Modbus-IDA (www.modbus-ida.org) and CAN in Automation e.V. (CiA, www.can-cia.org) have made a licensing agreement, resulting in a specification that provides standardized mapping of CANopen data for transport on Modbus TCP networks. In the spec, Modbus Function Code 43/13 is reserved for this purpose. The reservation of this function code exclusively for CANopen is simultaneously being submitted to the Modbus-IDA RFC standardization process.
For users, this specification increases the options for communicating via Modbus TCP by standardizing the way Modbus communications will be used with CANopen. CiA will maintain the specification, which will be available for Modbus-IDA members by emailing [email protected]. It defines mapping services so that CANopen devices can communicate over a Modbus TCP network via a gateway device or through the incorporation of a local Modbus TCP transport layer.