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I need to connect a Modbus RS485 Multifunction Instrument to PC, but unfortunately I don't have its user manual. My question is how I can make it talk to PC if I don't know its address or about its registers. The device is "Ziegler mfm 3440 Multifunction Instrument" which can measure up to 18 Electrical parameters like energy, power, voltage, current etc. I am new to Modbus, Please if someone reply me I shall be very thankful. waiting for replies......Thank you all

Have you considered downloading a manual for this instrument? or contacting whoever sold it to you?

--
Bob

Why you not tried to find the manual through search engine.

You could use a free software tool (ModbusMat by example). It is having an "automatic search" option that will find for you the Modbus ID's on the network. After that you could add an interval of holding registers (1-40 by example) and you will see the voltage that you already know on which register is.

You must also use a Modbus Converter (rs485 to rs232) between the "instrument" and your PC. If your convertor is having rs232 interface you will also need an rs232 to usb adapter (in the case that your PC is not having serial port).

You must also check the baud rate of your connection.

If you have problems please let me know.

best regards,
Alin

FTDI makes some nice wire-end terminated USB to RS485 adapters. They are about $30 in quantity 1 from Mouser and come in a number of reasonable lengths. I buy the 1.8 meter (6', more or less) variety, and that's the price I quoted.

There is modbus test software available freely in internets. try with that. Your thread need to be little more expressive.

> There is modbus test software available freely in internets. try with that. Your
> thread need to be little more expressive.

I have searched the manual on the internet its not available, I also contacted the company but they didn't respond. And the person who sold it don't have a manual.......Now I need to find its id and then try to read/write from/to its registers, the problem is I don't have a map of its registers. I am new to Modbus if someone can help me I should be very thankful. I read that there is Modbus function code that reports slave id, how to use this function?

You shouldn't need to know the registers to find the id, but will find it nearly impossible to use AFTER you find the Id. I'd suggest getting your money back if you have no manual for a Modbus device! Unlike DeviceNET or many other 'browsable' protocols, Modbus needs a manual to explain what you will see.

To do what you want, start with slave Id #1 at 9600 baud, No Parity. Try to poll register 4x00001 (so function 3 call, to read 1 word at offset 0). Message would be the 8 binary bytes 0x01 03 0000 0001 840A (last 2 bytes are the CRC16). If there is no response, try EVEN parity. if no response, try ODD parity. If no response, repeat all of this with 19200 baud, then 2400, 1200, 4800, 38K and so on.

If there is still no response, then begin again with slave #2. Cycle through all the possible baud rates, parity combinations and so on.

By hand, this could take you SEVERAL DAYS to try all baud rates, parity combinations and slave addresses 1 to 255. An automated tool could probably do this in a few hours.

The reason the device may ultimately be useless is a lot of devices 'maximize' resolution by using the full 0 to 65535 values. For example, a power meter may support 10 different sized current-transformers (CT) and use 10 different scaling factors based on the CT size. So if you have 12 Amps of current, you won't ever see the value 12 (or 12000) returned. You won't be able to 'reason' out which register is the Current register by watching the traffic. Plus you'd be expected to write the correct code for your CT into the meter to force the desired scaling.

I'd still suggest getting your money back.

I have the same problem
please let me know if you find solution

> I have the same problem
> please let me know if you find solution

I have changed my Device coz without the manual its useless....

Hello,

At www.modbus.pl you can find the Modbus scanner application. It helps find the proper communication settings at Modbus network.

Regards,
Andrzej