Moxa Technologies NPort 5100A User Manual

NPort 5100A Series Users Manual

Fourth Edition, January 2013

www.moxa.com/product

© 2013 Moxa Inc. All rights reserved.

NPort 5100A Series Users Manual

The software described in this manual is furnished under a license agreement and may be used only in accordance with

the terms of that agreement.

Copyright Notice

© 2013 Moxa Inc. All rights reserved.

Trademarks

The MOXA logo is a registered trademark of Moxa Inc.

All other trademarks or registered marks in this manual belong to their respective manufacturers.

Disclaimer

Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of
Moxa.

Moxa provides this document as is, without warranty of any kind, eit her expres sed or i mplie d, inclu ding, but n ot limited
to, its particular purpose. Moxa reserves the right to make improvements and/or changes to this manual, or to the
products and/or the programs described in this manual, at any time.

Information provided in this manual is intended to be accurate and reliable. However, Moxa assumes no responsibility for
its use, or for any infringements on the rights of third parties that may result from its use.

This product might include unintentional technical or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the
information herein to correct such errors, and these changes are incorporated into new editions of the publication.

Technical Support Contact Information

www.moxa.com/support

Moxa Americas

Toll

-free: 1-888-669-2872

Tel:

[phone]

Fax:

[phone]

Moxa China (Shanghai office)

Toll

-free: 800-820-5036

Tel:

[phone]

Fax:

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Moxa Europe

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Fax:

[phone]

Moxa Asia

-Pacific

Tel:

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Fax:

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1-1

Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 1-2

Package Checklist ............................................................................................................................... 1-2

Product Features ................................................................................................................................ 1-2

Product Specifications ......................................................................................................................... 1-3

2. Getting Started ................................................................................................................................. 2-1

Panel Layouts ..................................................................................................................................... 2-2

NPort 5110A, NPort 5130A, NPort 5150A ........................................................................................ 2-2

NPort P5150A ............................................................................................................................. 2-3

Connecting the Hardware .................................................................................................................... 2-3

Connecting the Power .................................................................................................................. 2-3

NPort P5150A ...................................................................................................................... 2-3

NPort 5150A/5130A/5150A ................................................................................................... 2-3

Connecting to the Network ........................................................................................................... 2-4

Connecting to a Serial Device ....................................................................................................... 2-4

LED Indicators ............................................................................................................................ 2-4

Adjustable Pull High/Low Resistor for the RS-485 Port ..................................................................... 2-4

NPort 5130A/5150A Jumpers ................................................................................................. 2-5

NPort P5150A ...................................................................................................................... 2-6

3. Initial IP Address Configuration ........................................................................................................ 3-1

Initializing the NPort 5100A’s IP Address ............................................................................................... 3-2

Factory Default IP Address ................................................................................................................... 3-2

NPort Administration Suite ................................................................................................................... 3-2

ARP .................................................................................................................................................. 3-3

Telnet Console ................................................................................................................................... 3-4

Serial Console (19200, n, 8, 1) (NPort 5110A/5150A/P5150A only) .......................................................... 3-6

4. Choosing the Proper Operation Mode ................................................................................................ 4-1

Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 4-2

Real COM Mode .................................................................................................................................. 4-2

RFC 2217 Mode .................................................................................................................................. 4-3

TCP Server Mode ................................................................................................................................ 4-3

TCP Client Mode ................................................................................................................................. 4-3

UDP Mode .......................................................................................................................................... 4-4

Pair Connection Mode .......................................................................................................................... 4-4

Ethernet Modem Mode ......................................................................................................................... 4-4

Reverse Telnet Mode ........................................................................................................................... 4-5

Disabled Mode .................................................................................................................................... 4-5

5. Web Console Configuration ............................................................................................................... 5-1

Opening Your Browser ......................................................................................................................... 5-2

Quick Setup ....................................................................................................................................... 5-4

Export/Import .................................................................................................................................... 5-6

Basic Settings .................................................................................................................................... 5-6

Network Settings ................................................................................................................................ 5-7

SNMP Settings ............................................................................................................................ 5-9

IP Address Report ....................................................................................................................... 5-9

Serial Settings .................................................................................................................................. 5-10

