ELPRO LIN101 User Manual

LIN101

RS232 / LAN INTERFACE

ELPRO Video Labs s.r.l.
Via della Praia 4/a FERRIERA di BUTTIGLIERA ALTA (TO) - ITALY
Tel. [phone] - FAX [phone]

1

LIN101

RS232 / LAN INTERFACE

24/02/2004 English

LIN101

RS232 / LAN INTERFACE

ELPRO Video Labs s.r.l.
Via della Praia 4/a FERRIERA di BUTTIGLIERA ALTA (TO) - ITALY
Tel. [phone] - FAX [phone]

2

1. LIN101

LIN101 is a Serial Device Server, the main function of the LIN101 is to network-enable existing serial devices.
Using the LIN101 you can add an Ethernet port practically to any serial device with RS232 interface. It is possible to
communicate with any serial device from any PC (or other device) connected to the LAN.

If the LAN has a direct connection to the Internet, then the serial device is accessible from anywhere in the world.

LED 1 and 2: LIN101 Status

LED 3 and 4: Ethernet Status

SETUP Button

9 Vac Power

RS232 Connector

Ethernet Connector

LIN101

LIN101

RS232 / LAN INTERFACE

ELPRO Video Labs s.r.l.
Via della Praia 4/a FERRIERA di BUTTIGLIERA ALTA (TO) - ITALY
Tel. [phone] - FAX [phone]

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1.1 LIN101 usage

There are three basic ways to communicate with the LIN101:

• with a serial device controlled via the network using an existing PC software, then you can use the LIN101 to
network-enable this serial device and communicate with it from the PC through our Virtual Serial Port Driver
(VSPD). Virtual Serial Ports (VSPs) created by the driver are logical COMs that behave like standard hardware
COMs but in reality transparently reroute the data via the TCP/IP network to the LIN101-enabled serial device.
VSPs allow you to continue using your existing PC software without any modification.

• with a serial device and you are creating a new PC software to control it then you can develop software that
communicates with the LIN101 directly (without VSPD). The LIN101 transmits the data using industry-standard
UDP/IP and TCP/IP communications protocols.

• it is possible to create a virtual serial link over the network by using the LIN101-enabled serial device on one
side and the LIN101 Serial Device Server on the other side.

PC with VSPD software in Windows environment

HUB

Ethernet connections

RS232 connections

LIN101

TZ333

TZ333

TZX08

PC Ethernet LAN with VSPD software

virtual

virtual
COMx

LIN101

RS232 / LAN INTERFACE

ELPRO Video Labs s.r.l.
Via della Praia 4/a FERRIERA di BUTTIGLIERA ALTA (TO) - ITALY
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1.2 Operating modes

LIN101 has two operating modes:

• Normal Mode: is entered after the powerup, it is in the Normal Mode that the LIN101 performs its
Etherne/Serial data routing. Network Programming of the LIN101 can also proceed in the Normal Mode in
parallel with the data routing

Computer without VSPD software (NON PC environment, other OS like LINUX etc.)

HUB

Ethernet connections

RS232 connections

LIN101

TZ333

TZ333

TZX08

Ethernet LAN without usin

g VSPD software

Serial devices over the network connected by 2 LIN101

L

IN101

LIN101

LAN Ethernet

Ethernet connections

RS232 connections

Serial Device

Serial Device

LIN101

RS232 / LAN INTERFACE

ELPRO Video Labs s.r.l.
Via della Praia 4/a FERRIERA di BUTTIGLIERA ALTA (TO) - ITALY
Tel. [phone] - FAX [phone]

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• Serial Programming Mode: is entered pressing the SETUP button or escape sequence is sent into the LIN101
serial port while the LIN101 is in the Normal Mode. This mode is used to program the LIN101’s functioning
parameters (Settings) via the serial port

1.3 Status LED signals

The LIN101 has two pairs of leds that provide a visual indication:

