This paper presents the relevant aspects regarding the experimental implementation and performance evaluation of an Internet of things (IoT) gateway for the Modbus extension. The proposed Modbus extension specifications are extended by defining the new optimized message format, and the structure of the acquisition cycle for obtaining a deterministic temporal behavior and solutions are presented for the description of devices at the MODBUS protocol level. Three different implementations are presented, and the Modbus extension’s performance is validated regarding the efficiency in the use of the acquisition cycle time. The software and hardware processing time and the importance and effect of the various components are analyzed and evaluated. They all support the implementation of an Internet of things gateway for Modbus extension. This paper introduces solutions for the structure of the acquisition cycle to include other valuable extensions, discusses the performance of a real implementation in the form of a gateway, adds new features to the Modbus extension specification, and strengthens some of the existing ones. In accordance with the novelty and contribution of this paper to the field of local industrial networks, the results obtained in the analysis, testing, and validation of the Modbus extension protocol refer to the extending of the Modbus functions for industrial process monitoring and control management.

The primary function of a distributed bus is to connect sensors, actuators, and control units that are used for an acquisition process. Application domains, such as industrial monitoring and control systems, manufacturing processes, or building automation, present different requirements that are not exactly invariable and coherent. Updating data from Modbus-type devices involves updating data through a technique called polling, which involves repeatedly scanning the registers from each device. This paper highlights the performance of Modbus communication, considering scenarios in which distributed devices are integrated and accessed registers are or are not at consecutive addresses. The Modbus protocol allows reading one or more holding-type data registers. If the registers are not at consecutive addresses, multiple requests are required, with implications for the real-time characteristics of the data acquisition system. We studied the data update times within the SMARTConvert application when variable numbers of registers are accessed, and we designed an extension for the Modbus protocol. The major reason Modbus is used in current research is that no assumptions are required about application semantics, and the performance/resource ratio for generic services is excellent.

The general evolution of fieldbus systems has been variously affected by both computer electrical engineering and science. First, the main contribution undoubtedly originated from network IT systems, when the Open Systems Interconnection model was presented. This reference model with seven layers was and remains the foundation for the development of numerous advanced communication protocols. In this paper, the conducted research resulted in a major contribution; specifically, it describes the mathematical model for the Modbus protocol and defines the acquisition cycle model that corresponds to incompletely defined protocols in order to provide a timestamp and achieve temporal consistency for proposed Modbus Extension. The derived technical contribution of the authors is to exemplify the functionality of a typical industrial protocol that can be decomposed to improve the performance of data acquisition systems. Research results in this area have significant implications for innovations in industrial automation networking because of increasing distributed installations and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications.

Over the past decade, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have begun to be increasingly used due to their untapped potential. Li-ion batteries are the most used to power electrically operated UAVs for their advantages, such as high energy density and the high number of operating cycles. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) and the prediction of the Li-ion batteries’ capacity to prevent the UAVs’ loss of autonomy, which can cause accidents or material losses. In this paper, the authors propose a method of prediction of the RUL for Li-ion batteries using a data-driven approach. To maximize the performance of the process, the performance of three machine learning models, Support Vector Machine for Regression (SVMR), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), and Random Forest (RF), were compared to estimate the RUL of Li-ion batteries. The method can be implemented within UAVs’ Predictive Maintenance (PdM) systems.

In parallel with the development of data transmission in the telecommunications sector to connect peripheral devices, hardware engineers have defined interfaces for independent communication systems. The basic idea of having standardized interfaces for external devices was quickly extended to control and instrumentation equipment, as the real-time characteristic of distributed systems became a challenge in the field. The proposed Modbus Extension (ModbusE) builds on these new techniques introduced in the UART interface, so that the newly introduced extension retains all the characteristics of the Modbus RTU except for the character bit structure. The validation of the ModbusE protocol allowed the proposal of a new communication message structure, a description of Modbus devices, an acquisition cycle to attain a deterministic temporal response behavior and the definition of an architecture for IIoT integration. In this work, practical research is based on data update times in SMARTConvert software when between 1 and 50 registers are accessed. These registers can, in the most favorable case, be at consecutive addresses and can all be read in a single bus query request, or at addresses 1 to 50, or the registers must be read in separate requests. The contributions of this paper are related to highlighting cases where Modbus modules are incorporated, the addressed registers are not consecutive and the Modbus reads 1 or more holding register records and the ModbusE proposal. As these registers must not be on consecutive addresses, it is necessary to make several requests, defining the function of a Modbus acquisition cycle, adapting the equations to the purpose of the tests carried out, measuring the Modbus communication signals and describing the ModbusE communication concept.

The industrial control and automation sector has invested in the development and standardization of new wireless (WirelessHART, ISA 100.11a, and WIA-PA) and wired (Profibus/Profinet, Modbus, and LonWORK) solutions aimed at automating processes to support standard monitoring and control functions from the perspective of addressing critical applications, as well as those integrated within the Building Internet of Things (BIoT) concept. Distributed data acquisition and control systems allow modern installations to monitor and control devices remotely. Various network protocols have been proposed to specify communication formats between a client/gateway and server devices, with Modbus being an example that has been widely implemented in the latest industrial electrical installations. The main contribution made in this paper concerns the completion of the Modbus Extension (ModbusE) specifications for the server station in the classical Modbus communication architecture, as well as their implementation and testing in an STM32F4 kit. A general-purpose control architecture is proposed for BIoT sector, comprising both intelligent touch switches and communication protocols of which the Modbus protocol is used extensively for the monitoring and control part, especially between clients, smart switches, and devices. The specific contributions concern the presentation of a scientific and practical implementation of improved specifications and their integration as software modules on ModbusE protocol server stations. A client station with a VirtualComm USB PC connection is also implemented in the lab to test the operation of the proposed server with specific Modbus applications.