MOTCP Driver Version 10.

10
Doc. Revision AW March 5, 2014

MOTCP Communication Driver

Driver for TCP/IP Communication
with Devices Using Modbus Protocol

Contents
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................2
GENERAL INFORMATION ........................................................................................................................................3
DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS .........................................................................................................................................3
NETWORK SPECIFICATIONS.....................................................................................................................................3
DRIVER CHARACTERISTICS .....................................................................................................................................3
CONFORMANCE TESTING ........................................................................................................................................4
SELECTING THE DRIVER ........................................................................................................................................5
CONFIGURING THE DEVICE ...................................................................................................................................6
CONFIGURING THE DRIVER ...................................................................................................................................6
CONFIGURING THE COMMUNICATION SETTINGS .......................................................................................................6
CONFIGURING THE DRIVER WORKSHEETS ............................................................................................................ 10
CONFIGURING DRIVER SHEETS FOR COMMAND 23 (SIMULTANEOUS READ/WRITE OF HOLDING REGISTERS)................ 17
EXECUTING THE DRIVER ..................................................................................................................................... 20
TROUBLESHOOTING ............................................................................................................................................ 21
REVISION HISTORY............................................................................................................................................... 23

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Introduction
The MOTCP driver enables communication between the Studio system and devices using the Modbus protocol
over TCP/IP, according to the specifications discussed in this document.
This document will help you to select, configure and execute the MOTCP driver, and it is organized as follows:

Introduction: This section, which provides an overview of the document.

General Information: Identifies all of the hardware and software components required to implement
communication between the Studio system and the target device.

Selecting the Driver: Explains how to select the MOTCP driver in the Studio system.

Configuring the Device: Describes how the target device must be configured to receive communication from
the MOTCP driver.

Configuring the Driver: Explains how to configure the MOTCP driver in the Studio system, including how to
associate database tags with device registers.

Executing the Driver: Explains how to execute the MOTCP driver during application runtime.

Troubleshooting: Lists the most common errors for this driver, their probable causes, and basic procedures
to resolve them.

Revision History: Provides a log of all changes made to the driver and this documentation.

Notes:
This document assumes that you have read the Development Environment chapter in Studios Technical
Reference Manual.
This document also assumes that you are familiar with the Microsoft Windows environment.

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General Information
This chapter identifies all of the hardware and software components required to implement communication
between the MOTCP driver in Studio and a target device using the Modbus protocol over TCP/IP.
The information is organized into the following sections:

Device Specifications
Network Specifications
Driver Characteristics
Conformance Testing

Device Specifications
To establish communication, your target device must meet the following specifications:

Manufacturer: Modicon or any device using the Modbus protocol communicating over TCP/IP
Compatible Equipment:

Any device that is fully compatible with the Modbus protocol

Device Runtime Software: None

For a description of the device(s) used to test driver conformance, see Conformance Testing on the next page.

Network Specifications
To establish communication, your device network must meet the following specifications:
Device Communication Port: Modbus Ethernet Port

Physical Protocol: Ethernet

Logic Protocol: Modbus over TCP/IP

Specific PC Board: Any TCP/IP Adapter (Ethernet board)

Driver Characteristics
The MOTCP driver package consists of the following files, which are automatically installed in the /DRV
subdirectory of Studio:
MOTCP.INI: Internal driver file. You must not modify this file.
MOTCP.MSG: Internal driver file containing error messages for each error code. You must not modify this
file.
MOTCP.PDF: This document, which provides detailed information about the MOTCP driver.
MOTCP.DLL: Compiled driver.

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You can use the MOTCP driver on the following operating systems:

Windows XP/7/8/2003/2008/2012

Windows CE

Windows Embedded

For a description of the operating systems used to test driver conformance, see Conformance Testing
below.
The MOTCP driver supports the following registers:
Register Type

Length

0x (Coil Status)

1 Bit

1x (Input Status)

1 Bit

3x (Input Register)

1 Word

4x (Holding Register)

1 Word

Write

Read

Bit

Integer

Float

DWord

BCD

BCD DW STRING

Conformance Testing
The following hardware/software was used for conformance testing:

Driver Configuration:

Driver
Version
10.5

Protocol: RTU
Cable: Ethernet Cable
Studio
Version
7.1

Operating
System
(development)

Operating
System
(runtime)

WinXP + SP3

Win7 x64
WinCEv5.00

Equipment
Wago 750-841 CPU
GE-FANUC 90-30 CPU-374
Schneider/Modicon TSX Quantum with NOE 211 00 module

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Selecting the Driver

When you install Studio, all of the communication drivers are automatically installed in the \DRV subdirectory but
they remain dormant until manually selected for specific applications. To select the MOTCP driver for your Studio
application:
1. From the main menu bar, select Insert

Driver to open the Communication Drivers dialog.

