Lunatone gateway DALI protocol via modbus TCP-IP

Hello to all. My customer have a LUNATONE 4NET gateway to control a lot of lamp via DALI protocol.

This gateway are now connect whit a customized application on pc with Windows 10 and use MODBUS TCP 

My custome ask to me 

Hello fabioga;

I do not know what site you have selected for information on the DALI 4net module, but the Lunatone German site provides a manual and more documentation for you to look at:

https://www.lunatone.com/en/product/dali-4net/

https://www.lunatone.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/DALI4Net_Manual_EN-1.pdf

https://www.lunatone.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DALI-4Net-Access-via-Modbus-Sample-Collection.pdf

How familiar are you with Modbus TCP? I ask because the DALI 4net manual provides some un-usual parameters for a PLC programmer. For example, it states that their Modbus TCP driver supports Modbus functions 03 (Read multiple holding registers), 16 (Write muliple Holding registers)  and 23 (Read/Write Holding Registers).  I am quite sure you could not use Modbus Function 23.with a Siemens PLC, and not with any PLC brand I have worked with.

The S7-1200 and s7-1500 MB_Client instruction for Modbus TCP uses a parameter MB_MODE to determine read/write functionnalities with a Modbus server (such as the DALI 4net gateway), or the direct selection of a Modbus function. As you can see in this extract from the Step 7 and WinCC v16 system manual, there is no Modbus Function 23 in the list; however, Function 03 and Function 16 are included. So you could make a Modbus TCP connection between your selected CPUs to a DALI 4net module work:

https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/ww/en/view/109773506/112415210635:

Lets start with this information, see if you can make sense of it.

Hope this helps,

Daniel Chartier

Thanks for the precise answer.

Unfortunately, at the moment I no longer have the Lunatone 4K to do tests in the office.

I had done some tests not with the plc but with a simulator (ModbusPOLL) and in fact I had noticed the

presence of the FC23 which cannot be used with the plc. When they have finished the electrical

installations, I will be able to get the gateway back for testing. However, there is something strange

about the protocol. For example they indicate that to write commands, register 100 is used which is

10  bytes long then there is register 101 to do something else ..... but if register 100 is 10 bytes long

the next register cannot be the 101 . I'm waiting to get back the gateway to do other try