Hi,
I want to connect my ardunio to an energy meter using Modbus. I saw that there are 2 HW solutions, MKR485, which is also officially featured on ardunio pages, and MAX485.
Is there any difference?
And can I use either of them together with a microSD shield?
Many thanks!
Did you Google at all? One is an IC, the other is a shield. There are modules that identify themselves as, "MAX485", they are just RS-485 modules that use that IC.
Shield compatibility is best guaranteed by closely examining the pin assignments yourself. If, after doing that, you have questions, post them here.
ofc sure. But I mean this one: MAX485
But are they different from functionality perspective? Both allow RS485 communication. So I am wondering why / whether its worth to spend the 30€ for 1 MKR vs. 7€ for 5 MAX
The main difference apart from MKR plug in compatibility, is that the MKR is a dual, the MAX module is a single channel device.
What energy meter? What kind of connections does it have, specifically?
Thanks aarg! Understood, if that's the main difference then it should work with the MAX485 board as there are some tutorials showing it.
Here is the data sheet of the energy meter, I want to connect via MODBUS
SDM630_Series_Datasheet.pdf (284.1 KB)
That might depend on the Arduino you are using. If your Arduino is one of the MKR devices, then I think they operate with 3.3V logic levels. The MAX485 chip is meant for 5V systems so you would need to account for that in your setup.
There is a MAX3485 (I got several on breakout boards from AliExpress) which can operate at 3.3V.
Max485 is a Low-Power, Slew-Rate-Limited RS-485 Transceiver. Arduino MKR 485 Shield is a shield based on MAX3157 RS-485 Transceiver .
There are lots of differences between these ICs. Max485 is a 8-pin DIP IC. MAX3157 is a 28-pin SSOP IC. Both are compatible with Arduino. But I can't say if there will be any problem in using these with MicroSD shield.
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