node-modbus-ws

NodeJS Modbus to WebSocket bridge

Control your modbus enabled arduino project, toaster or robot via web browser.

The modbus-ws server allows a browser to connect to a modbus device, using websockets. When the server is running, and connected to Serial line or Ethernet, a web browser can send web socket requests and control a modbus device.

With this server you can build web pages that will easily monitor and send requests to your modbus project or robot.

• node-modbus-ws - Install - Start the modbus-ws server - Server help - Client side code - Examples

Install

Install the server:

npm install modbus-ws -g

If npm install fails because of root permissions try:

sudo npm install --unsafe-perm modbus-ws -g

This will add the modbus-ws command to your path. After install, you can run the server by typing modbus-ws on the command line.

[ If install locally, run the server using the modbus-ws.js file in the bin directory. ]

Start the modbus-ws server

Run the server from the command line:

# use serial line (modbus-rtu)
modbus-ws -s /dev/ttyUSB0
# or tcp/ip (modbus-tcp)
modbus-ws -i 192.168.1.42

After running the server will print out this message to the console:

----------------------------------------------------
Modbus-WS server 1.1.1
    Setup serial port: /dev/ttyUSB0 9600
    Server is running, http://127.0.0.1:3000
    Setup modbus with caching.
        Create cache db.
        Create cache table
----------------------------------------------------

Ctrl+C will stop the server.

Server help

modbus-ws --help

  Usage: modbus-ws [options]

  Options:

    -h, --help              output usage information
    -V, --version           output the version number
    -s, --serial <port>     Use serial port, set port. [false]
    -b, --baudrate <boud>   Set serial port baudrate. [9600]
    -i, --ip <ip>           Use tcp/ip, set slave url or ip address. [false]
    -P, --tcpport <number>  Server port number [3000]
    -c, --nocache           Do not use caching for modbus comunication. [false]
    -w, --nohttp            Run only websocket server, no httpd. [false]

  Examples:

    modbus-ws --ip 192.168.1.24
       create a bridge to a modbus slave using tcp/ip.
    modbus-ws --serial /dev/ttyUSB0
       create a bridge to a modbus slave using a serial port.
    modbus-ws
       when serial and tcp/ip are not used, default to test.
       create a bridge to a modbus simulated slave.
    modbus-ws --ip 192.168.1.24 --nocache
       create a bridge with modbus without cache.
    modbus-ws --ip 192.168.1.24 --nocache --nohttp
       create a bridge with modbus without cache and without http web server.

Client side code

WebSocket Events

From server to client

• 'data' - data sent to client.
• 'error' - an error message.

From client to server

• 'readCoils'
• 'readDiscreteInputs'
• 'readHoldingRegisters'
• 'readInputRegisters'
• 'writeCoil'
• 'writeRegisters'

Get the socket.io code:

<script src="https://cdn.socket.io/socket.io-1.3.7.js"></script>

Use socket.io events, server will replay with a "data" event.

// connect to sever
var socket = io("ws://127.0.0.1:3000/");

// set up socket.on for data received from sever
// server trigger 'data' event when data is received from device.
socket.on('data', function(data){
    console.log('received:', data);
    
    ... do something fun and interesting with data ...
});

// ask server to get registers
// "Read Input Registers" (FC=04) 
socket.emit("readInputRegisters", {
    "unit": 1,
    "address": 0,
    "length": 10
});

// subscribe to get holding registers every 1000ms
// "Read Holding Registers" (FC=04) 
socket.emit("readHoldingRegisters", {
    "unit": 1,
    "address": 0,
    "length": 10,
    "interval": 1000
});

// ask server to set one coil
// "Force one coil" (FC=5)
socket.emit('writeCoil', {
    "unit": 1,
    "address": 8,
    "state": true
});

// ask server to set registers
// "Preset Multiple Registers" (FC=16)
socket.emit('writeRegisters', {
    "unit": 1,
    "address": 8,
    "values": [88,123,47]
});

// ask server to get coils
// "Read coils" (FC=01) 
socket.emit("readCoils", {
    "unit": 1,
    "address": 0,
    "length": 8
});

Examples

When the server is running it will transfer web socket requests into modbus requests and return the replays received as web socket events.

See the examples directory in the server's code tree, load an example file to a web browser, and watch for the data received from server.