Serial Parameters ............................................................................................................................. 5-11

Operating Settings ............................................................................................................................ 5-12

Real COM Mode ......................................................................................................................... 5-12

RFC 2217 Mode ......................................................................................................................... 5-15

TCP Server Mode ....................................................................................................................... 5-16

TCP Client Mode ........................................................................................................................ 5-19

UDP Mode ................................................................................................................................ 5-23

UDP Multicast ........................................................................................................................... 5-25

Pair Connection Mode ................................................................................................................ 5-25

Pair Connection Master Mode ............................................................................................... 5-25

Pair Connection Slave Mode ................................................................................................ 5-26

Ethernet Modem Mode ............................................................................................................... 5-26

Dial-in ..................................................................................................................................... 5-27

Dial-out ................................................................................................................................... 5-27

Disconnection Request from the Local Site ................................................................................... 5-27

Disconnection Request from the Remote Site ................................................................................ 5-27

AT Commands .......................................................................................................................... 5-28

S Registers ............................................................................................................................... 5-29

Reverse Telnet Mode ................................................................................................................. 5-29

Disabled Mode .......................................................................................................................... 5-30

Accessible IP Settings ....................................................................................................................... 5-31

Auto Warning Settings ....................................................................................................................... 5-32

Auto warning: Email and SNMP trap ............................................................................................ 5-32

Mail Server ....................................................................................................................... 5-32

SNMP Trap Server .............................................................................................................. 5-33

Event Type ............................................................................................................................... 5-33

DCD changed .................................................................................................................... 5-34

DSR changed ..................................................................................................................... 5-34

Upgrade Firmware ............................................................................................................................ 5-34

Monitor ........................................................................................................................................... 5-35

Monitor Line ............................................................................................................................. 5-35

Monitor Async ........................................................................................................................... 5-35

Monitor Async-Settings .............................................................................................................. 5-36

Change Password ............................................................................................................................. 5-36

Load Factory Default ......................................................................................................................... 5-37

6. Configuring NPort Administrator ....................................................................................................... 6-1

Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 6-2

Installing NPort Administrator .............................................................................................................. 6-2

Configuration ..................................................................................................................................... 6-5

Broadcast Search ........................................................................................................................ 6-5

Unlock Password Protection .......................................................................................................... 6-6

Configuring the NPort 5100A ........................................................................................................ 6-8

Upgrading the Firmware ............................................................................................................... 6-9

Export Configuration .................................................................................................................. 6-10

Import Configuration ................................................................................................................. 6-10

Monitor ........................................................................................................................................... 6-11

Initiating the Monitor Function .................................................................................................... 6-11

Using the Monitor Function ......................................................................................................... 6-11

Port Monitor ..................................................................................................................................... 6-14

COM Mapping ................................................................................................................................... 6-15

On-line COM Mapping ................................................................................................................ 6-15

Off-line COM Mapping ................................................................................................................ 6-19

COM Grouping .................................................................................................................................. 6-20

Creating a COM Group ............................................................................................................... 6-20

Deleting a COM Group ............................................................................................................... 6-22

Adding a Port to a COM Group .................................................................................................... 6-23

Removing a Port from a COM Group ............................................................................................ 6-24

Modify Ports in a COM Group ...................................................................................................... 6-25

Changing the COM Number of a COM Group .......................................................................... 6-25

Changing Advanced Settings and Serial Parameters of the COM Group ..................................... 6-27

Changing the Serial Port Specified as Signal Port for the COM Group ........................................ 6-28

IP Address Report ............................................................................................................................. 6-29

7. IP Serial LIB ...................................................................................................................................... 7-1

Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 7-2

What is IP Serial Library? ............................................................................................................. 7-2

Why Use IP Serial Library? ........................................................................................................... 7-2

How to Install IP Serial Library ...................................................................................................... 7-2

IP Serial LIB Function Groups ............................................................................................................... 7-3

Sample Program ................................................................................................................................. 7-3

A. Pinouts and Cable Wiring .................................................................................................................. A-1

Port Pinout Diagrams .......................................................................................................................... A-2

Ethernet Port Pinouts ................................................................................................................... A-2

NPort 5110A Serial Port Pinouts .................................................................................................... A-2

