Firmware Development for Integrating Modbus RTU and HART Protocols

Project in a Nutshell: We helped Euromisure WIKA Italia, a manufacturer of measuring instruments, to modernise their interface module and increase device compatibility by adding support for the popular industrial protocols Modbus RTU and HART.
Promwad developed FreeRTOS-based firmware that included support for the new protocols, integration with the existing system and code documentation to simplify future support. As a result, the system became more flexible and stable, allowing the client to extend the functionality of their devices for industrial applications.

Client

Euromisure WIKA Italia is part of the WIKA Group, a global expert in measuring technology. The company produces instruments for industrial applications, focusing on precision and reliability in sectors like oil and gas, energy, and manufacturing.

When Euromisure WIKA Italia, a leader in industrial measurement instruments, sought to enhance their interface module, they turned to Promwad.

Challenge

The task was to implement support for two standard industrial protocols — Modbus RTU and HART. These are important for industrial automation, as Modbus RTU allows devices to exchange information quickly and reliably, and HART allows devices to transmit digital data over an analogue signal, which is important for complex field devices.

Solution

To complete this task, Promwad formed a team consisting of a project manager and two embedded software engineers. The team worked under the T&M + Cap model.

Jira and Git client environments were used to manage the project. The Promwad team held weekly meetings to provide progress reports and agree on details. The client provided hardware for testing and code development, which allowed our developers to work directly with the target hardware.

1. How Module Works

The module is a device that helps measuring devices “communicate” with each other and with the central monitoring system, even if they use different “languages” or communication protocols. In an industrial environment, this is particularly important, as there may be many other devices running on different systems in the same production facility.

_{Operating principles of the communication module}

Developing firmware for the module is essentially creating a programme that controls its operation. It is the firmware that allows the module to correctly translate signals from one protocol to another; in our client’s case, it is the popular Modbus RTU and HART. Thanks to this, the devices transmit data without interruptions.

2. Software Development

One of the project’s key challenges was the tight deadlines, which required the team to work efficiently at all development stages, from protocol implementation to thorough debugging.

Promwad was fully focused on developing the firmware for the module. We used the FreeRTOS real-time system for microcontrollers to run tasks exactly at the right time. The list of our tasks solved included:

Programming support for HART and Modbus RTU protocols so that the module can handle them without errors.

Integration of the written code into the existing system of the client, so that everything works as a whole.

Improvement of the UART driver — “intermediary programme” for data exchange between devices, so that it correctly handles the new protocols.

Creating documentation for the code so that it can be easily maintained and modified in the future.

Business Value

The developed firmware enabled Euromisure WIKA Italia to improve its interface module, making it more versatile and suitable for industrial systems. The new functionality has increased the stability and performance of the system. As a result, our client has a reliable solution for integration into their measuring instruments.

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