2005 B&B Electronics. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without written consent. Information
in this manual is subject to change without notice, and does not represent a commitment on the part of B&B Electronics.
B&B Electronics shall not be liable for incidental or consequential damages resulting from the furnishing, performance, or use of
this manual.
All brand names used in this manual are the registered trademarks of their respective owners. The use of trademarks or other
designations in this publication is for reference purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by the trademark holder.
B&B Electronics Mfg Co Inc – 707 Dayton Rd - PO Box 1040 - Ottawa IL 61350 - Ph 815-433-5100 - Fax 815-433-5104 – www.bb-elec.com
ES1A Mini Ethernet to RS-232 Converters provide simple and costeffective solutions for connecting RS-232 devices to Ethernet networks.
ES1A converters make it easy to connect serial printers, copiers, building
automation, retail, point-of-sale, warehousing and banking equipment
directly into Ethernet networks.
ES1A converters support virtual COM port, console management, TCP
and UDP socket, serial bridge, modem emulation and custom
connections. Network addresses can be obtained dynamically or manually.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is supported. Configuration
is accomplished through a web-based user interface.
ES1A Ethernet to RS-232 converters allow you to connect serial devices
over a LAN or WAN. Serial devices no longer are limited to a physical
connection to the PC COM port. They can be installed anywhere on the LAN
using TCP/IP or UDP/IP communications. This allows traditional Windows
PC software access to serial devices anywhere on the LAN/WAN network.
Direct IP
Direct IP Mode allows applications using TCP/IP or UDP/IP socket
programs to communicate with the asynchronous serial ports on the serial
server. In this mode the ES1A is configured as a TCP or UDP server. The
socket program running on the PC establishes a communication connection.
The data is sent directly to and from the serial port on the server.
TCP Server Mode allows network devices to initiate a TCP connection to
the serial device connected to the serial port on the ES1A. This is also
referred to as reverse telnet.
UDP Server Mode allows network devices to initiate a UDP connection to
the serial device attached to the serial port of the ES1A. When using UDP
protocol the ES1A can be configured to broadcast data to and receive data
from multiple IP addresses.
Virtual COM Port
Virtual COM Port mode (also called RealPort, or com port redirection)
allows you to map a COM port on your PC to the serial port on your ES1 A.
Using the RealPort software (included with the ES1A) you create virtual
COM ports on your PC. When your application sends data to this port,
RealPort redirects the data across the network to serial device connected to
the ES1A serial port. The network is transparent to the user application and
the serial device connected to the ES1A.
Paired Mode
Paired Mode (also called Serial Tunneling or Serial Bridge mode) allows
serial devices connected to two ES1A converters to communicate across a
network. The two ES1A converters automatically connect to each other.
In Paired Mode the heartbeat feature ensures reliable communications by
restoring the connection if communications are temporarily lost at either end
due to loss of power or Ethernet connection.
ES1A Converters also feature the following communications profiles:
Modem Emulation Mode allows you to configure the serial port to operate
as if it is a modem. For legacy applications where a serial device is set up to
communicate through a modem, the serial device can now be connected to
the ES1A and communication occurs over the network. The ES1A emulates
modem responses to and from the serial device.
In Console Management Mode the ES1A can be configured for connectio n
to the management port typically found on network devices such as routers,
switches and servers. This allows remote management of the network device.
Communication can be accomplished using telnet to a specific port in the
converter.
Custom Mode allows you to custom configure the ES1A serial port and is
used if your application does not fit into any other predefined modes.
ES1A Ethernet to RS-232 Converters are shipped with the following items
included:
9 The ES1A module
9 A printed version of this user manual
9 A printed version of the ES1A Quick Start Guide
9 CD-ROM disc with
o B&B discovery software
o RealPort drivers for Windo ws 98/ M E/ 2 0 01/XP/NT 4.0/Vista
o this user manual in PDF format
o a Quick Start guide in PDF format
Figure 2. Top View of the ES1A Converter
Manual Documentation Number ES1A -2907m pn7041-rev002 5
B&B Electronics Mfg Co Inc – 707 Dayton Rd - PO Box 1040 - Ottawa IL 61350 - Ph 815-433-5100 - Fax 815-433-5104 – www.bb-elec.com
When the yellow LED located on the Ethernet jack is illuminated it indicates
that a connection (link integrity) has been established between the converter
and a node on the network.
Network Activity LED
When the green LED located on the Ethernet jack is flashing it indicates that
data is being sent across the network.
Figure 3. LED Indicators on the ES1A
Reset Switch
The Reset switch is a recessed switch located on the side of the ES1A. The
Reset switch provides two functions:
Press and release within 10 seconds Resets the ES1A
Press and hold for more than 10 seconds
while powering up
Reloads factory default values
Ethernet Port Connector
The Ethernet Port connector is a standard RJ-45 receptacle that allows the
serial server to be connected to an Ethernet network. On the ES1A two
indicator LEDs are built into the RJ-45 connector.