CoBox Modbus

Universal Thin Servers

Installation Guide
 Contents

1 INTRODUCTION
EXTENDED MODBUS SYSTEM EXAMPLE ...........................................................1-2
Modbus/TCP Master Talking to Modbus/TCP Slave.................................1-3
Modbus/TCP Master Talking to Modbus/RTU Serial Slave ......................1-3
Modbus/RTU Serial Master Talking to Modbus/TCP Slave ......................1-4
Modbus/RTU Serial Master Talking to Modbus/RTU Serial Slave ............1-4
2 COBOX MODBUS INTERFACES
COBOX MODBUS SERIAL INTERFACE ...............................................................2-1
NETWORK INTERFACE......................................................................................2-1
NETWORK HARDWARE ADDRESS .....................................................................2-1
CoBox Modbus with Ethernet ..................................................................2-2
CoBox Modbus with Token Ring .............................................................2-2
POWER SUPPLY ...............................................................................................2-2
GROUNDING ....................................................................................................2-2
3 NETWORK PROTOCOLS
PACKING ALGORITHM......................................................................................3-1
IP ADDRESS AND MODBUS SLAVE ADDRESS ....................................................3-1
4 CONFIGURATION
SERIAL CONFIGURATION..................................................................................4-1
NETWORK CONFIGURATION .............................................................................4-2
COBOX’S IP ADDRESS .....................................................................................4-2
Default IP Address...................................................................................4-2
Assigning a New IP Address ....................................................................4-3
CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS ........................................................................4-3
BASIC COMMANDS (D/S/Q) .............................................................................4-4
Default Settings (D) .................................................................................4-4
Save (S) ...................................................................................................4-4
Quit Without Saving (Q) ..........................................................................4-5
NETWORK/IP SETTINGS ...................................................................................4-5
IP Address ...............................................................................................4-5
Set Gateway IP Address (Y/N) .................................................................4-5
Set Netmask (N for default)......................................................................4-5
SERIAL & MODE SETTINGS ..............................................................................4-5
Attached Device (1=Slave, 2=Master) ......................................................4-6
Serial Protocol (1=Modbus/RTU, 2=Modbus/ASCII)................................4-6
Use Serial Connector (1=DB25, 2=DB9)..................................................4-6
Interface Type (1=RS-232, 2=RS-422, 3=RS-485)....................................4-6
Enter Serial Parameters (BBBB,D,P,S).....................................................4-6
 MODEM CONTROL SETTINGS............................................................................4-6
DCD Mode (1=Fixed 2=Variable) ............................................................4-7
RTS/CTS Mode (1=Fixed 2=Variable) .....................................................4-7
Delay after Output of RTS (0-1275 msec, 5ms resolution) ........................4-7
Wait for CTS to Go Active (N/Y).............................................................4-7
Delay after CTS Going Active (0-1275 msec, 5ms resolution) ..................4-7
Delay Dropping RTS after Transmitting (0-1275 msec, 5ms resolution)....4-7
ADVANCED MODBUS PROTOCOL SETTINGS ......................................................4-7
Slave Address (0 for auto, or 1..255 fixed otherwise) ................................4-8
Allow Modbus Broadcasts (1=Yes 2=No).................................................4-8
Character Timeout (10-1275 msec, 5ms resolution) ..................................4-8
Message Timeout (500-60000 msec, 250ms resolution) ............................4-8
UNIT ID TO IP ADDRESS LOOKUP T ABLE .........................................................4-9
Select Function A)dd, D)elete, E)xit .........................................................4-9
Modbus Address From/To........................................................................4-9
Slave IP Address......................................................................................4-9
5 MONITOR MODE AND FIRMWARE UPGRADE
MONITOR COMMANDS .....................................................................................5-1
FIRMWARE DOWNLOAD USING SERIAL PORT ....................................................5-2
FIRMWARE DISTRIBUTION................................................................................5-3
FIRMWARE DOWNLOAD USING A NETWORK HOST ............................................5-4
6 CONFIGURING THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE FOR COXBUS MODBUS
MODSOFT V2.6 OR LATER ................................................................................6-1
WIN-TECH MODSCAN32..................................................................................6-1
IO-SERVER OPC SERVER.................................................................................6-1
INTELLUTION FIX HMI ...................................................................................6-2
7 CONNECTORS’ PINOUTS
CHANNEL 1 (RS-232C)....................................................................................7-1
CHANNEL 1 (RS-422/485) ...............................................................................7-3
CHANNEL 2 (RS-232C)....................................................................................7-4
8 LED STATUS DISPLAY
YELLOW AND GREEN LED...............................................................................8-1
RED LED ........................................................................................................8-1
9 TECHNICAL DATA
CPU, MEMORY CONTROLLERS ........................................................................9-1
SERIAL INTERFACE ..........................................................................................9-1
NETWORK INTERFACE......................................................................................9-1
POWER SUPPLY ...............................................................................................9-1
POWER CONSUMPTION .....................................................................................9-1
LEDS ..............................................................................................................9-1
CASE...............................................................................................................9-1
DIMENSIONS....................................................................................................9-2
WEIGHT ..........................................................................................................9-2
APPENDIX A TOKEN RING SPECIFIC
APPENDIX B IP ADDRESSES, NETMASK ETC.
APPENDIX C BINARY TO HEX CONVERSION
WARRANTY AND DECLARATIONS
INDEX
 Introduction