DB9 Male RS-232 Port Pinouts for NPort 5110A ....................................................................... A-2

NPort 5130A Serial Port Pinouts .................................................................................................... A-2

DB9 Male RS-422/485 Port Pinouts for the NPort 5130A ........................................................... A-2

NPort 5150A/P5150A Serial Port Pinouts ........................................................................................ A-3

DB9 Male RS-232/422/485 Port Pinouts for the NPort 5150A ..................................................... A-3

Cable Wiring Diagrams ........................................................................................................................ A-3

Ethernet Cables .......................................................................................................................... A-3

B. Well Known Port Numbers ................................................................................................................ B-1

C. SNMP Agents with MIB II & RS232/422/485 Link Groups ................................................................ C-1

RFC1213 MIB-II Supported SNMP Variables ........................................................................................... C-1

RFC1317: RS-232/422/485 MIB Objects ................................................................................................ C-2

D. Auto IP Report Protocol .................................................................................................................... D-1

Auto IP Report Format ........................................................................................................................ D-1

Info [n] ............................................................................................................................................ D-1

ID List .............................................................................................................................................. D-2

AP ID & Hardware ID Mapping Table .................................................................................................... D-2

E. Compliance Notice ............................................................................................................................. E-1

Federal Communications Commission Statement .................................................................................... E-1

1

1. Introduction

The NPort 5100A and NPort 5100A-T are advanced, 1-port RS-232/422/485 serial device servers with low
power consumption and full surge protection.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:



Overview



Package Checklist



Product Features



Product Specifications

NPort 5100A Series Introduction

1-2

Overview

NPort 5100A series device servers, which include the NPort 5110A, 5130A , 5150A, an d P5150A, are des igned
to make your industrial serial devices Internet ready instantly. The compact size of NPort 5100A device servers
makes them the ideal choice for connecting your RS-232/422/485 serial devices, such as card readers and
payment terminals, to an IP-based Ethernet LAN, making it possible for your software to access serial devices
located anywhere on a local LAN, or the Internet.

The NPort 5100A supports several operation modes, including TCP Server, TCP Client, UDP Server/Client, Pair
Connection, and Ethernet Modem, ensuring the compatibility of network software that uses a standard network
API (Winsock, BSD Sockets). In addition, NPort’s Real COM / TTY drivers allow you to set up your COM/TTY port
software to work over a TCP/IP network in no time. This excellent feature preserves your software investment
and lets you enjoy the benefits of networking your serial devices instantly.

NPort 5100A device servers support automatic IP configuration protocols (DHCP, BOOTP) and manual
configuration via the handy web browser console. Both methods ensure quick and effective installation. And
with NPort 5100A’s Windows Utility, installation is very straightforward, since all system parameters can be
stored and then copied to other device servers simultaneously.

Package Checklist

The NPort 5100A Series products are shipped with the following items:

Standard Accessories

• 1 NPort 5100A serial device server

• Quick Installation Guide

• 4 stick-on pads

• Document & Software CD

• Product Warranty Statement

Optional Accessories

• DK-35A DIN-Rail Mounting Kit (3 5 mm)

• PWR-12150-USJP-SA-T: 100 to 240 VAC input, 12 VDC/1.5A output, -40 to 75°C, screw type, US/JP Plug

• PWR-12150-EU-SA-T: 100 to 240 VAC input, 12 VDC/1.5A output, -40 to 75°C, screw type, EU Plug

• PWR-12150-UK-SA-T: 100 to 240 VAC input, 12 VDC/1.5A output, -40 to 75°C, screw type, UK P lu g

• PWR-12150-CN-SA-T: 100 to 240 VAC input, 12 VDC/1.5A output, -40 to 75°C, screw type, CN Plug

• PWR-12150-AU-SA-T: 100 to 240 VAC input, 12 VDC/1.5A output, -40 to 75°C, screw type, AU Plug

NOTE: Notify your sales representative if any of the above items are missing or damaged.

