SMC Networks 1232 Series user manual Virtual Peripherals mode

Chapter 6 Virtual Peripherals

This chapter describes how to control the SpacePC 1232 module directly from a Laptop or a standard PC compatible computer:

Use this mode when the PC/104 system doesn’t have I/O devices connected to it.

The “Virtual Peripherals” mode

The SpacePC 1232 module is designed to be used in industrial environments as a stand-alone module, independent from specific peripherals. Nevertheless, it might become necessary, for operation or maintenance, to interface the module with I/O devices: keyboard, monitor, and floppy disk.

The SpacePC 1232 module can operate in a specific modality, called “Virtual Peripheral” mode. Thanks to this modality the CPU can use the peripherals of another PC compatible computer (called Host computer), which are not directly connected to the module’s PC/104 bus.

To enable this modality, the SpacePC 1232 module must be connected to the Host computer through a serial port or a parallel port, and the VP program must run on the Host computer. In “Virtual Peripheral” mode, the operator runs with the SpacePC 1232 module using the I/O devices of the PC or AT compatible computer. The PC’s I/O are redirected on a serial (or parallel) line.

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