What Does Protocol Converter Mean?
In networking, a protocol converter is a device or program that converts from one protocol to another to allow interoperability between devices or systems that use incompatible protocols. Communication protocols are essentially the rules that define how the data passing through a device are to be processed and transmitted, so if two devices do not use the same protocol, then they would not be able to understand each other, hence the need for a protocol converter.
Techopedia Explains Protocol Converter
A protocol converter is designed to facilitate better communication between different devices from different vendors, most of which use different protocols, especially in the industrial sector where the communication protocols are often proprietary, which often results in vendor lock-in.