---
title: "RS-485/RS-232: Why do we still need these today?"
slug: "rs-485-rs-232-why-do-we-still-need-these-today"
updated: 2026-05-28T13:41:30Z
published: 2026-05-28T13:41:30Z
canonical: "docs.insys-icom.com/rs-485-rs-232-why-do-we-still-need-these-today"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.insys-icom.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# RS-485/RS-232: Why do we still need these today?

**RS-485** and **RS-232** remain relevant in industrial settings because many existing devices, field devices, and sensors still communicate via serial interfaces. This is particularly true in **legacy and retrofit scenarios**, where existing infrastructure is to be reused rather than replaced solely for the sake of communication technology.

This is precisely where the practical benefit lies: Serial devices can still be integrated, for example via **Serial-over-IP** or as a **Modbus RTU/TCP gateway**.