2. Select the MOTCP driver from the Available Drivers list, and then click the Select button.

Communication Drivers Dialog

3. When the MOTCP driver is displayed in the Selected Drivers list, click the OK button to close the dialog. The
driver is added to the Drivers folder, in the Comm tab of the Workspace.
Note:
It is not necessary to install any other software on your computer to enable communication between Studio
and your target device. However, this communication can only be used by the Studio application; it cannot
be used to download control logic to the device. To download control logic to a Modbus device, you must
also install the Modbus programming software (e.g., ModSoft). For more information, please consult the
documentation provided by the device manufacturer.

Caution:
For safety reasons, you must take special precautions when installing any physical hardware. Please
consult the manufacturers documentation for specific instructions.

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Configuring the Device

Because there are many different types of devices that use the Modbus protocol, we cannot define a standard
device configuration. Consequently, we recommend using the device manufacturers suggested configuration.
Please consult the manufacturers documentation.
Once the selected driver and the target device are both properly configured, it is not necessary to install any other
software on your computer to enable communication between the host and the device. All runtime communication
is handled within your Studio application project. However, programming the device itself that is, developing
control logic and downloading it to the device still requires using the devices own programming tool.

Configuring the Driver

Once you have selected the MOTCP driver in Studio, you must properly configure it to communicate with your
target device. First, you must set the drivers communication settings to match the parameters set on the device.
Then, you must build driver worksheets to associate database tags in your Studio application with the appropriate
addresses (registers) on the device.

Configuring the Communication Settings

The communication settings are described in detail in the Communication chapter of the Studio Technical
Reference Manual, and the same general procedures are used for all drivers. Please review those procedures
before continuing.
For the purposes of this document, only MOTCP driver-specific settings and procedures will be discussed here.
To configure the communication settings for the MOTCP driver:
1. In the Workspace pane, select the Comm tab and then expand the Drivers folder. The MOTCP driver is
listed here as a subfolder.
2. Right-click on the MOTCP subfolder and then select the Settings option from the pop-up menu:

Select Settings from the Pop-Up Menu

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The MOTCP: Communication Settings dialog is displayed:

MOTCP: Communication Settings Dialog

3. In the Communication Settings dialog, configure the driver settings to enable communication with your
target device. To ensure error-free communication, the driver settings must exactly match the
corresponding settings on the device. Please consult the manufacturers documentation for instructions
how to configure the device and for complete descriptions of the settings.
Depending on your circumstances, you may need to configure the driver before you have configured your
target device. If this is the case, then take note of the driver settings and have them ready when you later
configure the device.
Caution:

For safety reasons, you must take special precautions when connecting and configuring new
equipment. Please consult the manufacturers documentation for specific instructions.

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The communication settings and their possible values are described in the following table:
Parameters

Default Values

Valid Values

Signed or Unsigned
Value

Signed

Signed or
Unsigned

How integer values are handled by the device:

Signed Integers can be positive or negative
Unsigned Integers are neither positive nor negative

Invocation Identifier

-1 to 255

Used for transaction pairing when multiple Words are sent

along the same connection without waiting for a response.
When specifying a negative number, the invocation identifier
byte will be automatically incremented otherwise the specified
value will be the one sent as the invocation identifier.

RTU

RTU

Protocol (ASCII or RTU)

Swap:Block
Size:MaxGap

0:64:10

Description

Each eight-bit Word is sent as two four-bit hexadecimals,

allowing for greater density and faster throughput. NOTE: In
most cases, we recommend using this protocol.

ASCII

Each eight-bit Word is sent as two four-bit ASCII characters,

allowing for a time interval between characters without causing
errors.

0 or 1 or 2
(Swap)

Option to change the order of data as they are processed:

0 Word Swap OFF; registers are not swapped.
1 Word Swap ON; swap Words for FP, FPS, FP3, FP3S,
DW, DWS, DW3, DW3S, BCDDW, BCDDWS, BCDDW3 and
BCDDW3S register types.
2 Legacy Swap; swap Words for FPS, FP3S, DWS,
DW3S, BCDDWS and BCDDW3S register types only. The
other register types are not swapped See note below.

0 to 512
(Block Size)

The nominal size (in Words) of each block of data to be

transmitted, as determined by the processing capacity of the
device. Usually, Modicon devices support up to 125 words.

0 to 512
(Max Gap)

This parameter is used with Main Driver Sheet and configures

the Gap size between 2 addresses that could belong to the
same group or block according to the Block Size but, if there
are no other I/O addresses between them, and their addresses
difference is bigger than the GAP, they will end up in separated
virtual read groups. This parameter can never be higher than
the Block Size.

Caution:
When you configure Legacy Swap in the Swap field of Communication Settings, the registers FPS,
FP3S, DWS, DW3S, BCDDW and BCDDW3S do Word Swap (not Byte Swap). This is in compliance
with the older versions of MODBU driver (v2.10 or older). The others registers are not swapped.