1 Introduction
When it comes to planning data communication for open, multi-vendor industrial control
systems, Modbus is the undisputed first choice of end users and integrators alike. The
Modbus/RTU protocol defines how a “master” device polls one or more “slave” devices
to read and write data in real-time over RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 serial data
communication. Although it’s not the most powerful protocol available, its rare
simplicity allows not only rapid implementation, but remains flexible enough to be
applied in virtually all industrial situations. Modbus/TCP is a new extension of
Modbus/RTU, which defines how Modbus/RTU messages are encoded within and
transported over TCP/IP-based networks. Modbus/TCP is just as simple to implement
and flexible to apply as the original Modbus/RTU. You can find the specification for both
online at www.modicon.com.

The CoBox Modbus is a new product from Lantronix that allows users to integrate new
and existing Modbus/RTU and Modbus/ASCII serial devices to newer TCP/IP network-
based devices. Section 1.1 describes a system that integrates 4 Modbus/RTU devices with
4 Modbus/TCP devices.


Modbus is a registered trademark of Schneider Automation.

1-1
 Introduction

1.1 Extended Modbus System Example

Figure 1-1

In figure 1-1, we can see 4 specific styles of Modbus operations. Modbus/RTU devices are
traditionally split into 2 groups.

Modbus slave devices generally are the workhorse devices. Often industrially hardened,
they tirelessly perform their tasks 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Tasks such as flow
metering, temperature control, batch loading, or even running entire automated assembly
lines. The slave devices are not called “slaves” because they work all the time, they are called
slaves because as far as the data communications is concerned, they function as passive
servers. Modbus slave devices passively sit and wait for a remote Modbus master device to
ask them to report existing data values (Read) or accept new data values (Write).

Modbus master devices generally are higher-level computers, devices in which data and
software are very important. The most common example of Modbus master devices is the
“Human-Machine-Interface” (HMI) computers which allow human operators to monitor,
adjust, and maintain the operations of the field devices. Modbus master devices are clients
which actively go out and “Read” from and/or “Write” to remote Modbus slave devices to
monitor or adjust slave behavior.

1-2
 Introduction

1.1.1 Modbus/TCP Master Talking to Modbus/TCP Slave.

Devices A, B, E, and F are all new Modbus/TCP devices, which are improved over
Modbus/RTU (see more about Modbus/RTU limitations below). All 4 devices can function
concurrently as both Modbus master and Modbus slave. Both computers A and B can treat
controller E as a slave, polling data in real-time. Yet controller E can also act as a master and
poll data from controller F, which can in turn also act as a master to write alarm data directly
up to computers A and B to alert the operators to the alarm condition. Traditional
Modbus/RTU requires slave devices even with life threatening alarm conditions to sit
patiently and wait for a remote master to poll the specific data that caused the alarm condition.

While this new functionality of Modbus/TCP may not impress computer experts, it is really
revolutionary for such a simple and flexible protocol as Modbus to offer such functionality.
Therefore, Modbus/TCP offers exciting new design options for industrial users, which the
Lantronix CoBox Modbus extends to traditional Modbus/RTU serial devices.

1.1.2 Modbus/TCP Master Talking to Modbus/RTU Serial Slave.

Devices D, G, and H are traditional Modbus/RTU slave devices. Device D uses a point-to-
point electrical interface like RS-232. This allows only a single Modbus/RTU master to talk to
device D. However, the CoBox Modbus makes device D appear on the Modbus/TCP network
as a full Modbus/TCP slave device. All Modbus/TCP enabled devices A, B, E, and F can
actively share access to slave device D. A limitation in traditional Modbus/RTU
implementation expects devices to be dedicated as either master or slave devices, so device D
can only act as a Modbus slave.

Devices G and H are different from device D. They share a single RS-485 “multi-drop” line
which strictly limits them to act as slaves to a single Modbus/RTU master. However, a little of
the new Modbus/TCP and CoBox Modbus magic still appliesall Modbus/TCP enabled
devices A, B, E, and F can actively share access to both slave devices G and H. CoBox
Modbus manages and coordinates the shared access. In fact, the CoBox Modbus allows up to
8 concurrent Modbus masters to share access to the slaves.

