HMS Networks' Anybus Communicators are stand-alone gateways that allow users to integrate serial devices onto a network using an industrial protocol such as EtherNet/IP™, PROFINET, EtherCAT, CANopen, DeviceNet, and Modbus. The Anybus Communicators can convert nearly any type of serial protocol such as Modbus RTU, ASCII, DF1, or any other type of proprietary query/response or produce/consume protocol. The gateway converts the serial data and makes it available to the master PLC/controller as easily processed I/O data. This makes it an ideal solution for system integrators to retrofit older automation devices into modern communication structures. Each communicator can connect up to 31 serial nodes onto one network.

The Anybus Communicator is designed for IP20 and DIN rail mounting with a 24 V power supply. It comes conformance-tested to the specific protocol which guarantees network compatibility with other network devices and PLCs.

No high-level programming skills are needed to set up the Anybus Communicator. HMS provides a free and easy-to-use Windows application called Anybus Configuration Manager (ACM) to configure the gateway for an application. The software has multi-language support for English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Polish, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese.

HMS also provides all the configuration files needed to connect to a PLC/controller such as EDS files, ESI files, GSD files, and others. This, combined with Anybus' documentation of applications notes, setup videos, user manuals, and support, make this product easy to set up.