# HART protocol to Ignition Gateway **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [February 9, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206 "2021-02-09T19:09:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OkiePC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f6c823/32.png) [@OkiePC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/OkiePC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206/1 "2021-02-09T19:09:44Z")
We’re starting a job to replace a Lookout Direct system with Ignition. The old system has a driver in KEPDirect that reads HART data from a transmitter right into the Lookout tag objects. The new server will have a serial port I can connect that device to, so the hardware isn’t an issue, but how can I poll a HART device with Ignition? ---
**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:** [February 9, 2021, 7:21pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206/2 "2021-02-09T19:21:55Z")
So is KEPDirect a separate server/software or is it integrated with Lookout Direct? Not sure if it’s possible, but it seems the easiest thing to do would be to install KEPDirect on the new Ignition server and make an OPC connection to it. ---
**Author:** ![dkhayes117](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/dkhayes117/32/68344_2.png) [@dkhayes117](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/dkhayes117)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 7:24pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206/3 "2021-02-09T19:24:32Z")
Normally, I would recommend something like Kepware driver suites, but I didn’t see one on their website for HART. Matrikon shows they have a [HART to MODBUS converter](https://www.matrikonopc.com/opc-drivers/2065/index.aspx). Maybe a [HART multiplexor](https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/portal/us?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/usen/web/main/products/subcategory_pages/Serial_device_servers_gateways_and_proxies_P-08-10-02/8bc96307-ecc0-49e0-8de7-9a7eba14175d/8bc96307-ecc0-49e0-8de7-9a7eba14175d)? ---
**Author:** ![OkiePC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f6c823/32.png) [@OkiePC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/OkiePC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 7:34pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206/4 "2021-02-09T19:34:40Z")
KEPDirect was licensed by A/D for Lookout Direct which was licensed from National Instruments if I recall correctly. I think some of the drivers in KEPDirect were made exclusive for A/D or NI products, but HART should be ubiquitous enough I’d think there’s a module for Ignition I could pick up. KEPDirect and Lookout Direct have been obsolete for several years. I will see if I can find out the exact version of KEPDirect in use and more details about the driver they’re using. A quick search for HART on Kepware website gave me nothing. Shirley someone has pulled HART data directly into Ignition by now? ---
**Author:** ![OkiePC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f6c823/32.png) [@OkiePC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/OkiePC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206/5 "2021-02-09T19:44:24Z")
I might be mistaken about KEPDirect being involved. It might be a direct driver in Lookout Direct. Still digging. ---
**Author:** ![diat150](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@diat150](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/diat150)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 8:13pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206/6 "2021-02-09T20:13:57Z")
never heard of a OPC server that has a hart driver. I have always used these and converted the variables to modbus. Additionally, some PLC’s like the controllogix have a option for Hart enabled cards that will allow you to view the variables in the controller tags > **[HCS: HART Concentrator System HART-to-MODBUS RTU Converter](https://www.miinet.com/news/hcs-hart-concentrator-system-hart-to-modbus-rtu-converter)** > > The HCS HART Concentrator System converts a HART digital signal to a serial (RS-485 or RS-232) MODBUS RTU communication protocol. This allows HART transmitters and valves to interface directly with MODBUS-based monitoring and control systems. Up to... ---
**Author:** ![diat150](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@diat150](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/diat150)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 8:15pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206/7 "2021-02-09T20:15:17Z")
It looks like the matrikon driver is made to work with the moore hart to modbus converter that I linked in the other post. ---
**Author:** ![OkiePC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f6c823/32.png) [@OkiePC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/OkiePC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206/8 "2021-02-09T20:32:47Z")
Well if there is not a simple software solution to bring the existing HART to RS232 device into Ignition and we have to buy a module, I may as well do something like HART to Modbus TCP and eliminate the serial device and the need for extra software and just poll it with the Ignition Modbus driver along with the other Modbus TCP devices we’ll have on their new system. I appreciate the input so far. Thanks, Paul ---
**Author:** ![OkiePC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f6c823/32.png) [@OkiePC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/OkiePC)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/hart-protocol-to-ignition-gateway/43206/9 "2021-04-20T19:27:01Z")
Just to close this out. The old HMI software is Lookout 6.7.1 (not the Lookout Direct variant) and the Hart device is accessed with a 3rd party software by FieldComm group called HartServer. I talked to them about migrating the product and found out that their latest version doesn’t appear to play well with Windows 64 bit operating systems, so even if I upgraded, it might not be reliable. So, wired the analog sensor to a 16 bit analog input on their DL06 PLC and got it scaled to match what is being read from the Hart interface. I did add some first order filtering logic in the PLC to take the jitter out and the end result side-by side comparing Ignition to Lookout are a match. This means I don’t have to come up with a software solution but a solution that relies just on PLC hardware and code is much more comforting to me anyway.