1-3
 Introduction

1.1.3 Modbus/RTU Serial Master Talking to Modbus/TCP Slave.

Device C is a traditional Modbus/RTU master device. Yet the CoBox Modbus makes device
C appear to the TCP/IP network as a Modbus/TCP masterplus all of the Modbus/TCP
slaves on the TCP/IP network (A, B, D, E, F, G, & H) appear as traditional Modbus/RTU
slave devices. The only limitation is the traditional Modbus/RTU assumption that device C is
dedicated as a master only. Therefore Modbus/TCP master devices A, B, E, and F cannot treat
device C as a Modbus/TCP slave.

1.1.4 Modbus/RTU Serial Master Talking to Modbus/RTU Serial Slave.

Finally, master device C can poll traditional Modbus/RTU slave devices
D, G, and H as if they were directly multi-dropped on an attached RS-485 line. The CoBox
Modbus transparently bridges traditional Modbus/RTU devices across any TCP/IP network.
This means users can start implementing for Modbus/TCP long before all of their required
products exist with Modbus/TCP and network interfaces.

1-4
 CoBox Modbus Interfaces

2 CoBox Modbus Interfaces

Depending on the model, the CoBox Modbus supports different electrical device
interfaces with different network topologies.

2.1 CoBox Modbus Serial Interface

Channel 1 (CH1) is a DB25 female connector, software selectable for RS-232 (with full
modem control RTS/CTS handshaking), RS-422, or RS-485 both 2 and 4-wire support.
Channel 2 (CH2) is a DB9 male connector, supporting only RS-232 (with full modem
control RTS/CTS handshaking). Both CH1 and CH2 support baud rates 300, 1200, 2400,
4800, 9600, 19,200, 38,400 and 115k.

NOTE: CoBox Modbus is a one-port device, meaning that only one port (channel) can be used
at a time (software selectable).

Figure 2-1

2.2 Network Interface

Ethernet models support 10Mbit, Token Ring models support 4 and 16 Mbit switch or
jumper selectable.

2.3 Network Hardware Address

The first 3 bytes are fixed, and read 00-20-4A. The fourth, fifth, and sixth bytes
represents the type of the product and the serial number in Hex notation.

2-1
 CoBox Modbus Interfaces

2.3.1 CoBox Modbus with Ethernet

10BaseT (RJ-45 connector) and AUI (DB15 connector) for external transceiver
connections.

10Base T AUI Power

TX GL
OO
OO O
Rx Co 15V

Figure 2-2

2.3.2 CoBox Modbus with Token Ring

STP (DB9 connector) and UTP (RJ45 connector) with ring speed of 4/16Mbit switch
selectable located on the unit.

UTP STP Power

MBit
16/4
o
15V

Figure 2-3

2.4 Power Supply

Depending on the model, the CoBox Modbus has different power supply needs. In
Europe (230VAC) and USA (110VAC), the CoBox Modbus external models are shipped
with an AC power adapter. Power consumption varies with connected transceivers,
phantom current, etc. Typically, the Ethernet version consumes around 250mA with the
10BaseT interface activated, while the Token Ring version needs approximately 400mA
at 15V (including the phantom drive).

2.5 Grounding
The CoBox Modbus Ethernet UTP interface, as required by the Ethernet standards, is
100% galvanically isolated.

2-2
 Network Protocol

3 Network Protocols
The CoBox Modbus uses TCP/IP protocols for network communications. The supported
protocols are: ARP, UDP, TCP, ICMP, Telnet, TFTP, DHCP, and SNMP. Per the
Modbus/TCP specification, the Modbus data messages are transported by TCP for error-
free data transport end-to-end. Firmware updates can be done with the TFTP protocol. The
IP protocol defines addressing, routing, and data block handling over the network.

3.1 Packing Algorithm

Traditional Modbus/RTU requires a “character time-out” to signal the end of a Modbus/RTU
packet. This stretches out the overall response cycle. Fortunately, the CoBox Modbus uses an
intelligent length-predictive algorithm to detect the end of standard Modbus messages. This
allows better performance plus the CoBox Modbus falls back to using a user definable
“character time-out” to manage non-standard or user-defined Modbus functions.

3.2 IP Address and Modbus Slave Address

Every device connected to the TCP/IP network including the CoBox Modbus must have a
unique IP address. When multiple Modbus devices share a single IP, then Modbus/TCP
includes an additional address called the Unit ID. See Appendix B for a complete description
of IP Addressing.

