Black Box 1-, 2-, and 4-Port Industrial Ethernet Serial Servers Communication Modes, Overview

Chapter 2: Overview

•UDP mode allows broadcast to and from multiple IP addresses.

•Management access password protected.

•Configure the Ethernet and serial port settings using any of four methods:

1.Serial Server Manager Software for Windows enables configuration via a network connection or directly from the Ethernet port of a computer (using an Ethernet crossover cable).

2.Web Server enables configuration via the network using a Web browser.

3.Telnet enables configuration via the network by accessing the setup configuration menu.

4.Console Mode enables configuration through an RS-232 serial port in using a VT100 Terminal Emulation program and an RS-232 crossover cable.

•Virtual COM Driver Software for Windows for 2000/2003 Server/XP/Windows Vista/2008/Windows 7—installs virtual COM ports, viewable in the Windows Device Manager under Ports (COM & LPT). A Virtual COM port provides access to any of the ports on the Serial Server, like any other serial port (legacy, PCI, USB or PCMCIA) on the computer. Any program running on the computer and using Windows based COM ports can access the serial devices attached to the serial server. The LAN becomes transparent to the serial device and the software running on the PC.

•Heartbeat Connection—selectable protocol ensures reliable communications in Virtual COM Port or Paired Connection modes.

This feature restores the connections if communications are temporarily lost at either end because of loss of power or loss of the Ethernet connection.

2.3 Communication Modes

The Serial Servers enable communication with serial devices over a LAN or WAN. Serial devices no longer are limited to a physical connection to the PC COM port. They can be installed anywhere on the LAN using TCP/IP or UDP/IP communications. This enables traditional Windows PC software access to serial devices anywhere on the LAN/WAN network.

2.3.1 Direct IP Mode

Direct IP connections allow applications using TCP/IP or UDP/IP socket programs to communicate with the asynchronous serial ports on the serial server. In this type of application, the serial server is configured as a TCP or UDP server. The socket program running on the PC establishes a communication connection with the Serial Server. The data is sent directly to and from the serial port on the server. When using UDP protocol, the server can be configured to broadcast data to and receive data from multiple IP addresses.

2.3.2 Virtual COM Mode

Install Virtual COM Mode enables the user to add a driver to provide a virtual COM port on the computer. The new COM port shows up in the Device Manager. Windows programs using standard Windows API calls are able to interface to virtual COM ports. When a program on the PC opens the new COM port, it communicates with the remote serial device connected to one of the ports on the Serial Server.

After connection, the LAN is transparent to the program and serial device. Applications are able to work just as if the serial device is connected directly to a physical COM port on the computer. The virtual COM port software converts the application’s data into IP packets, sends it across the network to the Serial Server, which converts the IP packet back to serial data and sends the data out a serial port located on the Serial Server.

To use this mode, the Serial Server must be set to either TCP/server or UDP/server with a designated communication port number. The virtual COM driver is the TCP or UDP client.

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