LED1 and LED 2: LIN101 Status

At startup in Normal Mode Green and red LEDs blink 3 times
Setting error (cannot enter the Normal Mode) Red LED blink
Normal Mode active: Slave Routing Mode Green LED constantly ON
Normal Mode active: Master Routing Mode (*)

• Destination IP-address not reachable

Green LED blink

• Destination IP-address reachable

Green LED constantly ON

Buffer overflow Green and red LEDs blinking constantly

(*) The LIN101 is constantly sending pings to the Destination IP-address when in the Master Routing
Mode (once in every 5 seconds). The Green Status LED is blinking if no reply is received. The Green Status
LED is constantly on when the destination replies to pings.

LED3 and LED4: Ethernet status

Green LED RX

normally ON, turned off when is receiving Ethernet packets

Red LED COLLISION

normally OFF, turned on when there is a darta collision on the Ethernet network

LIN101

RS232 / LAN INTERFACE

ELPRO Video Labs s.r.l.
Via della Praia 4/a FERRIERA di BUTTIGLIERA ALTA (TO) - ITALY
Tel. [phone] - FAX [phone]

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2. Operation in Normal Mode

The main function of the LIN101 is to route the data between its Ethernet and serial ports. Routing means that the data
received into the serial port is sent out via the Ethernet port and vise versa. Data routing is effected through two routing
buffers, one for each routing direction. The LIN101 performs the routing in the Normal Mode of operation. A number of
user-programmable Settings and Parameters define the way the LIN101 works in the Normal Mode.

2.1 Ethernet port and network communications

The Ethernet port of the LIN101 is of 10BaseT type. Just like any other Ethernet device each LIN101 has a unique
Ethernet (MAC) Address and must be assigned a valid IP-address to function properly on the network.
Logically, the LIN101’s network interface has two ports. A user-definable Data Port is used to exchange the data
between the LIN101 and other stations on the network. Another port called Command Port has a fixed number 65535
(FFFF Hex) and is used to send programming commands to the LIN101’s over the network.

The LIN101 can exchange data with remote stations using the UDP/IP or TCP/IP transport protocols as
defined by the Transport Protocol Setting. Depending on the Routing Mode Setting the LIN101 can act as a
network Slave or Master (see Slave and Master routing modes for details).
Other network-related settings include Destination IP-address, Destination Data Port Number, Gateway
IP-address, Netmask, and Connection Timeout.

2.2 Serial comunications

The serial port of the LIN101 supports TX, RX, CTS, and RTS signals and can work at baudrates up to 115200. In the
Normal Mode the serial port transmits the data between the LIN101 and attached serial device (microcontroller). In the
Serial Programming Mode the port is used to program the LIN101’s Settings. Settings that define the operation of the
serial port include the Baudrate (150~115200bps), Parity (none, even, or odd), Bits Per Byte (7 or 8), and Flow Control
(none or CTS/RTS). Each of these Settings has a matching Parameter that overrides the value of a corresponding
Setting.

2.3 Routing buffers

The data between the Ethernet port and the serial port is routed via two independent 255-byte buffers, one for each
routing direction. Buffers are necessary because the Ethernet and the serial port operate at different speeds and in
different ways. Ethernet carries the data in “packets” (i.e. groups of data), while the serial port sends and receives a
serial “stream” where each data byte is independent. Here is how the LIN101 transforms the Ethernet packets into the
serial stream and back:

• Ethernet serial data routing is simple: the LIN101 outputs the contents of arriving Ethernet data packets byte by byte
via the serial port. The LIN101 does not check of filter the contents of data being routed in the Ethernet -> serial
direction

• Serial Ethernet routing requires grouping arriving serial data into packets and is more complicated. Several Settings
define exactly what serial data is accepted into the buffer and when and how this data is combined into an Ethernet
packet and sent out. Detailed information on the subject can be found in Serial -> Ethernet data routing.