Product Features

The NPort 5100A have the following features:

•

Low cost, credit card size

•

Makes your serial devices Internet ready

•

Easy wall and DIN-Rail mounting

•

Real COM / TTY driver for Windows and Linux

•

Fixed TTY driver for SCO OpenServer, SCO

Unixware 7, SCO Unixware 2.1

•

Versatile socket operation modes: TCP Server,

TCP Client, UDP, and Ethernet Modem

•

Pair Connection mode for connecting two serial

devices over a network without a PC

•

Easy-to-use Windows Utility for mass installation

•

Auto-detecting 10/100 Mbps Ethernet

•

Built-in 15 KV ESD protectio n for all serial signal s

•

Supports SNMP MIB-II for network management

•

Configuration via web /Telnet/serial console

•

Configuration utility automatically finds NPort

devices on the network

•

Supports RFC 2217 and Reverse Telnet modes

•

IEEE 802.3af compliant PoE (P5150A only)

NPort 5100A Series Introduction

1-3

Product Specifications

Ethernet Interface

Number of Ports:

1

Speed:

10/100 Mbps, auto MDI/MDIX

Connector:

8-pin RJ45

Magnetic Isolation Protection:

1.5 KV built-in

Serial Interface

Number of Ports:

1

Serial Standards:

NPort 5110A: RS

-232

NPort 5130A: RS

-422/485

NPort 5150A: RS

-232/422/485

Connector:

DB9 male

Serial Line Protection:

15 KV ESD protection for all signals, Level 1 Surge, EN61000-4-5

RS

-485 Data Direction Control: ADDC® (automatic data direction control)

Pull High/Low Resistor for RS

-485: 1 KΩ, 150 KΩ

Serial Communication Parameters

Data Bits:

5, 6, 7, 8

Stop Bits:

1, 1.5, 2

Parity:

None, Even, Odd, Space, Mark

Flow Control:

RTS/CTS and DTR/DSR (RS-232 only), XON/XOFF

Baudrate:

50 bps to 921.6 Kbps

Serial Signals

RS

-232: TxD, RxD, RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR, DCD, G ND

RS

-422: Tx+, Tx-, Rx+, Rx-, GND

RS

-485-4w: Tx+, Tx-, Rx+, Rx-, GND

RS

-485-2w: Data+, Data-, GND

Software

Network Protocols:

ICMP, IP, TCP, UDP, DHCP, BOOTP, Telnet, DNS, SNMP V1, HTTP, SMTP, IGMP V1/2

Configuration Options:

Web Console (with new Quick Setup), Serial Console (NPort 5110A/5150A only),

Telnet Console, Windows Utility

Windows Real COM Drivers:

Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000, Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/8 x86/x64,

2012 x64

Fixed TTY Drivers:

SCO Unix, SCO OpenServer, Un ixWare 7, UnixWare 2.1, SVR 4.2, QNX 4.25, QNX 6,

Solaris 10, FreeBSD, AIX 5.x, HP

-UX 11i, Mac 10.3

Linux Real TTY Drivers:

Linux kernel 2.4.x, 2.6.x, 3.x

Physical Characteristics

Housing:

Metal

Weight:

340 g

Dimensions:

Without ears: 52 x 80 x 22 mm (2.05 x 3.15 x 0.87 in)
With ears: 75.2 x 80 x 22 mm (2.96 x 3.15 x 0.87 in)

Environmental Limits

Operating Temperature:

Standard Models: 0 to

60°C (32 to 140°F)

Wide Temp. Models:

-40 to 75°C (-40 to 167°F)

Storage Temperature:

-40 to 75°C (-40 to 167°F)

Ambient Relative Humidit y:

5 to 95% (non-condensing)

NPort 5100A Series Introduction

1-4

Power Requirements

Input Voltage:

12 to 48 VDC

Power Consumption:

NPort 5110A: 82.5

mA @ 12 V, 47.3 mA @ 24 V

NPort 5130A: 89.1 mA @ 12 V, 49.5 mA @ 24 V
NPort 5150A: 92.4 mA @ 12 V, 52.8 mA @ 24 V

Standards and Certifications

Safety:

UL 60950-1, EN 60950-1

EMC:

CE, FCC

EMI:

EN 55022 Class A, FCC Part 15 Subpart B Class A

EMS:

EN 55024

Power Line Protection:

EN 61000

-4-4(EFT) Level 2,

EN 61000

-4-5(Surge) Level 3

Reliability

Automatic Reboot Trigger:

