XPress DR+ User Guide 11
2: Introduction This chapter provides basic information about the XPress DR+.
Product Description
The Lantronix XPress DR+ Industrial Device Server is a robust, feature-rich, and cost
effective way to network-enable equipment in an industrial automation environment. The
XPress DR+ provides two serial ports, two switched Ethernet ports, a wide power input
range, and expanded environmental specifications, making it an ideal solution
for connecting multiple asynchronous RS232, RS422, or RS485 serial devices to an
Ethernet network.
The internal two-port Ethernet switch allows the XPress DR+ to cascade connections
from a single network drop to another Ethernet device or from one XPress DR+ to
another and another, and so on. By leveraging a single network drop to connect multiple
devices, the XPress DR+ greatly reduces device connectivity costs, reduces cabling cost
and simplifies system changes and device moves.
By encapsulating serial data and transporting it over Ethernet, the XPress DR+ allows
virtual serial links over Ethernet and IP (TCP/IP, UDP/IP) networks. As a result, you can
extend limited distance, point-to-point, direct serial connections within the plant,
throughout the facility, or across the global enterprise.
The XPress DR+ provides an impressive list of features and functions enabling multiple
industrial automation devices to be connected, controlled, configured, managed, and
updated over a network. With two serial ports and two auto-sensing Ethernet ports, the
XPress DR+ can easily connect multiple serial devices to a network and cascade from
one XPress DR+ to another from a single network drop.
Types of supported devices:
Programmable controllers (PLCs)
Process controllers
Motor drive controllers
Power monitoring equipment
Human-machine interfaces
Robots
Flow meters
Temperature monitoring equipment
Scales
Mixing stations
Gas detection devices
CNC Machines