Extremely Fast, Extremely Easy

Connect your Modbus devices effortlessly to PROFINET/PROFIBUS networks

Debunking the Myths of Protocol Conversions in the IIoT Era

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) helps businesses tap the full potential of previously unlocked data to improve operations. Driving new capabilities to gather information, the IIoT has given rise to new applications such as Energy Management Systems (EMSs) and Facility Management and Control Systems (FMCSs). However, new opportunities bring new challenges. For example, systems need to overcome protocol inoperability when collecting data from field devices and transmitting it to a control room. Due to the large variety of protocols involved, devices and control systems often don’t speak the same language. For example, PROFINET and PROFIBUS are protocols commonly used in PLCs and SCADA systems while field devices, such as meters and VFDs, communicate through Modbus. Overcoming these conversion issues through a system upgrade does not mean that legacy devices are doomed. The beauty of the IIoT is making better use of existing devices to optimize operations without incurring big costs.


The Key Challenges when Connecting Your Devices to PROFINET/PROFIBUS Networks

Connecting different devices, machines, and networks that use different protocols poses a number of challenges to companies. Let’s take a closer look at the different options available to connect your devices specifically to a PROFINET or PROFIBUS network. Take note that each option comes with its own set of challenges.




Cost efficiency and system flexibility

Protocol gateways play a major role in resolving protocol conversion issues, as well as reducing costs by allowing you to keep your original legacy devices, equipment, and PLC. They not only enable protocol conversions between legacy devices and PLCs, but also aggregate data from different sites before sending it to a PLC or SCADA system. Therefore, adding protocol gateways to a system enables a distributed network architecture that brings major benefits, such as system flexibility, scalability, and savings on wiring costs.


Moxa’s protocol gateways also offer:


  • Ethernet daisy chain to reduce the costs of switches as well as wiring costs,
  • relay alarm output to connect alarm beacons to send alerts about any abnormal situations, e.g., abnormal power supply and link loss, and
  • dual power input for power redundancy to maximize reliability, which is especially effective in critical applications.
Faster and Easier Configuration

Moxa's protocol gateways have a user-friendly interface that lets you quickly set up protocol conversion routines for most applications, doing away with often time-consuming tasks where users have to implement detailed parameter configurations one by one. With a configuration wizard, you can easily access protocol conversion modes and finish the configuration in five steps.

Reduced Downtime

Moxa’s protocol gateways provide a variety of powerful built-in troubleshooting tools, including protocol diagnostics and traffic monitoring, that offer you a shortcut to find the root cause. In addition, the status monitoring and fault protection functions help to reduce downtime. The status monitoring function provides status information of field devices, which includes an alive list, counter, the result of commands issued, etc., and alerts the SCADA system when a slave device is not responding. The fault protection function sends a predefined setting to field devices to prevent incorrect actions downstream when the upstream connection is lost.

3 Key Benefits Why You Need Moxa’s Protocol Gateways As Your Connectivity Solution

At Moxa, we understand the challenges you are facing, and with our expertise in industrial automation, we have developed protocol gateways that are the best-fit solution for you.

Cost Efficiency and Flexibility

Stand-alone gateways are the best solution to resolve protocol conversion issues, as well as extending the lifetime of your devices to reduce costs.

Faster and Easier Configuration

Configuration is an arduous task. We spend a lot of time to ensure that our protocol gateways are easy to set up and use.

Reduced Downtime

Built-in troubleshooting tools in our protocol gateways help administrators to quickly pinpoint the root cause of failures and reduce downtime.

Application Note


The rise of Industry 4.0 has given factories new opportunities to upgrade their legacy automation systems and enter the world of smart factories. These transformations, however, come with challenges, for example, connecting a large number of Modbus devices to networked control systems, such as SCADA systems and PLCs, which commonly use PROFINET or PROFBUS protocols. To overcome this incompatibility between protocols, protocol gateways provide seamless protocol conversions.