Make a Modbus Device be BACnet.

Suppose you want to make a mature Modbus device to be BACnet. The device has a clear and static Modbus register map and uses standard Modbus throughout. You mostly want the device to make its data available via BACnet and other web services to clients and participate in the Internet of Things wave.

The device is not completely static. Future revisions are expected and these want to easily integrate into new systems. The device is not solitary. It must function and thrive withing a system of its peers or devices from other vendors.There are different options available.

• • Cimetrics B6130 Modbus to BACnet IP can be added to mature project and works great. Exactly where most start.
• • Cimetrics B6131 module for a new unit works great. Exactly where most end up. Think of the B6130 as the development kit for B6131.

B613x has all the following concurrently and transparently at run time - probably have to see this to completely absorb the implications:

• • BACnet/IP (we also have a BACnet MSTP RS485 version if you use a Lantronix/Gridconnect xPico).
• • Modbus TCP.
• • Web GUI.

Features of existing B613x base:

• • Excellent long track record Cimetrics BACnet stack.
• • Defaults designed to make installs and device additions or reconfigurations easy and painless for first time or advanced users, of 1-100 units,  as system, or within other systems.
• • Quick time to market, with levels of effort tailored to OEM and end-user needs.
• • JIT supply chain with Ethernet firmware load.

There are more articles and blog entries about making a small device BACnet via Modbus. 

And how would you test BACnet side? There are a couple of generic templates in the B613x kit (even before the template creator) which would allow one to "peek" around a generic Modbus device.

For testing the BACnet side externally you can use BACnet Explorer or BACnet OPC server. Demo versions in each case can be found by going to the Documentation tab (roughly mid page) (usually 20-40 MB).

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