Ethernet to Centralize Measurement and Automation
ENET device servers for RS-232 and RS-485 serial devices are self-contained products that accept a hardware input from 100BaseT or 10BaseT Ethernet networks and output to serial ports for connecting to serial instrument devices. Users can easily install these sturdy, compact network terminals on the factory floor at significant distances from the PC. With these servers, engineers and scientists can centralize the control of their measurement and automation equipment because they can access any serial device from any PC on a TCP/IP Ethernet network. All serial ports come with DB9-male serial connectors on the back of the product.
Computers no longer have to be on the factory floor or in other remote locations to communicate with your instruments or to control your processes. Also, more than one user can share networked instruments and automation devices. As a result, companies can spend less on hardware by sharing their measurement and automation equipment across an Ethernet network.
The ENET-485 for RS-485 and RS-422 communications and ENET-232 for RS-232 communications come with the company's serial driver software for Windows NT/9x. Users can order the servers with either two or four serial ports. The RS-232 server operates at a maximum baud rate of 230 kbits/s, and the RS-485/422 server operates at
460 kbits/s.
Development environments such as LabVIEW, BridgeVIEW, Lookout, LabWindows/CVI, a component of National Instruments Measurement Studio, and other third-party programming environments such as Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Excel access the additional serial ports using standard serial I/O functions. Serial ports from the ENET-485 and ENET-232 appear as virtual serial ports on any configured computer as if the serial ports were native to the PC. Software applications make standard Microsoft serial calls to take advantage of the additional serial ports.
National Instruments, 11500 N Mopac Expwy., Austin, TX 78759-3504. Tel: 800-258-7022. Fax: 512-683-9300.