Modbus TCP Bridging for Interconnecting Non-Compatible Devices in the Energy Sector Using Node-RED and Edge Computing

With the rise of Industry 4.0 and the increasing necessity to digitalize, centralize, and enhance data visualization of energy resources in industrial processes, a variety of hardware and software solutions have emerged in the market. Not surprisingly, it is known that some of these systems may lack flexibility and compatibility with devices from other brands, often due to rigid business models or internal policies implemented by manu-facturers. Additionally, the adoption of flow-based development tools such as Node-RED, has gained relevance in recent years due to their accessibility and ability to be integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) services and protocols, which are a fundamental component of smart grids. In this paper, a novel approach is presented by using Node-RED and MODBUS TCP interfacing to establish a master-slave structure for intercommunication between incompatible electronic devices. The implementation of this approach demonstrates the effectiveness of Node-RED as a solution for enabling seamless communication among diverse devices with IoT capabilities.