Most protocol-converter boxes on the market do exactly one thing: bridge BACnet and Modbus, in one fixed direction, for one price per unit. BACManager's Gateway does both directions from a single Windows PC — read a BACnet controller into a Modbus map a PLC can poll, or read Modbus meters and drives into a real BACnet/IP device a BMS can discover. No protocol-converter appliance to buy, mount and wire.
Windows 10/11 · runs in the background · 14-day trial
// the problem
Mixed sites need a bridge somewhere
The AHU and the BMS speak BACnet. The energy meters, VFDs and older equipment speak Modbus. Somewhere between them, something has to translate — and that job usually means an off-the-shelf protocol-converter box: one specific SKU for BACnet/IP-Slave-to-Modbus-Master, a different SKU for the reverse direction, another for MS/TP instead of IP. BACManager replaces that whole shelf of boxes with one PC already running the tool your team uses for commissioning anyway.
// two directions
Pick the direction each point needs
Every mapping row chooses its own source and destination — mix both directions in the same Gateway if a site needs it.
Direction
Source
Exposed as
BACnet → Modbus
A BACnet/IP or MS/TP device, already discovered on the BACnet tab
A shared Modbus TCP/RTU map — any PLC polls it like a normal slave
Modbus → BACnet
A Modbus RTU or TCP device — meters, drives, older controllers
A real BACnet/IP device — any BMS discovers it with a normal whoIs
Both directions run from the same Gateway configuration, at the same time, on the same PC.
One Gateway config: a Modbus reading exposed as a BACnet object, and a BACnet write forwarded back to a Modbus register
// how it fits
What you gain over a hardware box
🔌
No appliance to mount
Runs on a Windows PC you already have on site — no DIN-rail converter, no separate power supply, no extra IP address to firewall.
🔒
Priority-aware writes
A write forwarded into a BACnet device uses the real 16-level priority array (default priority 8, Manual Operator) — not a blind overwrite that fights schedules and controllers.
🔊
Runs unattended
Minimizes to the system tray and can auto-start with Windows — it behaves like a background service, not an app someone has to remember to reopen.
// commissioning tool, not just a box
The same PC that discovered the devices
A hardware gateway is configured once, then usually forgotten about — troubleshooting it means dragging out a laptop and a different tool. BACManager's Gateway is a feature of the same application already used to discover, browse and commission the BACnet devices on the job. When a mapping row shows an error, the property browser, the object list and the BACnet activity log are one tab away, not a separate application on a different machine.
// questions
Gateway — FAQ
Does this replace a hardware BACnet-Modbus gateway box?+
For most sites, yes. A PC (or a small always-on Windows box) running BACManager does the same job a dedicated protocol converter appliance does — no separate hardware to buy, wire and maintain, as long as the PC stays powered on.
Does the Gateway run without keeping the window open?+
Yes. It can minimize to the system tray and auto-start with Windows, so it behaves like a background service rather than an application someone has to remember to open.
Are writes from a BMS or PLC safe?+
Yes. Writes forwarded to a BACnet device use the standard 16-level priority array (default priority 8, Manual Operator) instead of a blind overwrite, so they interact correctly with schedules and other controllers already writing to the same point. See our Priority Array guide for how this works.
Can I bridge multiple Modbus devices and multiple BACnet objects at once?+
Yes. The Gateway maps as many source points as needed — Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU, and already-discovered BACnet devices — into either a shared Modbus map or a BACnet server device, row by row.
Does this cost extra on top of the BACManager license?+
No. The Gateway is included in the standard $149 one-time BACManager license — no separate module fee.
Try it against your own site
Download the free trial and bridge a real BACnet device or Modbus meter — no credit card, no cloud.