When the CoBox Modbus is receiving Modbus/TCP messages from remote masters, the Unit
ID is converted to use in the Modbus/RTU message as the slave address.

When the CoBox Modbus is receiving Modbus/RTU messages from local serial masters, a
user-defined lookup table is used to match the 8-bit Modbus slave address to a remote IP
address. The Modbus slave address received is used as the Unit ID.

3-1
 Configuration

4 Configuration
The CoBox Modbus can be configured by various remote or local methods. The simplest
method is to use a terminal emulation program to locally access the first serial port
(CH1), or network-savvy users can use a Telnet connection to configure the unit remotely
over the network.

The CoBox Modbus configuration is stored in nonvolatile memory and is retained

without AC power. The configuration can be changed any time. The CoBox Modbus
performs a reset after the configuration has been changed and stored.

NOTE: If you enter the configuration mode while the unit is operating, even if nothing is
changed, this would disrupt your network operation.

4.1 Serial Configuration

An ASCII terminal or PC with a terminal emulation application is connected to the first
serial port (CH1) of the CoBox Modbus by a standard modem cable. The terminal (or
PC) should be configured for 9600 Baud, no parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit. A common
terminal emulation program known to work is the HyperTerminal accessory included
with Windows 95/98/NT.

To enter configuration mode, the power on the CoBox Modbus must be cycled (powered
off and back on). After power-up, the self-test begins. About a half second later the red
LED starts blinking. Now three lowercase “x” characters must be sent to the CoBox
Modbus. These characters must all be sent within approximately 1 second to start
configuration mode.

NOTE: The easiest way to enter configuration mode is to hold down the “x” key at the terminal
(emulation) and then powering the CoBox Modbus on. This ensures that the x
characters arrive in time.

4-1
 Configuration

4.2 Network Configuration

To configure over the network, a Telnet connection to port 9999 must be established. If you
know the assigned IP address you can establish a Telnet connection to port 9999. Under
Windows 95/98/NT, open an MS-DOS command window and type the command “telnet
x.x.x.x 9999”, where x.x.x.x is an IP address already configured in the CoBox Modbus and
9999 is the desired TCP/IP port. Make sure you put a space between x.x.x.x and 9999.

4.3 CoBox’s IP Address

4.3.1 Default IP Address
The CoBox Modbus is shipped with a default IP address of 0.0.0.0, which automatically
enables the DHCP within the CoBox Modbus.

With DHCP-enabled CoBox, If there is a DHCP server to respond to CoBox’s request when
it’s booting up, the CoBox will then get an IP address, a gateway address, and a subnet mask
from the DHCP server. These addresses will not be shown in the CoBox’s configuration
screens (you will still see 0.0.0.0), however if you enter the “monitor mode” (see Section 5.1)
and from 0> prompt type NC (upper case) you will be able to see the IP configuration of the
CoBox Modbus.

NOTE: Using the ARP command (see below) you can always override the IP address given to
the CoBox Modbus by your DHCP server.

With DHCP enabled CoBox, If there is no DHCP server on the network, then the
CoBox’s request will eventually time out and the unit will boot up with no IP address. As
soon as a static IP address is assigned to the CoBox, the DHCP support will be disabled
within the product. To re-enable DHCP support, the IP address should be set back to
0.0.0.0.

4-2
 Configuration

4.3.2 Assigning a New IP Address

If the IP Address of the CoBox Modbus is unknown or undefined, the following steps
outline how to assign a temporary IP address over the network.

a) Set a static ARP with the desired IP address using the hardware address of the CoBox
Modbus, which is printed on the product label. The following example shows the use
of ARP in Win95/98/NT, (from the DOS prompt) and UNIX environments when the
hardware address of the CoBox Modbus is 00-20-4A-01-64-0B.
NOTE: In order for the ARP command to work in Windows, the ARP table on the PC must
have at least 1 IP address defined other than its own. Type “ARP –A” at the DOS
command prompt to verify that there is at least 1 entry in the ARP table. If there is no
other entry beside the local machine, ping another IP machine on your network to build
the ARP table. This has to be a host other than the machine on which you are working.
Once there is at least 1 entry in the ARP table, use the following commands to ARP an
IP address to the CoBox Modbus.

arp -s 191.12.3.77 00-20-4A-01-64-0B

The command example for most Unix systems is:
arp -s 191.12.3.77 00:20:4A:01:64:0B
b) Open a Telnet connection to port number 1. This connection will fail, but the CoBox
Modbus will change its IP address to the one designated in the arp command line.
telnet 191.12.3.77 1
c) Open a Telnet connection to port 9999 and set all required parameters.
telnet 191.12.3.77 9999
NOTE: The temporary IP address by ARP is reverted after every power reset of the CoBox
Modbus. Be sure to log into CoBox Modbus and store the parameters to make the
changes permanent.

