Multi-Tech Systems 7500, 7600 manual EtherGate Protocol

ION 7500 / ION 7600 User’s Guide Ethernet Connections

The EtherGate Protocol

The EtherGate protocol is a powerful communications tool that lets you communicate to a meter and through a meter simultaneously. When a meter installed on the Ethernet network has EtherGate enabled, a master device (such as a workstation running ION Enterprise software) can communicate to the meter, and through the meter to a serial network of devices wired to the meter’s COM port. EtherGate is available on serial ports COM1 and COM 2 in place of the ION, Modbus Master, Modbus RTU, or DNP 3.00 protocols. The protocol permits the direct transfer of data from up to 62 devices (31 devices per COM port).

Each device in the serial network must have a unique Unit ID and operate at the same baud rate.

Specifying the TCP/IP Port instructs the ION gateway meter to:

7801—talk through COM1 7802—talk through COM2 7803—talk through COM3

Once you have the chain of serial devices installed, use Designer or the meter’s front panel to change the COM1 or COM 2 Protocol setting to EtherGate. The transfer of data between protocols is then handled automatically.

The Devices list in the ION Management Console appears as follows:

The ION 7600 appears in the Devices list, because it must be configured as an Ethernet device before you can configure it as an Ethernet Gateway Site.

From the Type heading in the Sites window, you can see the ION 7600 has been configured as an Ethernet Gateway Site.

The devices that reside on the RS-485 loop connected to the ION 7600.

The Gateway Site - set the IP Service Port 7801 for COM1 or 7802 for COM2. The number following the IP Service Port number is the device’s unique Unit ID.

Refer to the ION Meter as an Ethernet Gateway technical note for complete details on configuring your meter for EtherGate.

Chapter 5 - Features and Applications Page 131