Virtual COM-Port

Virtual COM

The "Serial-to-Ethernet-Connector" enables the use of serial interfaces on ELZET80's Ethernet hardware as if they were the integrated interfaces of a Windows computer. The remote coupling over Ethernet is also suitable for many RS485 protocols.

  • Remote control of RS232 and RS485 units over Ethernet
  • No modification of your software needed
  • Will access several ethernodes
  • Up to 255 COM ports on one computer
  • Configuration of the serial interfaces over standard Windows dialogues and -API calls (except RS485)
  • NEW: Port switching from Windows to:
    • RS232 (Standard)
    • RS485 fullduplex (separated data pairs for Rx and Tx)
    • RS485 halfduplex (shared data pair for Rx and Tx)
  • Prices
  • Details

Prices

The virtual COM-Port is included in delivery of every ELZET80 Ethernet unit

The task ETH-SER is preinstalled self starting on NET-A7. The belonging Windows program can be requested via E-Mail for free for application with ELZET80 hardware in case you do not receive a CD together with the hardware anyway.

Details

ethernode® and other Ethernet hardware of ELZET80 contain a self-starting driver task "ETH-SER" that communicates with the program "Serial-to-Ethernet-Connector- SEC" on a Windows computer.

SEC Portkonfiguration
With SEC you can install additional COM ports on a Windows computer that do not access the hardware of the computer but access the serial interfaces on ethernode over Ethernet. Up to 255 virtual comports can be installed simultaneously, split onto any number of ETH-SER or TSM-ARMCPUs. The Windows driver supports operating systems up from Windows®2000.

The line interface on ethernode is software switchable between RS232, RS485 full duplex, and RS485 half duplex. With half duplex a shared line pair is used and the protocol assures that only one station is transmitting at any time. Half duplex requires the transmitter to be enabled by software which is automatically done by the ETH-SER task.
Switching operating modes is controlled by local software on ethernode. We provide a DLL to be accessed from your Windows application program to perform remote switching, too. We also provide a small stand alone application to allow switching from a window dialog. This application program accesses the DLL and does nothing else than to set the driver mode. The setting is stored in EEPROM and lasts until a new manipulation by software.

The RS485 option allows connection to a multitude of in- and output units for control and measuring tasks, for instance to weighing cells that are attached through ELZET80 LOADCELL.

One step further than the virtual COM-Port would be the application of ethernode® as a RS485 data concentrator or gateway. Adequate programming with the help of the mCAT real time kernel could monitor and display a whole string of RS485 units over Ethernet.