4.4 Configuration Parameters

When you enter configuration mode you should see the following message.
*Lantronix, Inc. CoBox Modbus
Serial Number 150-087 Software Version V01.1 (990709)
Press Enter to go into Setup Mode, wait to close

4-3
 Configuration

Press <ENTER> to change parameters, otherwise after a short delay the CoBox will
automatically restart. You’ll be happy to know that other than the IP address and serial
port settings (baud rate, etc.) the CoBox Modbus is preconfigured to be suitable with
most applications. For all settings you are shown the default values, if you just press the
< ENTER > key, the existing values will stay unchanged.

Lantronix, Inc. CoBox Modbus

Serial Number 204-041 Software Version V01.1 (990709)
Press Enter to go into Setup Mode, wait to close
CoBox MB Setup, Lantronix, Inc.
Resetting to factory defalts
1) Network/IP Settings:
Ethernet Interface TPI
IP Address ................. 194.039.078.254
Default Gateway ............ --- not set ---
Netmask .................... --- not set ---
2) Serial & Mode Settings:
Protocol ................... Modbus/RTU,Slave(s) attached
Serial Interface ........... 9600,8,E,1,RS232,DB25
3) Modem Control Settings:
DCD Output ................. Fixed High/Active
CTS Output ................. Fixed High/Active
4) Advanced Modbus Protocol settings:
Slave Addr/Unit ID Source .. Modbus/TCP header
Modbus Serial Broadcasts ... Disabled
Character, Message Timeout.. 00050 ms,05000 ms

D)efault settings, S)ave, Q)uit without save

Select Command or parameter set (1..4) to change:

Figure 4-1

4.5 Basic Commands (D/S/Q)

The main CoBox Modbus configuration menu is shown in figure 4-1. The CoBox
Modbus offers 3 basic options.

4.5.1 Default Settings (D)

Entering “D” resets all parameters to the factory default as shown above. Only the IP
address is not changed.

4.5.2 Save (S)

Entering “S” saves the currently displayed parameter settings into
non-volatile memory and exits configuration mode. It will trigger a reset.

4-4
 Configuration

4.5.3 Quit Without Saving (Q)

Entering “Q” throws away any parameter changes you have made and exits configuration
mode. It will trigger a reset.

4.6 Network/IP Settings

To change the basic network parameters, press “1”. The following values can be
set/changed.

4.6.1 IP Address
The IP address must be set to a unique value on your network. If you are not familiar
with IP addressing on your network, please consult your system administrator. Please
refer to Appendix B for more details about IP addresses.

If the CoBox Modbus is set to an address already in use, it will display an error code with
the LEDs and it will not operate properly. If you understand and plan to use DHCP, set
the IP to 0.0.0.0 to activate DHCP (see section 4.3).

4.6.2 Set Gateway IP Address (Y/N)

Most users could choose “N” for this case. You only need to choose “Y” if your CoBox
Modbus must communicate to remote TCP/IP networks through a router or gateway. If
you select “Y”, you must also enter the IP address of the default gateway within your
local network. If in doubt, consult your network administrator.

4.6.3 Set Netmask (N for default)

Most users could select “N”, which causes the CoBox Modbus to automatically use the
standard netmask appropriate for the IP address you’ve entered. Users who want a non-
standard netmask need to enter the number of host bits in the IP address. Appendix B
covers the calculation of non-standard netmasks in detail.

4.7 Serial & Mode Settings

To change the basic serial parameters, press “2”. The following values can be
set/changed.

4-5
 Configuration

4.7.1 Attached Device (1=Slave, 2=Master)

As mentioned in the introduction, Modbus/RTU devices are defined as either slave or
master devices. Enter “1” if the attached device is a slave (such as controller or PLC) or
“2” if the attached device is a master (such as a computer running graphical human-
machine-interface (HMI) software).

4.7.2 Serial Protocol (1=Modbus/RTU, 2=Modbus/ASCII)

Serial Modbus comes in two flavors. Modbus/RTU uses 8-bit data bytes to send binary
information. However, some devices cannot handle 8-bit data bytes, so Modbus/ASCII is
used, which is a slower protocol where each 8-bit data byte is converted to 2, 8-bit ASCII
characters. Since CoBox Modbus converts both to/from Modbus/TCP fully, you can mix
any combination of RTU and ASCII devices on a Modbus/TCP network.

4.7.3 Use Serial Connector (1=DB25 2=DB9)

The CoBox Modbus hardware includes 2 physical serial ports. It allows you to choose
either CH1 (25-pin DCE port) or CH2 (9-pin DTE port).