Note:
The device must be configured with exactly the same parameters that you configured in the MOTCP
Communication Parameters dialog.

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4. In the Communication Settings dialog, click the Advanced button to open the Advanced Settings dialog:

Advanced Settings Dialog

You do not need to change any other advanced settings at this time. You can consult the Studio
Technical Reference Manual later for more information about configuring these settings.
5. Click OK to close the Advanced Settings dialog, and then click OK to close the Communication Settings dialog.

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Configuring the Driver Worksheets

Each selected driver includes a Main Driver Sheet and one or more Standard Driver Worksheets. The Main Driver
Sheet is used to define tag/register associations and driver parameters that are in effect at all times, regardless of
application behavior. In contrast, Standard Driver Worksheets can be inserted to define additional tag/register
associations that are triggered by specific application behaviors.
The configuration of these worksheets is described in detail in the Communication chapter of the Studio
Technical Reference Manual, and the same general procedures are used for all drivers. Please review those
procedures before continuing.
For the purposes of this document, only MOTCP driver-specific parameters and procedures are discussed here.

MAIN DRIVER SHEET

When you select the MOTCP driver and add it to your application, Studio automatically inserts the Main Driver
Sheet in the MOTCP driver subfolder. To configure the Main Driver Sheet:
1. Select the Comm tab in the Workspace pane.
2. Open the Drivers folder, and then open the MOTCP subfolder:

Main Driver Sheet in the MOTCP Subfolder

3. Double-click on the MAIN DRIVER SHEET icon to open the following worksheet:

Header

Body

Opening the Main Driver Sheet

Most of the fields on this sheet are standard for all drivers; see the Communication chapter of the
Technical Reference Manual for more information on configuring these fields. However, the Station and I/O
Address fields use syntax that is specific to the MOTCP driver.
4. For each table row (i.e., each tag/register association), configure the Station and I/O Address fields as
follows:
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Station field: Specify the IP Address of the device, using the following syntax:
<IP Address>:<Port Number>:<PLC ID>
Example 192.168.125.31:502:1
Where:

<IP Address> is the devices IP address on the TCP/IP network;

<Port Number> is the port number for the Modbus TCP protocol (usually 502); and

<PLC ID> is the PLC identification number (from 1 to 31).

You can also specify an indirect tag (e.g. {station}), but the tag that is referenced must follow the
same syntax and contain a valid value.
Caution:

You must use a non-zero value in the Station field, and you cannot leave the field blank.

I/O Address: Specify the address of the associated device register.

For all register types other than ST and STS use the following syntax:
<Type>:[Signed/Unsigned]<Address>.[Bit]
Examples 4X:20 , 4X:S15 , 4X:10.7
For ST and STS registers only, use the following syntax:
<Type>:<Address>:<Length> or
<Type>:<Address>.[StartByte]:<Length>
Example ST:10:5
Where:

<Type> : Register type. Valid values are 0X, 1X, 3X, 4X, FP, FP3,DF,DF3,FP3S, DW, FPS, DWS,
DW3, DW3S, DWSW, BCD, BCD3, BCDDW, BCDDWS, BCDDW3, BCDDW3S, ID, ST and STS.

[Signed/Unsigned] (optional): Parameter used for integer values only. Valid values are S
(Signed) and U (Unsigned). If you do not specify this parameter, then Studio uses the default
parameter in the Communication Settings dialog.

<Address> : Address of the device register.

[Bit] (optional): Use this parameter only for 3X (Input Register) and 4X (Holding Register)
types, to indicate which bit on the register will be read from and/or written to.

[StartByte] (optional): Use this parameter only for ST and STS, to indicate the initial byte.

<Length> : Length of the string (in bytes) to be read or written.

You can also specify an indirect tag (e.g. {address}), but the tag that is referenced must follow the
same syntax and contain a valid value.
Caution:

This driver supports bit reading only; it cannot execute bit writing. Also, when an unsigned
DWord register type is specified, it can only be associated with a Real database tag in Studio.

The Floating-point values are 4 bytes using 6 significant digits.

Modbus operands must start in an address that is greater than zero.

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STANDARD DRIVER WORKSHEET

When you select the MOTCP driver and add it to your application, it has only a Main Driver Sheet by default (see
previous section). However, you may insert additional Standard Driver Worksheets to define tag/register
associations that are triggered by specific application behaviors. Doing this will optimize communication and
improve system performance by ensuring that tags/registers are scanned only when necessary that is, only
when the application is performing an action that requires reading or writing to those specific tags/registers.
Note:
We recommend configuring device registers in sequential blocks in order to maximize performance.
To insert a new Standard Driver Worksheet:
1. In the Comm tab, open the Drivers folder and locate the MOTCP subfolder.
2. Right-click on the MOTCP subfolder, and then select Insert from the pop-up menu:

Inserting a New Worksheet

A new MOTCP driver worksheet is inserted into the MOTCP subfolder, and the worksheet is opened for
configuration:

Header

Body

MOTCP Driver Worksheet

Note:
Worksheets are numbered in order of creation, so the first worksheet is MOTCP001.drv.

