Product Details

The ProSoft MVI46-MCM is a single-slot in-chassis communication module designed for Rockwell 1746 SLC 500 racks, supporting Modbus RTU and Modbus ASCII serial communication. It has two independent serial ports, and each port can be set separately as Modbus master or slave, offering flexible networking schemes for industrial serial devices. The module can collect measurement data, switch status and alarm signals from Modbus slave instruments such as pressure transmitters, flow meters, inverters and power analyzers, and also act as a slave to respond to read-write requests from Modbus master hosts. It supports Enron Modbus floating-point format, and each port can run up to 100 master commands. Data exchange between the module and SLC processor is realized through M0 and M1 backplane files, with an internal register database for data caching and mapping. It supports baud rate up to 115200bps, higher than older generation MCM modules, and adapts to RS232, RS422 and RS485 wiring modes.

This module is installed into the standard 1746 SLC chassis and draws 800mA at 5VDC from the backplane. It is applicable for SLC 5/02 and higher processors with M0/M1 file support, and it can only be used in local or extended racks instead of remote I/O racks. Front LED indicators display backplane communication status, serial transmit, serial receive and module fault status, helping technicians quickly locate bus communication faults during commissioning and daily maintenance. Users can complete port parameter setting, master command list configuration and firmware upgrade via ProSoft Configuration Builder software. Complete sample ladder logic for RSLogix 500 is provided to reduce the programming workload. It provides comprehensive diagnostic functions including serial error counters, slave response status and real-time register data viewing. It adopts industrial EMC protection design against surge and electrostatic interference, with an operating temperature range of 0°C to 60°C, suitable for factory automation, water treatment, petrochemical and energy monitoring environments.

This Modbus communication module is widely used in legacy SLC control system renovation, multi-instrument serial data acquisition, cross-brand PLC interconnection and SCADA data collection projects. It adds native Modbus serial connectivity to the SLC 500 platform without deploying extra standalone protocol gateways, simplifying cabinet layout and serial bus wiring. As a discontinued legacy module, the MVI46-MCM is mainly supplied as spare replacement parts for running automation systems. It maintains stable bidirectional Modbus serial data transmission, retains the original field instruments and wiring, and reduces the transformation cost of heterogeneous device integration.