Capability · industrial interfaces
RS485 and Modbus connectivity for secure remote asset monitoring
RS485 and Modbus are the serial field-bus path many pumps, generators and industrial controllers already speak. TrackSyte® folds that into secure remote asset monitoring: one gateway, CAN, Modbus, Ethernet, LTE — into one monitoring stack. Neo 2 has RS485 fitted — it is not a Hub-only interface. Serial devices can reach TrackSyte® Portal over MQTT / API alongside Ethernet and cellular backhaul.
GNSS is fitted as standard on Neo 2 — a full-constellation GPS/GNSS receiver that can support tracking and GPS-related functions. This page is RS485/Modbus as an asset-monitoring field-bus path into Portal — not industrial VPN or PLC remote-access ICP. Hub may still appear as family options on Hardware & integrations; that does not deny RS485 on Neo 2.
What RS485 and Modbus mean on a field gateway
On site, RS485 is the physical serial bus; Modbus is a common protocol that rides on it for meters, controllers, gensets and pumps. A field gateway that speaks RS485/Modbus can lift useful signals off that bus into the same monitoring stack that already covers Ethernet, cellular and CAN — without inventing OEM register maps or decode guarantees we have not approved.
Site teams care because serial field devices often already exist on temporary power trailers, pump sets and industrial cabinets. Hire desks get exception-based visibility: runtime, faults and status that justify a call-out, instead of climbing on kit to read a local display. For UK construction and hire fleets, that is often the difference between knowing before you go and discovering the problem on arrival.
We keep the language practical. This page does not publish invented Modbus register maps or claim every OEM decode out of the box. The point for buyers is simpler: if the field device speaks Modbus over RS485, Neo 2 can bring that path into TrackSyte’s monitoring stack.
What Neo 2 supports (RS485 fitted)
Locked truth: RS485 is fitted on Neo 2 (serial field bus — not Hub-only). Modbus is supported for field devices that speak it. Also on Neo 2: CAN, GPIO, Ethernet, LTE-M / NB-IoT, 12V, Bluetooth. Power-adjacent: Victron, BMS batteries and Smart Shunt — supported where fitted; see Victron integration. GNSS is fitted as standard — full-constellation GPS/GNSS that can support tracking and GPS-related functions. Into Portal: MQTT / API.
Contrast with plant networks: when the asset is a digger or vehicle bus, lead with CAN bus and construction equipment telematics. RS485/Modbus is the serial path for pumps, gensets and industrial cabinets; CAN is the differentiator for machine networks. Wired and cellular backhaul siblings: Ethernet and cellular IoT. Canonical hardware: Neo 2. Family depth (including where RS485 also appears across Hub): Hardware & integrations.
- RS485 — yes, fitted on Neo 2 (not Hub-only)
- Modbus — yes (in) for field devices that speak it
- Also: CAN · GPIO · Ethernet · LTE-M / NB-IoT · 12V · Bluetooth
- Power-adjacent: Victron · BMS · Smart Shunt where fitted
- GNSS fitted as standard — full-constellation GPS/GNSS that can support tracking and GPS-related functions
- Into Portal: MQTT / API
Where Modbus shows up on site
Pumps and sumps. Overpumping and sump controllers often speak Modbus/RS485. Sector depth: pump and sump monitoring.
Hybrid and temporary power. Generators, hybrids and BESS compounds frequently expose serial power-bus data — Victron, BMS and Smart Shunt conversations where that kit is on the trailer. Sector depth: hybrid and temporary power.
Industrial cabinets. Meters and controllers in site cabinets use RS485 long before anyone adds a cellular-only box. Pair with Ethernet where the cabinet is wired.
Mixed construction fleets (light). On a mixed site estate, pumps and power often use RS485 while plant uses CAN. Umbrella: construction fleet monitoring; plant CAN depth stays on CET.
- Pumps and sumps — Modbus / RS485 common
- Hybrid / temporary power — serial power-bus + Victron/BMS/Smart Shunt where fitted
- Industrial cabinets — RS485 before cellular-only boxes
- Mixed fleets — RS485 for pumps/power; CAN for plant (CET)
Into TrackSyte Portal
Modbus/RS485 data joins the same secure remote asset monitoring path as other Neo 2 interfaces: into TrackSyte® Portal over MQTT / API. For developer and integration detail see the API integration. Ops still get the Portal view; engineering teams get a clear data path without a separate product brand.
Secure data-path language stays honest: authentication, TLS, certificates and MQTT. No invented ISO, SOC or compliance badges. Cornwall HQ and company context live on About for EEAT.
FAQs
Is RS485 exclusive to Hub?
No. RS485 is fitted on Neo 2 alongside CAN, Modbus, GPIO, LTE-M / NB-IoT, Ethernet, 12V supply and Bluetooth. Hub may also support RS485 in the family story — it is not Hub-only.
Does Neo 2 support Modbus?
Yes. Neo 2 supports Modbus connectivity for field devices that speak it. Prefer generic “Modbus connectivity” unless RTU vs TCP is separately verified for a deployment. We do not invent register maps on this page.
How is RS485/Modbus different from CAN?
RS485/Modbus is the serial path for pumps, gensets and industrial cabinets. CAN is the differentiator for plant and vehicle networks — see /capabilities/can-bus and /construction-equipment-telematics. Mixed estates may use both.
Does Neo 2 include GPS / GNSS as well?
Yes. GNSS is fitted as standard on Neo 2: a full-constellation receiver that can support tracking and GPS-related functions, alongside RS485, Modbus and the gateway stack.
Do you claim specific baud rates or connectors?
No. This page describes RS485 and Modbus connectivity without inventing electrical limits, baud rates or connector types unless separately approved.
Is this industrial VPN or factory remote-access software?
No. RS485/Modbus here is the serial path for pumps, gensets and industrial cabinets into a secure remote asset monitoring stack. It is not industrial VPN, OPC-UA factory remote access or a machine-builder service desk.
Explore RS485 and Modbus on Neo 2
If your pumps, generators or industrial cabinets speak Modbus/RS485 and you want that data in a secure remote monitoring stack, book a demo. We will map Neo 2’s fitted RS485 alongside Ethernet, cellular and CAN where relevant, and show Portal — including Victron/BMS/Smart Shunt where your power kit is already on site.