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Most of the fields on this worksheet are standard for all drivers; see the Communication chapter of the
Technical Reference Manual for more information on configuring these fields. However, the Station,
Header, and Address fields use syntax that is specific to the MOTCP driver.
3. Configure the Station and Header fields as follows:

Station field: Specify the IP Address of the device and the slot number, using the following syntax:
<IP Address>:<Port Number>:<PLC ID>
Example 192.168.125.31:502:1
Where:

<IP Address> is the devices IP address on the TCP/IP network;

<Port Number> is the port number for the Modbus TCP protocol (usually 502); and

<PLC ID> is the PLC identification number (from 1 to 31).

You can also specify an indirect tag (e.g. {station}), but the tag that is referenced must follow the
same syntax and contain a valid value.
Caution:

You cannot leave the Station field blank.

Modbus operands are base 1, which means that there are no 0 addresses. If you configure the
header with an Address Reference as 0, the address offset must be greater than 0.

Header field: Specify the address of the first register of a block of registers on the target device. The
addresses declared in the Body of the worksheet are simply offsets of this Header address. When
Read/Write operations are executed for the entire worksheet (see Read Trigger and Write Trigger
above), it scans the entire block of registers from the first address to the last.
The Header field uses the following syntax:
<Type>:<AddressReference>
Example 4X:10
Where:

<Type> is the register type (0X, 1X, 3X, 4X, FP,FP3,DF,DF3,FP3S,DW, FPS, DWS, DW3, DW3S,
DWSW, BCD, BCD3, BCDDW, BCDDWS, BCDDW3, BCDDW3S, ID, ST, STS, HRW).

<AddressReference> is the initial address (reference) of the configured type.

After you edit the Header field, Studio checks the syntax to determine if it is valid. If the syntax is
invalid, then Studio automatically inserts a default value of 0X:0.
You can also specify a string tag (e.g. {header}), but the tag value that is referenced must follow the
same syntax and contain a valid value.

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The following table lists all of the data types and address ranges that are valid for the MOTCP driver:
Type

Syntax

Valid Range

Comments

0X

0X:0

varies by device

Coil Status: Read and write events using Modbus instructions 01, 05 and 15.

1X

1X:0

varies by device

Input Status: Read events using Modbus instruction 02.

3X

3X:0

varies by device

Input Register: Read events using Modbus instruction 04.

4X

4X:0

varies by device

Holding Register: Read and write events using Modbus instructions 03, 06
and 16.

FP

FP:0

varies by device

Floating-point Value (Holding Register): Read and write float-point values

using two consecutive Holding Registers.

FPSW

FPSW:0

varies by device

Floating-point Value (Holding Register): Read and write float-point values

using two consecutive Holding Registers with Word Swap.

FP3

FP3:0

varies by device

Floating-point Value (Input Register): Read float-point values using two

consecutive Input Registers.

DF

DF:0

varies by device

Double Precision Floating-point Value (Holding Register): Read and Write

double precision float-point values using four consecutive Holding Registers.

DF3

DF3:0

Varies by device

Double Precision Floating-point Value (Input Register): Read double

precision float-point values using four consecutive Input Registers.

FP3S

FP3S:0

varies by device

Floating-point Value (Input Register): Read float-point values using two

consecutive Input Registers with Byte Swap. (*)

DW

DW:0

varies by device

32-bit Integer Value (Holding Register): Read and write 32-bit integer values
using two consecutive Holding Registers.

FPS

FPS:0

varies by device

Floating-point Value (Holding Register): Read and write float-point values

using two consecutive Holding Registers with Byte Swap. (*)

DWS

DWS:0

varies by device

32-bit Integer Value (Holding Register): Read and write 32-bit integer values
using two consecutive Holding Registers with Byte Swap. (*)

DW3

DW3:0

varies by device

32-bit Integer Value (Input Register): Read 32-bit integer values using two
consecutive Input Registers.

DW3S

DW3S:0

varies by device

32-bit Integer Value (Input Register): Read 32-bit integer values using two
consecutive Input Registers with Byte Swap. (*)

DWSW

DWSW:0

Varies by device

32-bit Integer Value (Holding Register): Read and write 32-bit integer values
using two consecutive Holding Registers with Word Swap. (*)

BCD3

BCD3:0

varies by device

BCD Value (Input Register): Read events using Modbus instruction 04.

BCD

BCD:0

varies by device

BCD Value (Holding Register): Read and write events using Modbus
instructions 03, 06 and 16.

