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Introductions
The
IP SERIAL SERVER provides the serial device server for Windows hosts
to control serial devices located virtually anywhere through a TCP/IP
or UDP/IP Ethernet connection. The IP SERIAL SERVER has the asynchronous
serial port connection on one side, and a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet connection
on the other side. It connects devices, such as CNC, weight scales,
and scanners. Applications include industrial/factory automation,
automatic warehouse control, and hospital/laboratory automation.
The IP SERIAL SERVER Windows driver is designed to control the IP
SERIAL SERVER Ethernet devices. The driver installs a virtual COM
on windows which maps the virtual COM port to the IP address of
the IP SERIAL SERVER device across the network, enabling the Windows
applications to access remote serial devices over Ethernet.
IP SERIAL SERVER can function as a server or client for both TCP
and UDP connection. The application scenarios are direct IP mode,
virtual COM mode, and paired mode. In direct IP and virtual COM
modes, IP SERIAL SERVER should only work as a server. When in the
paired mode one IP SERIAL SERVER must set as a client and the other
must set as a server in both TCP and UDP connection.
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Direct IP Mode
In direct
IP connection, applications can communicate with IP SERIAL SERVER
using TCP/IP or UDP/IP socket connection. The raw data in the IP
packet will be transferred from and to IP SERIAL SERVER’ serial
port.
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Virtual COM Mode
In the
virtual COM mode, the host connects to IP SERIAL SERVER through
10/100 Ethernet. The serial device is then connected to IP SERIAL
SERVER.
Applications work just as if the serial device is connected to host’s
COM port, however it is a virtual COM port that convert application’s
data into IP packet. IP SERIAL SERVER then converts the IP packet
back to serial data. In this mode, IP SERIAL SERVER must set to
either TCP/server or UDP/server. The virtual COM driver is a TCP
or UDP client. A security feature is built in IP SERIAL SERVER.
When IP SERIAL SERVER works as a server it will allow incoming connection
only when remote IP address passes its IP address filtering. For
more detail, please look at the section, Configuring IP SERIAL SERVER.
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Paired Mode
Paired
mode is also called serial tunneling. Two IP SERIAL SERVER are involved
and they must be set to a client and server pair. The remote IP
address of the client site must be the same as server’s IP
address and IP address of the client site must pass server’s
address filtering. Applications do not actually use virtual COM
port. They use the regular COM port and host connects to IP SERIAL
SERVER through a null modem cable as shown below. The paired mode
is a quick method to convert a serial connection into an Internet
connection without installing any other software on the host.
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Heart Beat
The Heart Beat protocol connection provides a reliable communications
connection in Virtual COM Port Mode or with Paired Connection Mode.
This feature restores the connection if communications are temporarily
lost at either end due to loss of power or Ethernet connection.
Without this feature a device that loses a connection and stops
communicating would not be able to reconnect without human intervention.
A TCP data connection can be lost when there is a power failure
or temporary loss of an Ethernet connection on either the client
or server. If a loss occurs the Heart Beat feature will try to reconnect
the TCP data connection every five seconds until communications
is established again. The Heart Beat feature is available for use
in Virtual COM Port Mode and Paired Connection Mode. This is not
available when using a UDP application. |
