A developer has released MBMap, an open file format and shared library that describes the register maps of Modbus devices as plain CSV text. According to the project's GitHub repository, each .mbmap file covers a single device model and records its registers, data types, byte order, scaling, units and bit fields. The specification, the shared map library and the supporting tooling are all released under the CC0 1.0 license, which places them in the public domain as far as the law allows.
What the format does
Modbus is a long-established communication protocol used to exchange data with industrial equipment such as sensors, meters, drives and controllers. Each device exposes numbered registers, and the meaning of those registers is usually documented in a manufacturer's manual, often as a PDF table. Engineers who want to read or write values have to translate those tables by hand into addresses, data types and scaling factors inside every software tool they use.
The project's repository argues that this information should be treated as data rather than as knowledge locked inside each application. A .mbmap file captures the device description once, in a form that any compatible tool can read. Loading a map, according to the repository, gives the user named, typed and scaled variables instead of raw addresses.
A plain-text design
The format is built on CSV, a simple text structure that can be opened in a spreadsheet, edited in any text editor and tracked in version control. The developer has chosen this approach so that maps are easy to read, review and correct. A reviewer can check a register definition in the same way they would check any other table of values.
The shared library and validation
Alongside the format, the repository hosts a growing community library of maps. They are organized by vendor and by model, which makes it possible to locate a device description without searching through unrelated files. The repository also includes a validator and continuous integration checks, meaning that submitted maps can be tested automatically before they are accepted.
Automated checks matter in a project of this kind. A wrong byte order or an incorrect scaling factor can produce values that look plausible but are false, and in industrial settings that kind of error can lead to poor decisions. A validator cannot confirm that a map matches a physical device, but it can catch structural errors and inconsistencies that would otherwise reach users unnoticed.
Modbench and the first client
The repository describes Modbench as a Windows and Linux client that supports Modbus TCP and RTU. Modbench can browse and download maps from the MBMap repository directly, which means a user can connect to a device and see named values without first writing a configuration by hand. The developer has also published Modbench as a separate project, linked from the same post, so the two parts can be assessed independently.
Modbench is the first tool built around the format, but the developer's stated goal is wider. The aim is for the format to act as a common layer between different Modbus programs, including future clients, software libraries and automation platforms. If several tools read the same files, a map created for one could be reused in another rather than being recreated from scratch.
Why the license matters
The CC0 1.0 license is central to that goal. According to the repository, anyone may use the specification, the library and the tooling in any project, including commercial products, without giving attribution. For companies building industrial software, that removes a common obstacle: a permissive license makes it easier to embed shared data without negotiating terms or tracking credits.
Permissive licensing does not guarantee that a format will be adopted, however. Standards in industrial software tend to spread when vendors, tool makers and users all find them useful, and that process usually takes time. The current project is an early-stage effort led by one developer, and its reach will depend on whether other developers choose to support it.
What comes next
The developer has asked for feedback on the specification, for suggestions about missing features and for ideas on possible integrations. Contributions to the device map library are also welcome. Those are the practical steps that will show whether MBMap can handle the variety of real devices, from simple sensors to more complex equipment with unusual register layouts.
For engineers who regularly work with Modbus, the project is worth watching. If it gains support from other tools and attracts careful contributors to the map library, it could reduce the repetitive work of entering register tables by hand. Until then, the most useful step is to test the existing maps against the devices you know and report what is missing.
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