Monitors electrical power quality parameters on single and three phase networks.
Overview
The Eastron SMART X96-5J is a multifunction power meter for single and three phase networks. This Modbus RTU template reads voltage, current, power, energy, frequency, and THD parameters. It supports both import and export active energy metering.
Key readings
Voltage L1 to L3 (line and phase)
Current L1 to L3
Total system power
Total active energy
Frequency
THD voltage and current harmonics
Use cases
Monitor real-time voltage, current, and power on a live dashboard for single or three phase installations.
Track import and export active energy consumption over time for billing verification or energy audits.
Create alerts when THD voltage or current harmonics exceed acceptable thresholds in a facility.
Compare line-to-neutral and line-to-line voltages across phases to detect imbalance issues.
Log frequency deviations to verify grid stability at a customer site.
Use historical energy data to generate monthly consumption reports for energy consultants.
Installation
1Wire the RS485 A and B terminals of the Eastron SMART X96-5J to the corresponding RS485 terminals on your ModbusCloud gateway (MCG or MLP series).
2Set the Modbus slave address on the SMART X96-5J using its front panel menu, and note the address for gateway configuration.
3Confirm the baud rate is set to 19200 with even parity (8E1) on both the meter and the gateway.
4Import the Eastron SMART X96-5J template from the ModbusCloud template library into your project.
5Assign the correct Modbus slave address in the ModbusCloud device settings to match the meter configuration.
6Verify data is flowing by checking live register values on the ModbusCloud dashboard, and confirm that power readings are positive under normal load conditions.
Things to watch for
01
I see negative power readings on the dashboard. Is the meter faulty?
Negative power values indicate that the CT (current transformer) is installed in reverse or the connection polarity is swapped. Reverse the CT orientation or swap the S1/S2 terminals to correct this.
02
What baud rate and parity settings should I use?
The template is configured for 19200 baud with even parity (8E1). Make sure both the SMART X96-5J meter and the ModbusCloud gateway match these settings exactly.
03
Why do some voltage registers show zero on a single phase installation?
On single phase networks, only L1 voltage and current registers will return values. L2 and L3 registers will read zero because those phases are not connected. This is normal behavior.
04
How are the float32 register values structured?
All registers use float32 format, meaning each parameter spans two consecutive 16-bit Modbus registers. The template handles this automatically, so no manual byte order configuration is needed.
Registers (24)
24 read / 0 write
Name
Address
Function
Type
Unit
Access
Current L1
6
FC04
float32
A
R
Current L2
8
FC04
float32
A
R
Current L3
10
FC04
float32
A
R
Voltage L1
200
FC04
float32
V
R
Voltage L3
204
FC04
float32
V
R
Voltage L2
202
FC04
float32
V
R
Frequency
70
FC04
float32
Hz
R
Total system power
52
FC04
float32
kW
R
Total active Energy
342
FC04
float32
kWh
R
THD Voltage 2st=63st harmonic L1
402
FC04
float32
%
R
THD Voltage 2st=63st harmonic L2
526
FC04
float32
%
R
THD Voltage 2st=63st harmonic L3
650
FC04
float32
%
R
THD Current 2st=63st harmonic L1
774
FC04
float32
%
R
THD Current 2st=63st harmonic L3
1022
FC04
float32
%
R
THD Current 2st=63st harmonic L2
898
FC04
float32
%
R
Voltage L1 to N
0
FC04
float32
V
R
Voltage L2 to N
2
FC04
float32
V
R
Voltage L3 to N
4
FC04
float32
V
R
THD average line to line volts
340
FC04
float32
%
R
THD volts L1 to L2
331
FC04
float32
%
R
THD volts L2 to L3
336
FC04
float32
%
R
THD volts L3 to L1
338
FC04
float32
%
R
Total import active energy
72
FC04
float32
kWh
R
Total apparent energy
80
FC04
float32
kVAh
R
Working with Modbus in your projects?
ModbusCloud is the hardware-plus-software platform that installers use to monitor, visualise and control Modbus devices from one portal. This template is one of hundreds you can use right away.