4.7.4 Interface Type (1=RS-232, 2=RS-422, 3=RS-485)

This applies only to channel 1 (CH1) which allows the CoBox to deal with the software-
related details of using RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485.

4.7.5 Enter Serial Parameters (B,D,P,S)

Enter the baud rate (300/ 600/ 1200/ 2400/ 4800/ 9600/ 19,200/ 38,400, or 115,000), data
bits (7/8), parity (N/O/E), and stop bits (1/2) in the classic “DOS Mode Command” style.
Examples are: 9600,8,E,1 or 1200,7,O,2.
All CoBox models support baud rates of 300 to 38400, while the dual-port external
models also support 115000 baud. This setting must match exactly the setting on the
attached Modbus device.

NOTE: Regardless of this setting, CoBox Modbus configuration is always done on CH1 with
RS-232 and a setting of 9600,8,N,1.

4.8 Modem Control Settings

When using RS-232, CoBox Modbus has a number of user-definable “Modem Control”
parameters to manage RTS/CTS handshaking for half-duplex radio modems.

4-6
 Configuration

4.8.1 DCD Mode (1=Fixed 2=Variable)

Answer “1” and the CoBox Modbus DCD output is fixed high. Answer “2” and it is only
high if there is at least 1 active TCP connection. For a CoBox with attached slave, this
means at least 1 Modbus/TCP master is interested in our data. For a CoBox with attached
master, this means at least 1 slave Modbus/TCP device accepted a connection.

4.8.2 RTS/CTS Mode (1=Fixed 2=Variable)

Answer “1” and the CoBox RTS/CTS output is fixed high. Answer “2” and it acts as
modem handshaking.

4.8.3 Delay after Output of RTS (0-1275 msec, 5ms resolution)

Only asked if RTS/CTS mode is variable. After the CoBox asserts the RTS/CTS signal, it
delays from 0 to 1275 msec before continuing. Normally this is set to 0. Only set a value
here if your device, modem or cable is non-standard.

4.8.4 Wait for CTS to Go Active (N/Y)

Only asked if RTS/CTS mode is variable. Answering “N” causes the CoBox Modbus to
ignore the RTS/CTS response from the modem. Answering “Y” causes the CoBox
Modbus to wait for the RTS/CTS response from the modem. Don’t answer “Y” unless
you know that the cable is wired properly to support this signal.

4.8.5 Delay after CTS Going Active (0-1275 msec, 5ms resolution)
Only asked if RTS/CTS mode is variable and set to wait for CTS to go active. After the
CoBox sees the modem assert an RTS/CTS response input, it delays from 0 to 1275 msec
before transmitting. If the CoBox waits without seeing a valid response from the modem,
it will return the Modbus exception response 0x0B (hex) to the Modbus/TCP requesting
master.

4.8.6 Delay Dropping RTS After Transmitting (0-1275 msec, 5ms resolution)
Only asked if RTS/CTS mode is variable. After the CoBox completes transmission, it
delays from 0 to 1275 msec before dropping the
RTS/CTS output.

4.9 Advanced Modbus Protocol Settings

Changing these parameters takes a bit of thought and planning.

4-7
 Configuration

4.9.1 Slave Address (0 for auto, or 1..255 fixed otherwise)

Modbus/TCP includes a “Unit ID” field, which is used to address multiple Modbus slaves
at a single IP address. Unfortunately, some first generation software drivers assumed a
single slave at each IP and always set the Unit ID field to 0. This causes the CoBox
Modbus problems because it requires the Unit ID for the Modbus/RTU “Slave Address”.
To support these older applications, the CoBox allows you to force a fixed address for
Modbus/RTU and Modbus/ASCII, but note that this restricts you to a single serial slave
device per CoBox Modbus.

Setting this value to 0 causes the CoBox to use the Modbus/TCP Unit ID as received.
Setting it to any other address causes the CoBox to always use the set value as a fixed
address.

4.9.2 Allow Modbus Broadcasts (1=Yes 2=No)

This actually relates to the previous issue. The default is 2/No, in which case CoBox
Modbus always assumes a Modbus/TCP “Unit ID” of 0 really means Modbus slave
address 1. Answering “No” here is like setting a fixed address of 1 (parameter above),
except the fixed address is only used if the Modbus/TCP “Unit ID” is 0.

NOTE: In the current software version for CoBox Modbus, a true Modbus broadcast is only
supported when a serial slave device is attached. A Modbus broadcast from a serial
master device is discarded regardless of this parameter setting.

4.9.3 Character Timeout (10-1275 msec, 5ms resolution)

This sets the timeout between characters received. Official Modbus/RTU defines a 3.5
character time-out, but complex devices have various interrupts which can cause 5 to 10
character “pauses” during transmission. A safe value for general use with Modbus/RTU
is 50msec and this is fixed to 1000msec for Modbus/ASCII.

