We are looking for ModbusTCP field IO modules for collecting digital input from various sensors. For the most part our installations are outdoors and will require an IP67 rated box. It is possible that we could house an IP20 unit in an enclosure but we have had some bad luck with that before.

I am aware of Beckhoff fieldbus boxes but would be interested to know of other options, and if users here have had good experience with them.

Thanks!

 

Advantech, Makes remote I/O with modbus TCP/IP. I think its the ADAM-6000 series. I have don't have much experience with them but have checked them out before.

 

In no particular order:

B&R Automation, X67
www.br-automation.com

Wiedmuller, SAI Active Universal
www.wiedmuller.com

Phoenix Contact, Fiedline
www.phoenixcontact.com/automation/32123_31940.htm

Turck, BL67
www.turck-usa.com/Products/Networks/BL67

Wago, Speedway 767
Annoying site makes it difficult to direct link.

Molex / Brad, BradControl IP67
Molex has a seriously awful website. I can't find the BradControl IP67 stuff. A call to Molex might help, but you also might just ignore them, given the number of options available.

(Oddly, Balluff and Murr Elektronik appear to have EtherNet/IP and Profinet, but not Modbus/TCP.)

You mentioned Beckhoff. I have never actually used them, but I have never heard anything bad about them. I would be comfortable trying them as a vendor. On this list, I haven't mentioned anyone that I think isn't a reasonable choice.

Before our friendly neighborhood moderator chimes in, there is a product directory at modbus.org. I found it useless. Of the products I mentioned, only the BL67 seems to be in the directory, and I only found it because I knew what to look for.

Hope that helps.

-James Ingraham
Sage Automation, Inc.

 

They don't have hardened ones for bare installation but take a look at the Automation Direct stuff.

They have traditional stick-type field I/O in Modbus/TCP as well as many other flavors, and there are also rack controllers you can plug into a rack of their normal PLC I/O and make it into dumb I/O, or....if there's any benefit to having some distributed intelligence in your app, you can actually install a PLC, and there are Ethernet cards that allow you to look at the I/O and other PLC memory as Modbus/TCP data.

 

Some of the least expensive products I came across when I was looking for Ethernet IO were the Opti Logic products. The company seems to have been absorbed by Nematron who follows the extremely annoying habit of making it extremely difficult to get even list pricing without having a sales type sicced on you. While I am usually turned off by companies that have arbitrary or dependent pricing, you might check them out.


Regards
cww

 

You haven't said how many I/O points or what type of I/O you need for each node. That makes a big difference. For low I/O counts, you may want to look at the Advantech 6000 series.

I haven't seen many weather proof I/O blocks (for any protocol), and most of those that I've seen seem to be just regular I/O mounted in a box.

However, beware of IP ratings. Sealed does not seem to necessarily be the same thing as weatherproof. For one thing, in outdoor applications you also have to worry about heating from sunlight, UV resistance, temperature extremes, and ice build up.

I can't give a good recommendation on this issue, but just be aware that IP ratings tests are under very controlled conditions that may not represent what you would experience in the field. For example, temperature cycles may gradually suck moisture in along the joints, and cold temperatures may loosen joints.

You may need I/O that is specifically designed for outdoor use. I don't have any recommendations in that regards however.

 

Thanks to all for your advice. I like what I see from some vendors above.

@MGriffin - yes that is a good point about weatherproof vs. IP rating. We always intend to put the units in some kind of enclosure but having IP67 rated equip means that we can use simpler and cheaper enclosure tech, or locate outside for temporary installations.

Re inputs - our installations can sometimes have 100 digital inputs but these are usually spread out across a large area, necessitating some kind of bus to spread the encoder network out over this area.

Thanks to all.

 

Damon:

Following is a link to the BradControl IP67 I/O...
http://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/sd/1120955026_sd.pdf

I work for Molex, and I was sorry to see the comments about our "seriously awful" web site. I will pass those comments along to our marketing department. However, I will also tell you that we have a seriously awesome Ethernet I/O block!! If it is any help, when you Google search Modbus TCP I/O our product is one of the first to appear in your search results.

I see no problems using this outdoors provided you will be within the operating temperature range of -4F to +158F. UV exposure and moisture will not be an issue.

The block will support 16 I/O points, and if you use the configurable version, any combination of inputs and outputs.

I would be happy to help you with your application and/or get a local representative in touch with you. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].

Mark Schuerman
Molex Inc.