ModLink

Introduction

What is ModLink?

ModLink is a set of native VCL components for Borland/CodeGear/Embarcadero Delphi and C++ Builder that offer a sophisticated solution for seamless integration of Modbus communication protocol into your own Windows applications.

With ModLink, you can easily turn any Windows application into either Modbus client that initiates network transactions in order to request a remote Modbus server to perform a specific action, or Modbus server that listens for incoming requests from a remote Modbus client and performs an appropriate action.

ModLink is a shareware. To learn why and how to register, please click here.

What is Modbus?

Modbus is an application layer messaging protocol, positioned at level 7 of the OSI model, that provides client/server communication between devices connected on different types of buses or networks. In Modbus protocol, only one device (client/master) can initiate transactions (requests) that are received by other devices (servers/slaves). Upon receipt of a request, the servers perform an appropriate action and return a message (response) back to the client.

For more information about Modbus communication protocol, please click here.

Key Features

ModLink can be characterized by the following key features:

Seamless integration of Modbus communication protocol into your own Windows applications written in Borland/CodeGear/Embarcadero Delphi and C++ Builder. For the list of all supported IDEs, please click here.
Unsurpassed ease of use which prevents you from getting stuck in the Modbus protocol internals.
Has built-in support for most widely used public commands defined in standard Modbus specification.
Allows you to initiate your own custom Modbus transactions based on user-supplied command code and data. This is especially useful when there is a need to interface with certain devices that implement proprietary device-specific commands not defined in the standard Modbus specification.
Supports Modbus/RTU and Modbus/ASCII transmission modes over the serial network via EIA/TIA-232 or EIA/TIA-485 compatible interfaces.
Offers an ultimate control over the Modbus transaction management.
Supports initiation of the unicast and the broadcast Modbus transactions as well.
Includes a huge set of routines for a bidirectional conversion between a real world values that occupy/span single or even multiple Modbus registers, and a Modbus register's native storage format compliant values.
Takes care of RS-232 <-> RS-485 converters that automatically echo the Modbus request immediately after its reception back to the client that originated the transaction.
Exposes relevant parts of the serial transport subsystem in order to let application developer to perform custom data interchange over the serial line as well (e.g. to establish or drop a connection with external modem device).
Does not require/rely on any 3rd party VCL extensions, external DLLs or OCXs.
Comes with more than 8000 lines of well commented high-quality Delphi source code.
Adds a lot of useful design-time enhancements to the Delphi/C++ Builder IDE, such as property categories, and property/component editors.
Applications that use ModLink may be run on all versions of Windows that are in use today:

Microsoft Windows 7
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows NT
Microsoft Windows ME
Microsoft Windows 98
Microsoft Windows 95

And much, much more...

Supported IDEs

ModLink supports the following integrated development environments:

Borland Delphi 4
Borland Delphi 5
Borland Delphi 6
Borland Delphi 7
Borland Delphi 2005

Borland Delphi 2005 for Microsoft Windows

Borland Developer Studio 2006

Borland Delphi 2006 for Microsoft Windows
Borland C++ Builder 2006 for Microsoft Windows

Borland Turbo Delphi Professional
Borland Turbo C++ Professional
CodeGear RAD Studio 2007

CodeGear Delphi 2007 for Win32
CodeGear C++ Builder 2007

CodeGear RAD Studio 2009

CodeGear Delphi 2009
CodeGear C++ Builder 2009

Embarcadero RAD Studio 2010

Embarcadero Delphi 2010
Embarcadero C++ Builder 2010