NOTE: Setting this value lower than 50msec will not improve performance and may even make
it worse. CoBox Modbus uses an intelligent length-predicting algorithm to detect end-
of-message in Modbus/RTU. This “character timeout” is only used with user-defined
or non-standard Modbus functions.

4.9.4 Message Timeout (500-60000 msec, 250ms resolution)

This sets the timeout for a response from a connected slave.

4-8
 Configuration

4.10 Unit ID to IP Address Lookup Table

These parameters only apply when a serial Modbus master device is attached. Since
traditional Modbus uses 8-bit slave addresses and a TCP/IP network requires 32-bit IP
addresses, CoBox Modbus uses this table to map an 8-bit address into an IP/Unit ID
combination. The 8-bit address is used to both select the desired IP and as the Unit ID
sent. The table holds 8 entries, and any Modbus slave address not found in the table
returns an exception response to the master. Below is an example of adding an entry.

A)dd, D)elete, E)xit - select function: A

Modbus addr from (191) 220
Modbus addr to (191) 255
Slave IP address (192) .(168) .(000) .(000) 32

1): 001-009: 192.168.000.030

2): 010-190: 192.168.000.031
3): 220-255: 192.168.000.032

4.10.1 Select Function A)dd, D)elete, E)xit

You can either add or delete entries in the IP address table. They are automatically sorted
into increasing order. Enter “E” when you are satisfied with the table to return to the
main menu.

4.10.2 Modbus Address From/To

This is the minimum/maximum Modbus slave address (inclusive) to forward to this IP
address.

4.10.3 Slave IP Address

This is the IP address of the remote Modbus/TCP slave.

4-9
 Monitor Mode and Firmware Upgrade

5 Monitor Mode and Firmware Upgrade

To enter monitor mode, the same principal as setting the parameters is used (see Section
4.3) Instead of entering 3 “x” keys, key in “xx1”. Within 1 second of power-up, the
CoBox Modbus will respond with a special prompt. To start the monitor mode without
network functions (no network connections), enter “xx2”. To enter the monitor mode, in
addition to “xx1” and “xx2” you can also type “yyy” and log in.

To enter the monitor mode using a Telnet connection, after the Telnet session is
established, you will see the following message.

Lantronix UTS Snr 222-195 V3.5

Press Enter to go into Setup Mode

At this point, type M (upper case). If you see 0> prompt, it means that you have entered
the monitor mode successfully.

5.1 Monitor Commands

The following commands are available in the monitor mode. Many commands have an IP
address as an optional parameter (x.x.x.x). If it is given, the command is applied to
another CoBox Modbus with that IP address. If no IP address is given, the command is
executed locally.

All commands must be given in capital letters; only blanks (spaces) are accepted between
parameters.

DL Firmware download to the CoBox Modbus

SF x.x.x.x Send firmware to CoBox Modbus with IP x.x.x.x

VS x.x.x.x Query software header record (16-byte)

GC x.x.x.x Get configuration as HEX records

SC x.x.x.x Set configuration from HEX records

PI x.x.x.x Check with Ping if x.x.x.x is alive and reachable

AT Show the CoBox Modbus’s ARP table entries

TT Shows all the incoming and outgoing TCP connections (used only
with “monitor mode” from Telnet)

5-1
 Monitor Mode and Firmware Upgrade

NC Shows the IP configuration of the CoBox Modbus.

RS Resets the power on the CoBox Modbus.

SI x.x.x.x:n.n.n.n With this command, you can remotely assign an IP address to another
CoBox Modbus, where x.x.x.x is the new IP address and n.n.n.n is the
remote CoBox Modbus serial number written twice. For example:

SI194.39.78.234:146.138.146.138

IP address = 194.39.78.234

Remote CoBox Modbus serial # (146-138) = 146.138.146.138

NOTE: Since this is obtained by sending broadcast packets, this IP assignment cannot be done
over the routers.

QU Quit - exit diagnostics mode

Command result codes:

0 OK, no error
1 No answer from remote device
2 Cannot reach remote device or does not answer
8 Wrong parameter(s)
9 Invalid command

5.2 Firmware Download Using Serial Port

Downloading is done in monitor mode. Once the CoBox Modbus is in monitor mode, by
using the “DL” command, the CoBox Modbus will wait for the firmware image in Intel
Hex format. This must only be sent through the serial interface. When the end record is
received, the CoBox Modbus checks the integrity of the firmware image and then
programs the new firmware in the flash ROM. Do not switch off the power supply at this
time. A loss of power while reprogramming will result in a corrupt program image and a
nonfunctional CoBox Modbus.

