# Modbus TCP communication with Viewmarq LED sign **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [March 13, 2022, 5:05am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146 "2022-03-13T05:05:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NII](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nii/32/12920_2.png) [@NII](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/NII)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2022, 5:05am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/1 "2022-03-13T05:05:09Z")
Does anybody use a [Viewmarq](https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/shopping/catalog/hmi_(human_machine_interface)/viewmarq_led_message_displays/viewmarq_led_message_displays/md4-0124t) led sign by Automationdirect with Ignition? I have no luck trying to connect it using modbus tcp. ---
**Author:** ![josborn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@josborn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/josborn)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 12:39am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/2 "2022-03-14T00:39:39Z")
I have not, but their documentation is quite thorough. Where are you stuck, do you have a valid OPC device connection? Or do you have a valid connection but cant successfully write to your display? A quick skim of the manual and i think they by default use unit id 255, in which case you would need to include it in your ignition Modbus addressing. Something like `[deviceName]255.HRS11000` If you have any errors or configs you can share that will help also. ---
**Author:** ![NII](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nii/32/12920_2.png) [@NII](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/NII)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 1:28am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/3 "2022-03-14T01:28:29Z")
I have a good connection but am not able to figure out how to write to it. In their documentation, this how to write: > Blockquote > Command Strings are written to the ViewMarq Command String buffer starting at Modbus > Registers 411000 (up to 256 words). I tried creating a tag [deviceName]1.HRUS11000 but when I insert a string it gives: ![error](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/d/f/df43e227a6daf060c9b9bcb262c01a2d70a7faf7.jpeg) It looks like I have to write each character in the string to each modbus registers starting at 411000, not sure if this is what it is expecting. ---
**Author:** ![josborn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@josborn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/josborn)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 1:52am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/4 "2022-03-14T01:52:00Z")
That’s a tag config error, try changing zero based addressing option. You will get that for lots of reasons, like typing in a bad scan class name, device name, or an address out of bounds. If your 1/0 starting is wrong you could be accessing 10999 instead of 11000. ---
**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:** [March 14, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/5 "2022-03-14T02:59:41Z")
> [@NII](#): > > I tried creating a tag [deviceName]1.HRUS11000 but when I insert a string it gives: `HRUS` and `HRS` are not the same type. Did you mean to address just a single unsigned register? Also, when addressing a String (`HRS`), a length is required at the end. [https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/Modbus+Addressing](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/Modbus+Addressing) ---
**Author:** ![josborn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@josborn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/josborn)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/6 "2022-03-14T03:21:04Z")
> [@Kevin.Herron](#): > > a length is required at the end Thanks Kevin, i didnt know this, despite it being clearly stated in the manual as you indicated. `HRS FORMAT: HRS:` ---
**Author:** ![French\_Bolt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71e660/32.png) [@French\_Bolt](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/French_Bolt)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/7 "2023-03-09T15:20:18Z")
I'm just checking to see if you were able to write to the Viewmarq. I too am struggling with this task. Looking to see how others have made this work. ---
**Author:** ![NII](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nii/32/12920_2.png) [@NII](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/NII)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/8 "2023-03-09T19:10:40Z")
What is the problem? What have you tried? ---
**Author:** ![ryan.white](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ryan.white/32/73193_2.png) [@ryan.white](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/ryan.white)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/9 "2023-03-09T19:20:37Z")
For ours we have zero based addressing turned on and our tags are configured as `[deviceName]HRXXX`, no unit ID. Currently we are only writing integer values, we have not had a need to write strings to our displays yet. ---
**Author:** ![French\_Bolt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71e660/32.png) [@French\_Bolt](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/French_Bolt)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 12:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/10 "2023-03-10T12:53:40Z")
The messaging never gets to the marquee. "[RTE2\_T450\_Marquee]1.HRS200:20" without quotes. I don't know how to address the marquee properly, so this was my last attempt. The documentation is vague. Not sure what these values need to be or which ones are needed. ---
**Author:** ![NII](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nii/32/12920_2.png) [@NII](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/NII)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 4:24pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/11 "2023-03-10T16:24:13Z")
The code below works for me: ```auto Msg = 'Alarm >> ' + '\n' system.opc.writeValues('Ignition OPC UA Server',['[ViewMarq]1.HRS11000:200'],[Msg]) ``` HTH ---
**Author:** ![French\_Bolt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71e660/32.png) [@French\_Bolt](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/French_Bolt)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/12 "2023-03-10T17:12:51Z")
I will give this a shot. Regardless of the outcome, thank you for the assist. ---
**Author:** ![French\_Bolt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71e660/32.png) [@French\_Bolt](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/French_Bolt)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/13 "2023-03-15T12:19:30Z")
So I got my Click PLC talking to the marquee now. What I don't see is how to insert variables from the PLC into the marquee message. I have three numeric variables I need placed into the message, but I don't see a way to do that. Using Modbus TCP/IP. ---
**Author:** ![NII](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nii/32/12920_2.png) [@NII](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/NII)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2023, 6:13pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/modbus-tcp-communication-with-viewmarq-led-sign/57146/14 "2023-03-15T18:13:39Z")
Try: ```auto var = 123 Msg = '' + str(var) + '' + '\r' ```