BCDDW

BCDDW:0

varies by device

BCD 32-bit Integer Value (Holding Register): Read and write 32-bit integer
values using two consecutive Holding Registers.

BCDDWS

BCDDWS:0

varies by device

BCD 32-bit Integer Value (Holding Register): Read and write 32-bit integer
values using two consecutive Holding Registers with Byte Swap. (*)

BCDDW3

BCDDW3:0

varies by device

BCD 32-bit Integer Value (Input Register): Read 32-bit integer values using
two consecutive Input Registers.

BCDDW3S

BCDDW3S:0

varies by device

BCD 32-bit Integer Value (Input Register): Read 32-bit integer values using
two consecutive Input Registers with Byte Swap. (*)

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Type

Syntax

Valid Range

Comments

ID

ID:0

varies by device

Report Slave ID using Modbus instruction 17.

ST

ST:0

varies by device

String value (Holding Register): Reads and writes String values using
consecutive Holding Registers.

STS

STS:0

varies by device

String value (Holding Register): Reads and writes String values using
consecutive Holding Registers with Byte Swap.

HRW

HRW:0

varies by device

Holding Register: Allow simultaneous read and write using Modbus

instruction 23.

4. For each table row (i.e., each tag/register association), configure the Address field using the following
syntax
For all register types other than ST and STS use the following syntax:
[Signed/Unsigned]<AddressOffset>.[Bit]
Examples 10, S20, U40, 10.5
For ST and STS registers only, use the following syntax:
<AddressOffset>:<Length> or
<AddressOffset>.[StartByte]:<Length>
Example 10:5
Where:

[Signed/Unsigned] (optional): Parameter used for integer values only. Valid values are S (Signed)
and U (Unsigned). If you do not specify this parameter, then Studio uses the default parameter in the
Communication Settings dialog.

<AddressOffset>: Parameter that is added to the <AddressReference> parameter of the

Header, to compose the specific address of the register in the block. The sum of the two parameters
cannot equal zero (0); Modbus operands must start in an address that is greater than zero.

[Bit] (optional): Use this parameter only for 3X (Input Register) and 4X (Holding Register) types, to
indicate which bit on the register will be read from and/or written to.

[StartByte] (optional): Use this parameter only for ST and STS, to indicate the initial byte.

<Length>: Length of the string (in bytes) to be read or written.

Cautions:

Use Bit Write commands in the Holding Register for the Write on Tag Change field only.
The Floating-point value is stored in two consecutive Holding Registers, where the address value
corresponds to the first Holding Register position. You must ensure that you do not configure a nonexistent address, or a conflict will occur.
The Floating-point values are 4 bytes using 6 significant digits.
Lastly, keep in mind that when using the Write Trigger feature, the driver writes to the entire block of
registers from the first address through the last. If there is a register that has not been declared in the
worksheet, and its address is within the block, then the register will receive a zero (0) value. Check the
worksheet for holes in the address range.
When an unsigned DWord register type is specified, it can only be associated with a Real database tag
in Studio.

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Writing bit values to the 4x registers is allowed, however there is no such function the Modbus
protocol. In this case, the driver performs the read-mask-write operation, Before writing, the driver first
reads the entire word, modify the bit that will be written and then writes back to PLC. Even with this
being a very fast operation, if in this period between reading and writing the PLC value changes, the
driver will overwrite it with the value that is being processed.

For examples of how device registers are specified using Header and Address, see the following table:
Device Register

Header

Address

00001

0x:1

00010

0x:0

10

01020

0x:1000

20

10001

1x:1

10010

1x:0

10

11020

1x:1000

20

30001

3x:1

30010

3x:0

10

31020

3x:1000

20

30000 and 30001

FP3:0

31001 and 31000

FP3S:0

1000

40001

4x:1

40010

4x:0

10

41020

4x:1000

20

40010 (bit 0)

4x:0

10.0

41010 (bit 7)

4x:1000

10.7

40001 and 40002

FP:1

40013 and 40014

FP:0

13

41021 and 41022

FP:1000

21

40000 to 40003

DF:0

30001 to 30004

DF3:1

41022 and 41021

FPS:1000

21

40001 and 40002

DW:1

40013 and 40014

DW:0

13

41021 and 41022

DW:1000

21

40002 and 40001

DWS:1

31021 and 31022

DW3:1000

21

30011 and 30010

DW3S:1

10

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Device Register

Header

Address

40001 and 40002

DWSW:1

40001 and 40002

BCD:1

31021 and 31022

BCD3:1000

21

40001 and 40002

BCDDW:1

41011 and 41010

BCDDWS:1000

10

30001 and 30002

BCDDW3:1

30011 and 30010

BCDDW3S:0

10

40001

ST:1:2

41010 and 41011

ST:1000:4

10

40001 (String 2 chars

long)

STS:1

0:2

String from 41011 up

to 41020, with byte
swap

STS:1000

10:20

For more information about the device registers and addressing, please consult the manufacturers
documentation.
Caution:

You must not configure a range of addresses greater than the maximum block size (data buffer length)
supported by the target device. The default block size is 64 bytes, but this can be changed in the
communication settings for the driver.

