Pro
15 min

Wiring 9 — RS-485 / Modbus RTU Daisy Chain

wiringrs485modbusfieldbusdaisy-chaintermination
Wiring 9 — RS-485 / Modbus RTU Daisy Chain scenario preview

Ready to build this?

Sign up free — no credit card required. This scenario requires the Pro plan.

Sign up to play this scenario →

Already have an account? Log in

Briefing

Modbus RTU uses RS-485 differential signalling — two wires (A and B) that carry complementary signals for noise immunity over long runs. **Rules for RS-485:** 1. **Daisy chain** topology: one cable running device-to-device (not star wiring). 2. **Termination resistors** (120 Ω) at **both ends** of the bus to prevent reflections. 3. **Polarity**: A (−) and B (+) must be consistent across all devices. 4. Maximum 32 unit loads (nodes) on one segment. Wire the PLC, Inverter 1, and Inverter 2 in a daisy chain with termination.

Objectives

  • Wire PLC RS-485 A (−) to daisy chain
  • Wire PLC RS-485 B (+) to daisy chain
  • Add 120 Ω termination at the PLC end
  • Add 120 Ω termination at the last device (Inverter 2)

Hints

  • Only the two ENDS of the daisy chain get termination resistors — not every device.
  • A/B polarity must be consistent; swapping A and B inverts the signal and communication fails.

I/O Table

Inputs

RS485_A

RS-485 A (−) differential line

BOOL · %I0.0

RS485_B

RS-485 B (+) differential line

BOOL · %I0.1

TERM_END1

120 Ω termination at PLC (first node)

BOOL · %I0.2

TERM_END2

120 Ω termination at last device (Inverter 2)

BOOL · %I0.3

Ready to build this?

Sign up free — no credit card required. This scenario requires the Pro plan.

Sign up to play this scenario →

Already have an account? Log in