5-2
 A HyperTerminal accessory, 4-1

ARP, 4-2 I
command, 4-2
Intellution FIX HMI, 6-2
B IOServer OPC Server, 6-1
IP Address, 3-1, B-4
Basic Commands, 4-4 dafault, 4-2
IP Addressing, 3-1
C
CH1 to Computer w/ 25-pin DTE, 7-2 M
CH1 to Computer w/ 9-pin DTE, 7-2 Message Timeout, 4-8
CH2 to Computer w/ 25-pin DTE, 7-4 Modbus
CH2 to Computer w/ 9-pin DTE, 7-3 Master Devices, 1-2
Character Timeout, 4-8 Slave Devices, 1-2
Clear to send, 7-1 Modbus Broadcasts, 4-8
CoBox Modbus Modbus Slave Address, 3-1
Ethernet, 2-2 Modsoft v2.6 or later, 6-1
Token Ring, 2-2 Modem Control Settings, 4-6
CoBox Modbus Interfaces Monitor Mode
Hardware address, 2-1 Monitor Commands, 5-1
Network, 2-1
Serial, 2-1
Configuration, 4-1
N
Network, 4-2 Netmask, 4-5, B-1, B-2, B-3
Parameters. see Parameters Network/IP Settings, 4-4
Serial, 4-1 Network Protocols, 3-1
ARP, 3-1
D DHCP, 3-1
ICMP, 3-1
Data carrier detect, 7-1 IP address, 3-1
Data set ready, 7-1 Packing algorithm, 3-1
Data Terminal Ready, 7-1 Slave address, 3-1
DCD Mode, 4-7 SNMP, 3-1
Default Settings, 4-4
Delay After CTS Going Active, 4-7
Delay After Output of RTS, 4-7 TCP, 3-1
Delay Dropping RTS After Transmitting, 4-7 TFTP, 3-1
DHCP, 3-1, 4-2, 4-5, 8-1 UDP, 3-1

F P
Firmware Upgrade, 5-1 Packing Algorithm, 3-1
Parameters, 4-3
Advanced Modbus Protocol Settings, 4-7
G Modbus Broadcasts, 4-8
Grounding, 2-2 Attached Device, 4-6
Basic Commands, 4-4
H Character Timeout, 4-8
DCD Mode, 4-7
Hardware Address Default Settings, 4-4
CoBox Modbus with Ethernet, 2-2 Delay After CTS Going Active, 4-7
CoBox Modbus with Token Ring, 2-2 Delay After Output of RTS, 4-7
Network, 2-1 Delay Dropping RTS After Transmitting, 4-7
HMI, 1-2 IP address, 4-4

C-1
 Message Timeout, 4-8
Modbus Address From/To, 4-9
T
Modem Control Settings, 4-6 TCP
Network/IP Settings, 4-4 Master, 1-3
Quit Without Saving, 4-5 Slave, 1-3
RTS/CTS Mode, 4-7 TCP/IP, 1-4, 3-1, 4-2, 4-5, 4-9, 6-1, 6-2
Save (S), 4-4 Technical Data, 8-1
Select Function, 4-9 Telnet, 4-2
Serial & Mode Settings, 4-5 Token Ring, 2-2, 8-1, 9-1, A-1, A-2
Serial Interface Type, 4-6 simulator, A-2
Serial Parameters - Baud Rate etc, 4-6 Transmitted data, 7-1
Serial Protocol, 4-6
Set Gateway IP address, 4-5 U
Set Netmask, 4-5
Slave Address, 4-8 Unit ID, 3-1
Slave IP Address, 4-9 Unix
Unit ID to IP Address Table, 4-9 command example, 4-3
Use Serial Connector, 4-6 UTP, 2-2
Wait for CTS to Go Active, 4-7
Power Supply, 2-2 W
Hyper Terminal accessory, 4-1
R Win-Tech ModScan32, 6-1
Received data, 7-1
Request to send, 7-1
RJ-45 connector, 9-1
RS-232, 1-1, 1-3, 2-1, 4-6, 7-1, 7-3, 7-4
RS-485, 1-1, 1-3, 1-4, 2-1, 4-6, 6-1, 7-3, 7-4
RS-422, 1-1
RTS/CTS Mode, 4-7
RTU
Serial Master, 1-3
Serial Slave, 1-3

S
Serial connector
AT style, 6-2, 6-3
XT style, 6-2, 6-4
Serial Data Communication
RS-232, 1-1
RS-422, 1-1
RS-485, 1-1
Serial & Mode Settings, 4-5
Serial Interface Type, 4-6
Serial Master, 1-3
Serial Slave, 1-3
Serial Parameters - Baud Rate etc, 4-6
Serial Protocol, 4-6
STP, 2-2

C-2