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README.md

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+# ProtocolWhisperer
+
+Cross platform industrial automation protocol converter
+
+## Overview
+
+Previously the bridge functionality of [ModbusMechanic](https://github.com/SciFiDryer/ModbusMechanic).
+
+This project is in beta - the GUI is still under development so if you notice bugs, please open an issue.
+
+If you have an Allen-Bradley PLC and you want to pipe Modbus data into it over the network for testing this is possible with ProtocolWhisperer. You can also expose Allen-Bradley data over Modbus. Only network based protocols are supported so far, but when combined with the gateway functionality of ModbusMechanic, Modbus RTU can be exposed over a network to Modbus TCP.
+
+The data is updated followed by a rest period specified in the bridge. If 1000ms is specified, the data update interval will be slightly longer than 1000ms due to the time it takes to retrieve the data.
+
+After saving the bridge config to a file such as "bridge.cfg", if you want to start a headless instance of the bridge use the following command:
+```
+$ java -jar ProtocolWhisperer.jar -bridge bridge.cfg
+```
+
+## Dependencies
+
+This project depends on the JLibModbus library and EtherIP for CIP functionality.
+
+https://github.com/kochedykov/jlibmodbus  
+
+https://github.com/EPICSTools/etherip
+
+## Building from source
+
+This is a NetBeans project. It can be built by pulling it in the NetBeans IDE or manually compiling. The project requires the JLibModbus and EtherIP jars.
+
+## Completed features and planned features
+
+- [x] Protocol conversion
+- [ ] Plugins for other protocols
+- [ ] Data logger
+- [ ] Visual trending of data
+- [ ] Scripting of collected data