Hybrid control system: Integration of sensors and controllers using MQTT and Modbus-RT

Abstract

With the rapid development of Industrial Internet ofThings (IIoT) technologies and increasing requirements for processautomation, the integration of modern IIoT devices with traditionalindustrial systems is becoming increasingly important. This articleexplores the issue of combining devices based on the MQTT(Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) protocol, widely used inIIoT systems, with obsolete but still popular industrial systemsoperating on the Modbus-RTU protocol. The main attention is paidto the possibility of controlling such systems via SCADA(Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition )-systems, which act asthe main interface for monitoring and control. The article considersdifferent approaches to integration, describes possible problemsand limitations that engineers may encounter when implementingsuch hybrid solutions, and suggests ways to overcome them. Theadvantages of using the MQTT protocol in combination withModbus-RTU are analysed, such as improved scalability, flexibilityand increased efficiency of data Exchange.