An an application layer messaging protocol at Level 7 of the OSI Model that provides
client/server communication between
devices connected on different types of buses or
networks. The Modbus messaging structure was developed by Modicon in 1979. Different versions of Mopdbus used today include Modbus
RTU (based on serial communication like RS485 and RS232), Modbus ASCII and Modbus
TCP, which is the Modbus RTU protocol embedded into TCIP packets. It’s an open protocol, meaning the specification is available free of charge for download, and there are no licensing fees required for using Modbus or
Modbus TCP/IP protocols.