Configuring driver sheets for command 23 (simultaneous read/write of holding

registers)
The MOTCP driver supports simultaneous reading and writing of holding registers, which can be useful on
some specific applications. This command is only supported in the Standard Driver Sheets and it should be
configured following the steps below:
1) Configure a Standard Driver Sheet with a holding register header type (4X, FP, FPS, DW, DWS, BCDDW,
BCDDWS) header. This will be the write worksheet and it requires an additional range of reading
registers at the end.
2) Associate all the addresses that you want to write with their respective tags as you would do when using
regular command for Holding Registers.
3) For the addresses that you want to read you need to specify the range in Header field using the following
format:<Header Type>:<Offset>:<first read address>-<last read address>.
4) Configure a tag in the write trigger field of the worksheet created on step 1. By issuing changing the tag
on this field command will be executed. The following picture shows an example of configuration:

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5) Create another worksheet that will receive the read values, this worksheet should have the header
HRW:<first read address>, where first read address is the value specified in the Header field for the
worksheet created on step 1.
6) Associate all the addresses that you are reading with their respective tags, the picture below shows how
the worksheet would be configured considering the previous command worksheet example:

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The addresses in this worksheet can have a data type prefix. The following data types are supported:
Prefix
Data Type
B
Signed 8 bits variable (byte)
UB
Unsigned 8 bits variable (byte)
W
Signed 16 bits variable (word)
SW
Signed 16 bits variable (word) with byte swap
UW
Unsigned 16 bits variable (word)
USW
Unsigned 16 bits variable (word) with byte swap
DW
Signed 32 bits variable (double word)
SDW
Signed 32 bits variable (double word) with byte swap
UDW
Signed 32 bits variable (double word) with byte swap
USDW
Signed 32 bits variable (double word) with byte swap
UDW
Unsigned 32 bits variable (double word)
USDW
Unsigned 32 bits variable (double word) with byte swap
F
32 bits float points (float)
SF
32 bits float points with byte swap (float)
DF
64 bits float points (double)
SDF
64 bits float points with byte swap (double)
BCD
16 bits BCD value
BCDDW
32 bits BCD value
S
String (address should be S<register>.<Bytes>)

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Executing the Driver

By default, Studio will automatically execute your selected communication driver(s) during application runtime.
However, you may verify your applications runtime execution settings by checking the Project Status dialog.
To verify that the the communication driver(s) will execute correctly:
1. From the main menu bar, select Project Status. The Project Status dialog displays:

Project Status Dialog

2. Verify that the Driver Runtime task is set to Automatic.

If the setting is correct, then proceed to step 3 below.

If the Driver Runtime task is set to Manual, then select the task and click the Startup button to toggle the
tasks Startup mode to Automatic.

3. Click OK to close the Project Status dialog.

4. Start the application to run the driver.

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Troubleshooting
If the MOTCP driver fails to communicate with the target device, then the database tag(s) that you configured for
the Read Status or Write Status fields of the Main Driver Sheet will receive an error code. Use this error code and the
following table to identify what kind of failure occurred.
Error Code Description

Possible Causes

Procedure to Solve

OK

Communication without problems

None required

ILLEGAL
FUNCTION
CODE

Function code used by driver is not supported by device.

Check with device manufacturer to support the function

code.

ILLEGAL DATA
ADDRESS

There is an invalid address in the Driver worksheet. The

data address received in this query was not an allowable
address for the slave.

Type a valid address.

ILLEGAL DATA
VALUE

Specified address contains an invalid value that is not

allowed for the slave

Check the address to be sure it exists on the device.

SLAVE DEVICE
FAILURE

An unrecoverable error occurred while the slave was

attempting to perform the requested action.

Check the equipment state. Try rebooting it.

ACKNOWLEDGE Error in the communication Ack action. Specialized use in

conjunction with programming commands.

Check the communication parameters for the device

and the Studio software.

SLAVE DEVICE
BUSY

Invalid command if the equipment is in use. Specialized

use in conjunction with programming commands.

Studio commands never generate this error.

Negative Ack

Error in the communication Ack action. Specialized use in

conjunction with programming commands.

Check the communication parameters for the device

and the Studio software.

Memory parity
error

Incorrect communication parameter configuration.

Specialized use in conjunction with function codes 20 and
21, to indicate that the extended file area failed to pass a
consistency check.

Check configuration of the drivers communication

parameters.

