Fieldbus

Users can configure industrial computer network protocols for real-time distributed control that are acceptable to AuboStudio: EtherNet/IP, Modbus, or PROFINET.

Modbus

Introduction to Modbus

Modbus is an important communication protocol in industrial automation control systems. It has the characteristics of strong debugging ability, large data transmission volume, good real-time performance, etc. External devices (such as PLC) can establish connections with the robot via the Modbus protocol, and the robot can also communicate with the external devices as a Modbus slave.

The Modbus protocol includes Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP versions.

• Modbus RTU: It uses serial communication, represents data in a binary and compact way, and requires a checksum with cyclic redundancy check. Modbus RTU is mainly used in industrial and system automation applications where the communication distance between devices is long.
• Modbus TCP: It uses TCP/IP (such as Ethernet) connections and requires no checksum calculation. Compared with Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP has a faster communication speed and can connect more devices.

You can configure Modbus device information in the system and establish a connection with the Modbus device with a specified IP.

Modbus unit management

1. Connect the Modbus device to the controller communication interface.
2. Click "Configure > Fieldbus > Modbus > Units." Click [Add Modbus Unit], select the Modbus unit mode, customize the device name and slave number, and set the relevant parameters of the Modbus device.
3. Select the device to be deleted and click [Delete Modbus Unit] to delete the device.

Modbus signals management

1. After adding a Modbus device, click "Configure > Fieldbus > Modbus > Signals." Click [Add Modbus Signal], customize the signal name, and set the device name, type, and signal address.
2. This system provides batch addition of Modbus signals. Click [Batch Add Modbus Signals], customize the signal names, and set the parameters such as device name and type.
3. The added Modbus signals can have custom functions. Please refer to "I/O Setup" for details.
4. Select the signal to be deleted and click [Delete Modbus Signal] to delete the signal.

Modbus slave management

The robot can also be used as a Modbus slave. Please refer to the ARCS Modbus User Guide for more details.

PROFINET

PROFINET is a network protocol that allows you to enable or disable the robot's link to the PROFINET controller.