Built-in WDT (watchdog timer)

MTBF (mean time between failures):

2,231,530 hrs

Warranty

Warranty Period:

5 years

Details:

See www.moxa.com/warranty

2

2. Getting Started

This chapter includes information about installing the NPort 5100A.
The following topics are covered in this chapter:



Panel Layouts

 NPort 5110A, NPort 5130A, NPort 5150A
 NPort P5150A



Connecting the Hardware

 Connecting the Power
 Connecting to the Network
 Connecting to a Serial Device
 LED Indicators
 Adjustable Pull High/Low Resistor for the RS-485 Port

NPort 5100A Series Getting Started

2-2

Panel Layouts

NPort 5110A, NPort 5130A, NPort 5150A

NOTE

The layouts of the NPort 5130

A and NPort 5150A are the same as the NPort 5110A.

NPort 5100A Series Getting Started

2-3

NPort P5150A

Connecting the Hardware

This section describes how to connect the NPort 5100A to serial devices for f irst time testing purposes.

Connecting the Power

NPort P5150A

Connect the NPort P5150A’s Ethernet port to a PoE switch. The P5150A will receive power from the switch.

NPort 5150A/5130A/5150A

Connect the 12 to 48 VDC power cord to the NPort 5100A’s power input. If the power is properly supplied, the
“Ready” LED will glow a solid red color until the system is ready, at which time the “Ready” LED will change to
a green color.

NPort 5100A Series Getting Started

2-4

Connecting to the Network

Connect one end of the Ether n e t cable to the NPort 5100A’s 1 0/100M Ethernet port and the o th er end of the
cable to the Ethernet network. The NPort 5100A will indicate a valid connection to the Ethernet in the following
ways:

• The Ethernet LED maintains a solid green color when connected to a 100 Mbps Ethernet network.

• The Ethernet LED maintains a solid orange color when connected to a 10 Mbps Ethernet network.

• The Ethernet LED will flash when Ethernet packets are being transmitted or received.

Connecting to a Serial Device

Connect the serial data cable between the NPort 5100A and the serial device. The NPort 5100A’s serial port
uses the RS-232/422/485 interface to transmit data. The port uses a standard male DB9 pin assignment. Refer
to Appendix A for the port’s signal definitions.

LED Indicators

The NPort 5100A has 3 LED indicators, as d escribed in the following table.

LED Name LED Color LED Function

Ready Red Steady on: Power is on and NPort 5100A is booting up.

Blinking: Indicates an IP conflict, or DHCP or BOOTP server did not

respond properly.

Green Steady on: Power is on and the NPort 5100A is functioning normally.

Blinking: The device server has been located by Administrator’s

Location function.

Off Power is off, or power error condition exists.

Link Orange The device is connected to a 10 Mbps Eth ernet connection.

Green The device is connected to a 100 Mbps Ethernet connection.
Off The Ethernet cable is disconnected.

Tx/Rx Orange The serial port is receiving data.

Green The serial port is transmitting data.
Off No data is being transmitted or received through the serial port.

Adjustable Pull High/Low Resistor for the RS-485 Port

In some critical environments, you may need to add termination resistors to prevent the reflection of serial
signals. When using termination resistors, it is important to set the pull high/low resistors correctly so that the
electrical signal is not corrupted. Since a particular pull high/low resistor value cannot fit all environments, the
NPort 5150A/5130A uses jumpers and the NPort P5150A uses dip swi tches to set the pull high/low resistor
values for each serial port.

NPort 5100A Series Getting Started

2-5

NPort 5130A/5150A Jumpers

To set a pull high/low resistor to 150 kΩ, make sure that the two jumpers (JP3 and JP4) assigned to the
serial port are not shorted by jumper caps. This is the default setting.

To set a pull high/low resistor to 1 kΩ, make sure that the two jumpers (JP3 and JP4) assigned to the
serial port are shorted by jumper caps.