10

Invalid Header
field

Invalid tag value in the Header field

Specify a valid tag value in the Header field.

11

Invalid Address
field

Invalid Address

Check the initial address in the Driver worksheet.

Check the Holding register in the Driver worksheet
with bit configuration. This parameter cannot
execute write triggersit executes Write on Tag
Change only.
Retype the address in the Driver worksheet.

12

Invalid Block size

Offset is greater than the maximum allowed. The

maximum offset is usually 64.

Specify a valid offset or create a new Driver worksheet.

13

Checksum error

Protocol error

Communication failures that can be cause by

electric interferences which invalidated the data
sent by the PLC
Generate a Log File and contact your Studio
technical support representative

14

Generic TCP/IP
error

Wrong TCP/IP network configuration

Use Telnet or Ping tools to check your network

configuration, and try to find the PLC with the computer
on which you are running Studio.

15

Invalid IP number

Wrong IP Address

You must specify the IP Address using the appropriate

syntaxfour fields, a value up to 255 in each field,
separated by periods.

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Error Code Description

Possible Causes

Procedure to Solve

Wrong IP Address or Port Number

Use Telnet or Ping tools to check your network

configuration and try to find the PLC with the computer
on which you are running Studio.

16

Connect error

18

Invalid BCD Value Tried to Read an invalid BCD value.

Check the value on PLC to be sure it is a valid value.

19

Invalid BCD Value Tried to Write a negative BCD value.

Only positive BCD values are valid.

20

Invalid Word Swap The Swap for Word is not possible

Dont use Word Swap for Strings.

100

Invalid Operation

Writing attempt in the Input Registers, Input Status, or

Report Slave ID

You cannot write in these addresses.

1005

Timeout Error

The PLC failed to issue a response to the driver request

within the timeout specified in the driver communication
settings.

Check if you can "ping" the PLC

If you can ping, check if you can "telnet" the Modbus
PLC TCP/IP port
Check the "Slave ID number" to see if it matches with
the value configured in the driver "Station" field
Check cable wiring
Check the PLC state in some devices, it must be in
RUN mode.

-15

Timeout Start
Message

The PLC failed to issue a response to the driver request

within the timeout specified in the driver communication
settings.

Check if you can "ping" the PLC

If you can ping, check if you can "telnet" the Modbus
PLC TCP/IP port
Check the "Slave ID number" to see if it matches with
the value configured in the driver "Station" field
Check cable wiring
Check the PLC state in some devices, it must be in
RUN mode.

-17

Timeout between
rx char

An incomplete response arrived from the PLC

Communication failures that can be cause by electric

interferences which invalidated the data sent by the
PLC

Tip:
You can monitor communication status by establishing an event log in Studios Output window (LogWin
module). To establish a log for Field Read Commands, Field Write Commands and Protocol Analyzer, right-click in
the Output window and select the desired options from the pop-up menu.
You can also use the Remote LogWin module to establish an event log on a remote unit that runs on a
remote runtime, including Windows CE and Embedded
If you are unable to establish communication between Studio and the target device, then try instead to establish
communication using the devices own programming software (e.g., ModSoft). Quite often, communication is
interrupted by a hardware or cable problem or by a device configuration error. If you can successfully
communicate using the programming software, then recheck the drivers communication settings in Studio.
If you must contact us for technical support, please have the information generated by the command Support
Information in Studio's Help menu ready.

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Revision History
Doc.
Revision

Driver
Version

Author

Date

Description of changes

1.01

Sergio A. Poon

Nov/5/1999

Driver available for Windows CE

1.02

Sergio A. Poon

Nov/9/1999

Included Protocol Type (default) = PROTOCOL RTU

1.03

Sergio A. Poon

Apr/28/2000

Included Floating-point function

1.04

Roberto V. Junior

May/4/2000

Fixed bug with Floating-Point function

1.05

Roberto V. Junior

Jan/10/2001

Included MAIN DRIVER SHEET feature

1.06

Roberto V. Junior

Apr/3/2001

Enhanced performance

1.07

Loureno Teodoro

Jun/20/2001

Enabled TCP/IP time out configuration

1.08

Loureno Teodoro

Jul/23/2001

Fixed bug with write group commands

1.09

Loureno Teodoro

Aug/6/2001

Implemented Signed/Unsigned option by address

1.09

Fabola Fantinato

Dec/5/2001

Revision to conform to documentation standards

1.10

Luis F. Rodas

Dec/6/2001

Fixed bug of wrong received values

Fixed bug of Main Driver Sheet

1.11

Roberto V. Junior

Jan/8/2002

Fixed bug of address equal zero in the Main Driver Sheet

Included bit read/write command to Holding Register

2.00

Eric Vigiani

Jun/27/2002

Modified driver algorithm to avoid Time-out errors due to the station number and
message size

