Challenge
Transwestern Pipeline provides natural gas for the southwestern United States. Their expensive chromatograph gas analyzer was underutilized. It communicated via Modbus TCP, while many of the company’s sampling units communicated using Modbus RTU. Transwestern explored upgrading the RTU devices to support TCP, but it proved unworkable and new ones would cost about $50,000usd each. To accomplish their objective, they needed to find a device that could bridge the gap between Modbus TCP and Modbus RTU.
Solution
Transwestern Pipeline used Advantech’s BB-MESR900 series Modbus Serial to Ethernet Gateway to connect the remote RTU devices. The gateway allows Modbus ASCII, RTU and TCP devices to communicate freely. Transwestern Pipeline’s remote RTUs were able to share the chromatograph gas analyzer. In addition, Transwestern Pipeline was able to avoid a huge and unnecessary capital investment.
Why Advantech
- The ability of the BB-MESR900 series Modbus Serial to Ethernet Gateways to communicate directly to the RTUs over Modbus RTU, converting the data to Ethernet, and providing access from the remote RTUs to the existing chromatograph.
- BB-MESR900 series Modbus Serial to Ethernet Gateway DB9 or terminal block serial connections provided flexible options for in-the-field wiring.
Products
1 and 2 Port Modbus Serial to Ethernet Gateways
Models BB-MESR901 & BB-MESR902T
- Modbus TCP, RTU & ASCII
- Modbus messaging priority control (source or function code selectable)
- Up to 16 Modbus TCP masters
- Serial/Ethernet, master/slave flexibility
- Wide operating temperature range
- Auto-negotiation & auto-MDI/MDX