NPort 5100A Series Getting Started

2-6

NPort P5150A

SW 1 2 3

Pull-high
resistor

Pull-low
resistor

Terminator

ON 1 kΩ 1 kΩ 120 Ω
OFF 150 kΩ* 150 kΩ* –*

* Default

ATTENTION

Do not use the 1 kΩ setting on the NPort 5150

A/P5150A when using the RS-232 interfa c e . Doing so will

degrade the RS

-232 signals and shorten the maximum a llowed communication distance.

3

3. Initial IP Address Configuration

When setting up your NPort 5100A for the first time, you should first configure the IP address. This chapter
introduces the method to configure the device server’s IP address. For more details about network settings,
see the Network Settings section fro m Chapter 5, Web Console Configuration.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:



Initializing the NPort 5100A’s IP Address



Factory Default IP Address



NPort Administration Suite



ARP



Telnet Console



Serial Console (19200, n, 8, 1) (NPort 5110A/5150A/P5150A only)

NPort 5100A Series Initial IP Address Configuration

3-2

Initializing the NPort 5100A’s IP Address

1. Determine whether your NPort 5100A needs to use a Static IP or Dynamic IP (either DHCP or BOOTP
application).

2. If the NPort 5100A is used in a Static IP environment, you can use NPort Administration Suite, ARP, Web
Console, Telnet Console, or Serial Console to configure the new IP address.

3. If the NPort 5100A is used in a Dynamic IP environment, you can use NPort Administration suite, Web
Console, Telnet Console, or Serial Console to configure the NPort 5100A to get an IP address dynamically
with DHCP, DHCP/BOOTP, or BOOTP.

ATTENTION

Consult your network administrator

on how to reserve a fixed IP address for your NPort 5100A in the MAC-

IP

mapping table when using a DHCP

Server or BOOTP Server. In

most applications, you should assign a fixed IP

address to your NPort 5100A.

Factory Default IP Address

NPort 5100A products are configured with the following default private IP address:

Default IP address: 192.168.127.254

(IP addresses of the form 192.168.xxx.xxx are referred to as private IP addresses, since it is not possible to
access a device configured with a private IP address directly from a public network. For example, you would not
be able to ping such a device from an outside Internet connection. NPort 5100A applications that require
sending data over a public network, such as the Internet, require setting up the server with a valid public IP
address, which can be leased from a local ISP.)

NPort Administration Suite

NPort Administration Suite consists of useful utility programs that are used to configure and manage your
NPort 5100As.

See Chapter 6 for details on how to install NPort Administration Suite, and how to use this suite of
useful utilities to set up IP addresses and configure your NPort 5100A serial device servers.

NPort 5100A Series Initial IP Address Configuration

3-3

ARP

You can make use of the ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) command to set up an IP address for your NPort
5100A. The ARP command tells your computer to associate the NPort 5100A’s MAC address with the intended
IP address. You must then use Telnet to acces s the NPort 5100A, at which point the device server’s IP address
will be reconfigured .

ATTENTION

In order to use this setup method, both your computer and the NPort 5100A must be connected to the same
LAN.

Or, you may use a cross-over Ethernet cable to connect the NPort 5100A directly to your computer’s

Ethernet card.

Your NPort 5100A must be configured with the factory default IP address—192.168.127.254

—

before executing the ARP command, as described below.

Take the following steps to use ARP to configure the IP address:

1. Obtain a valid IP address for your NPort 5100A from your network administrator.

2. Obtain the NPort 5100A’s MAC address from the label on its bottom panel.

3. Execute the ‘arp -s’ command from your computer’s MS-DOS prompt by typing:

arp –s 192.168.200.100 00-90-E8-xx-xx-xx

This is where 192.168.200.100 is the new IP address and 00-90-E8-xx-xx-xx is the MAC address for your
NPort 5100A (be sure to use the numbers determined in steps 1 and 2).

4. Next, execute a special Telnet command by typing:

telnet 192.168.200.100 6000

After issuing this command, a Connect fa iled message will appear, as shown her e. After the NPort 5100A
reboots, its IP address should be updated to the new address, and you can reconnect using either Telnet,
Web, or Administrator to check that the update was successful.

NPort 5100A Series Initial IP Address Configuration

3-4

Telnet Console

Depending on how your computer and network are configured, you may find it convenient to use network
access to set up your NPort 5100A’s IP add ress. This can be done using Telnet.

