# Communication Between Ignition Edge and ESP32 **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** edge\ **Created:** [September 30, 2025, 7:18pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109 "2025-09-30T19:18:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chris\_Mithiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Chris\_Mithiri](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Chris_Mithiri)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:18pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/1 "2025-09-30T19:18:18Z")
Looking into making a production capable package of a test rig that uses an ESP32 to run different tests. The easiest way i can think of to connect to the ESP32 is using an Industrial Panel PC running Ignition Edge. This way I can have a GUI for the operator to run the tests and look at feedback and also a device to communicate with the ESP32 to run tests and collect data. So my question: is there a better communication option to talk to the ESP32 from Ignition than serial? I typically deal with Ethernet IP and PLCs and robots, so i’m pretty clueless when it comes to other protocols. Last time I used serial was over 10 years ago and it wasn’t the easiest protocol to work with, so looking to see if there are other options that could save me from serial! ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:25pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/2 "2025-09-30T19:25:19Z")
Are you in control of the ESP32? i.e. are you the one writing and compiling code and deciding what it actually does? ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Mithiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Chris\_Mithiri](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Chris_Mithiri)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/3 "2025-09-30T19:27:52Z")
I’m not the one who wrote all the code on the ESP32, but I will have control of it and can modify it as needed to get it to work how I need it to. It is all written in Python ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:29pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/4 "2025-09-30T19:29:26Z")
Well any other communication option you have will depend on whether somebody has implemented that or is willing to implement it. Modbus might be a good choice. It depends what kind of data you need to get out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Mithiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Chris\_Mithiri](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Chris_Mithiri)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/5 "2025-09-30T19:48:59Z")
Does modbus work over USB? Or would i need an ethernet connection for that to work? ---
**Author:** ![josborn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@josborn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/josborn)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:52pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/6 "2025-09-30T19:52:44Z")
The ESP32 has wifi, if that’s an option for you its pretty easy to get it communicating using modbus tcpip. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:52pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/7 "2025-09-30T19:52:53Z")
Ethernet or Serial. Preferably Ethernet. ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Mithiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Chris\_Mithiri](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Chris_Mithiri)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/8 "2025-09-30T19:55:40Z")
Wifi wouldn’t be an option due to IT restrictions unfortunately ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Mithiri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Chris\_Mithiri](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Chris_Mithiri)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 7:58pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/9 "2025-09-30T19:58:31Z")
There may be a hardware limitation on the PCB with adding an ethernet port. So we might be stuck with serial ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 8:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/communication-between-ignition-edge-and-esp32/111109/10 "2025-09-30T20:01:07Z")
Well Ignition does have a Modbus RTU/Serial driver. Otherwise you'll probably just end up doing your own custom protocol / conversation over serial using the `system.serial` scripting functions or something. So to answer your original question: yes there are better options than serial, but you have just ruled them all out.