kubernetes, Azure IoT Edge or AWS IoT Greengrass