1. From th e Windows desktop, click Start and then select Run.

2. Type telnet 192.168.127.254 (use the correct IP address if different from the default) in the Open text
input box, and then click OK.

3. When the Telnet window opens, if you are prompted to input the Console password, input the password
and then press Enter. Note that this page will only appear if the NPort 5100A is password protected.

4. Type 2 to select Network settings, and then press Enter.

5. Type 1 to select IP address and then press Enter.

NPort 5100A Series Initial IP Address Configuration

3-5

6. Use the Backspace key to erase the current IP address, type in the new IP address, and then press Enter.

7. Press any key to continue.

8. Type m a nd then press Enter to return to the main menu.

NPort 5100A Series Initial IP Address Configuration

3-6

9. Type s and then press Enter to Save/Restart the sys te m .

10. Type y and then press Enter to save the new IP address and restart the NPort 5100A.

Serial Console (19200, n, 8, 1) (NPort
5110A/5150A/P5150A only)

You may use the RS-232 console port to set up the IP address for an NPort 5100A. We suggest using PComm
Terminal Emulator, which is available free of charge as part of the PComm Lite program suite (found on the
Software CD that comes with the product), to carry out the installation procedure, although other similar
utilities may also be used.

Before you start to configure the NPort 5100A via serial console, turn off the power and connect the serial cable
from the NPort 5100A to your computer’s serial port.

1. Connect the NPort 5100A’s serial port 1 directly to your computer’s male RS-232/422/485 serial port.

2. From the Windows desktop, click Start  Programs  PComm Lite  Terminal Emulator.

3. When the PComm Terminal Emulator window opens, first click on the Port Manager menu item and
select Open, or simply click on the Open icon.

4. The Property window opens automatically . Fr om the Communication Parameter page, select the
appropriate COM port for the connection, COM1 in this example, and 19200 for Baud Rate, 8 for Data
Bits, None for Parity, and 1 for Stop Bits.

NPort 5100A Series Initial IP Address Configuration

3-7

5. From the Property window’s Terminal page, select ANSI or VT100 for Terminal Type and then click OK.
If you select Dumb Terminal as the terminal type, some of the console functions—especially the “Monitor”
function—may not work properly.

6. Press the “ ` ” key continuously and then power on the NPort 5100A.

7. The NPort 5100A will receive the “ ` ” string continuously and then auto switc h from data mode t o console
mode.

8. Input the password when prompted. Note that this page will only appear when the NPort 5100A has been
set up for password protection.

9. Start configuring the IP address under Network Settings. Refer to step 4 in the Telnet Console section

for the rest of the IP settings.

4

4. Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

In this section, we describe the va r ious NPort 5100A operation modes. The options include Real COM Mode,
which uses a driver installed on the host computer, and operation modes that rely on TCP/IP socket
programming concepts. After choosing the proper operation mode in this chapter, refer to Chapter 5 for
detailed configuration parameter def initions.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:



Overview



Real COM Mode



RFC 2217 Mode



TCP Server Mode



TCP Client Mode



UDP Mode



Pair Connection Mode



Ethernet Modem Mode



Reverse Telnet Mode



Disabled Mode

NPort 5100A Series Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

4-2

Overview

NPort 5100A serial device servers network-enable traditional RS-232/422/485 devices. A serial device server
is a tiny computer equipped with a CPU, real-time OS, and TCP/IP protocols that can bi-directionally translate
data between the serial and Ethernet formats. Your computer can access, manage, and conf ig u re remote
facilities and equipment over the Internet from anywhere in the world.

Traditional SCADA and data collection systems rely on serial ports (RS-232/422/485) to collect data from
various kinds of instruments. Since NPort 5100A serial device servers netwo rk-enable instruments equipped
with an RS-232/422/485 communication port, your SCADA and data collection system will be able to access all
instruments connected to a standard TCP/IP network, regardless of whether the devices are used locally or at
a remote site.

The NPort 5100A is an external IP-based network devi ce that all ows you to expand the number of serial port s
for a host computer on demand. As long as your host computer supports the TCP/IP protocol, you won’t be
limited by the host computer’s bus limitation (such as ISA or PCI), or lack of drivers for various operating
systems.