2.01

Eric Vigiani

Jul/22/2002

Included DW data type

2.02

Eric Vigiani

Aug/05/2002

Fixed problem when writing DW blocks

2.03

Eric Vigiani

Aug/26/2002

Removed ASCII protocol type from the Communication Parameters dialog window

2.04

Eric Vigiani

Sep/30/2002

Modified DW writing algorithm to execute command 10 instead of command 06

2.05

Fabio H.Y.Komura

Jan/07/2003

Included FP3 and FP3S Headers (Read Float Point to Input Register)

2.06

Eric Vigiani

Aug/22/2003

Included FPS data type

2.07

Eric Vigiani

Dec/18/2003

Included DWS data type

2.08

Loureno Teodoro

Mar/16/2004

Implemented disconnection after time out to avoid problems with devices that do not
accept multiple messages (the driver was not sending multiple messages; however,
the transport layer was doing it while the socket was open)

2.09

Eric Vigiani

May/25/2004

Implemented writing group commands when writing FP values

2.10

Fbio H.Y. Komura

Jun/16/2004

Added DW3 and DW3S data types.

Implemented SwapWord for FP, FPS, FP3, FP3S, DW, DWS, DW3 and DW3S.
Changed FP, FPS, FP3, FP3S, DW, DWS, DW3 and DW3S with and without
SwapWord to conformance to standards (FPS, FP3S, DWS and DW3S are data
types with Byte Swap)

2.11

Eric Vigiani

Jul/02/2004

Fixed problem with bit addressing on the MAIN DRIVER SHEET.

2.12

Fabio H. Y. Komura Sep/03/2004

Added support to BCD, BCD3, BCDDW, BCDDWS, BCDDW3 and BCDDW3S data
type.

2.13

Bruno A. Crepaldi

Fixed problem with 1x (Input Status) ( Read ).

AA

2.14

Fabio H. Y. Komura Dec/09/2004

Changed the Swap parameter to comply with old versions of the MODBU driver
(version 2.10 or older).

AB

2.15

Leandro Coeli

Added support to String type

Nov/12/2004

Jan/18/2005

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AC

2.16

Leandro Coeli

Feb/18/2005

Fixed communication problem

AD

2.17

Leandro Coeli

Apr/26/2005

Implemented configurable Block Size

AE

2.18

Leandro Coeli

Jan/20/2006

Fixed problem on ST Header

AF

2.18

Michael D. Hayden

Jun/14/2006

Edited for language and usability.

AG

2.19

Graziane C. Forti

Aug/31/2006

Implemented the Unsigned in the all headers.

Implemented Block size 1 for FP or DW type in the Main Driver Sheet.
Added support for STS (String with Byte Swap) register type.

Nov/10/2006

Signed or Unsigned choice restricted to some drivers

Fixed syntax problems with .Len and .Bit
Fixed Block size problems
Fixed Write Group issue
Changed the Configuration Parameters Dialog. Image updated.

AH

2.20

Arthur S. Allievi

AI

2.21

Graziane C. Forti

Nov/23/2006

Fixed problem with writing of bit

Modified to compile for WinCE
Fixed the String length configuration
Fixed the String configuration in the SDS
Fixed the String writing

AJ

2.22

Plnio M. Santana

Jan/18/2007

Fixed problem about invalid addresses (negatives).

AK

2.23

Plnio M. Santana

Jul/06/2007

DF and DF3 types created.

Document updated.

AL

2.24

Plnio M. Santana

Jan/30/2008

Modification to send the correct error message

Fixed the virtual read groups

AM

2.24

Plnio M. Santana

Apr/2/2008

Fixed document on errors table (error code #4).

AN

10.1

Marcelo Carvalho

Jan/07/2009

Updated driver version, no changes in the contents.

AO

10.1

Andre Bastos

Apr/10/2009

Modified documentation only

AP

10.3

Loureno Teodoro

Jul/1/2009

Created section for command 23

Added new parameter MaxGap

AQ

10.4

Andre Korbes

Sep/16/2010

Fixed bug when connecting to same IP but different ports

AR

10.5

Paulo Balbino

Jan/17/2013

Added the capability of configuring the Invocation Identifier byte as a fixed or

incremental value

AS

10.6

Paulo Balbino

Aug/15/2013

Fixed bug with size of request

Modified to allow bit and string writes using the write trigger
Fixed problem of requesting more WORD with ST and STS datatypes

AT

10.7

Charan Manjunath
P

Oct/21/2013

Updated Error Codes table with Error Code 1 and removed Error Code 17

AU

10.8

Charan Manjunath
P

Nov/01/2013

Updated with FPSW in the list of data types and address ranges

AV

10.9

Priya Yennam

Jan/20/2014

Updated with DWSW in the list of data types

AW

10.10

Charan Manjunath
P

Mar/5/2014

Fixed issue of getting the error code on write operations.

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