The Impossible Task of Troubleshooting Serial Protocols

Protocol gateways enable connectivity between disparate systems, and have become indispensable since the advent of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). However, setting up and maintaining these gateways can be time-consuming and costly, leaving engineers constantly feeling overwhelmed.

Efficient troubleshooting is essential as unpredictable adverse events usually result in production and financial losses. Ordinarily, engineers need to consider both Ethernet and serial protocol troubleshooting in a serial-to-Ethernet gateway topology. However, unlike Ethernet troubleshooting with common open-source tools, serial-based protocol troubleshooting lacks helpful tools. Without tools, this type of troubleshooting is most of the time an impossible task, frustrating engineers immensely as they waste a substantial amount of time and energy to pinpoint the root cause. Engineers need to find their way by trial and error, without any specific rules or directions to follow. Thus, they often find themselves in a dead end.

Make the Impossible Possible:
Let Moxa's Powerful Gateways Do the Work for You

To make the impossible possible, and even effortless to boot, Moxa’s protocol gateways provide a variety of built-in powerful troubleshooting tools that offer you a shortcut to find the root cause.



  • Communication Analysis
    Locate the issue with Moxa’s communication analysis tool, which determines the status of both Ethernet and serial communications right away and provides useful tips for troubleshooting.
  • Protocol Diagnostics
    Check the status of the protocol connection and record the errors with Moxa’s built-in Protocol Diagnostics tool to determine the root cause of a network failure.

  • Traffic Monitoring
    Troubleshoot communication problems by monitoring the traffic logs of complete records for meaningful information.


White Paper

When systems are down, time and productivity are lost, which in turn, means money is lost. Naturally, engineers will want to fix the problem quickly. But troubleshooting isn't always easy, especially when it comes to troubleshooting protocol gateways, which have become indispensable in the era of the IIoT. Engineers' time and energy are often misspent trying to track down the root cause of a communication failure. Adding to their frustration is the lack of helpful diagnostics tools to pinpoint the root cause much faster. This white paper takes a closer look at troubleshooting methods and their pain points. Moreover, this white paper sets out to present a solution that simplifies the troubleshooting of protocol gateways.

Powerful Protocol Gateways with Built-In Troubleshooting Tools

Moxa’s MGate protocol gateway portfolio includes gateways that support Modbus TCP/RTU/ASCII, Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, PROFIBUS, DNP3, J1939 and DF1, with the most commonly required combination of protocol conversions. It is certified for use in hazardous environments (ATEX Zone 2, Class 1 Division 2), supports a -40 to 75°C wide operating temperature range, and contains features for redundancy (dual power inputs, dual LAN) to ensure reliable performance*. In addition, Moxa gateways are recognized by several important organizations, such as PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI), Open DeviceNet Vendors Association (ODVA™), and the Modbus Organization (Modbus.org) to provide the best compatibility.

Download our Selection Guide to find out which gateway is right for you.