In addition to providing socket access, the NPort 5100A also comes with a Real COM / TTY driver that transmits
all serial signals intact. This means that your existing COM/TTY-based software can b e preserved, without
needing to invest in additional software.

Three different socket modes are available: TCP Server, TCP Client, and UDP Server/Client. The main
difference between the TCP and UDP protocols is that TCP guarantees delivery of data by requiring the recipient
to send an acknowledgement to the sender. UDP does not require this type of verification, making it possible
to offer speedier delivery. UDP also allows data to be unicast to on ly one IP addre ss, or multicast to groups of
IP addresses.

Real COM Mode

The NPort 5100A comes equipped with COM drivers that work
with Windows systems, and also TTY drivers for Linux
systems. The driver establishes a transparent connection
between host and serial device by mapping the IP:Port of the
NPort 5100A’s serial port to a local COM/TTY port on the host
computer. Real COM Mode also supports up to 4 simultaneous
connections, so that multiple hosts can collect data from the
same serial device

at the same time.

ATTENTION

The driver used for Real COM Mode

is bundled with NPort Administrator. The driver is installed on your

computer automatica lly when you install NPort Administration Su ite.

One of the major conveniences of using Real COM Mode is that Real COM Mode allows users to continue using
RS-232/422/485 serial communications software that was written for pure serial communications applications.
The driver intercepts data sent to the host’s COM port, packs it into a T CP/IP packet, and then redirects it
through the host’s Etherne t card. At the other end of the con n ection, the NPort 5100A a ccepts the Ethernet
frame, unpacks the TCP/IP packet, and then sends it transparently to the appropriate serial device attached to
one of the NPort 5100A’s serial ports.

NPort 5100A Series Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

4-3

ATTENTION

Real COM Mode allows several hosts to have access control of the same NPort 5100A. The driver that comes
with your NPort 5100A controls host access to attached serial devices by checking the host’s IP address. Refer
to the Accessible IP Settings section o f Chapter 5 for more details.

RFC 2217 Mode

RFC 2217 mode is similar to Real COM mode in that a driver is used to establish a tr a nsparent connection
between a host computer and a serial device by mapping the serial port on the NPort 5100A to a local COM port
on the host computer. RFC 2217 defines general COM port control options based on the Telnet protocol. Third
party drivers supporting RFC 2217 are widely available on the Internet and can be used to implement Virtual
COM mapping to your NPort 5100A serial port(s).

TCP Server Mode

In

TCP Server Mode

, NPort 5100A is configured with a unique
IP:Port combination on a TC P/IP network. In this case, th e
NPort 5100A waits passively to be conta cted by the host
computer. After the host computer establishes a connection
with the serial device, it can then

proceed with data

transmission. TCP Server mode also supports up to 4
simultaneous connections, so that multiple hosts can collect
data from the same serial device

—at the same time. As

illustrated in the figure, data transmission proceeds as follows:

1. The host requests a connection from the NPort 510 0A
configured for TCP Server Mode.

2. Once the connectio n is es tabl ished , data ca n be
transmitted in both direct io ns—from the host to the
NPort 5100A, and from the NPort 5100A to the host.

TCP Client Mode

In TCP

Client Mode, the NPort 5100A

can actively establish a

TCP connection

with a pre-determine

d host computer when
serial data arrives.
After the data has been transferred,

the NPort 5100A can

disconnect automatical ly from the host computer

by using

the

TCP alive check time or Inactivity time settings.

Refer to Chapter 5 for detailed configuration instructions. As
illustrated in the figure, data transmission proceeds as
follows:

1. The NPort 5100A configured for TCP Client Mode
requests a connection from the host.

2. Once the connectio n is es tabl ished , data ca n be
transmitted in both direc tio n s —fr om the host to the
NPort 5100A, and from the NPort 5100A to the host.

NPort 5100A Series Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

4-4

UDP Mode

Compared to TCP communication, UDP is faster and more
efficient. In UDP mode, you can unicast or multicast data from
the serial device to one or multiple host computers, and the
serial device can also receive data from

one or multiple host

computers, making this mode ideal f or message display
applications.

Pair Connection Mode

Pair Connection Mode employs two NPort 5100A units in tandem, and can be used to remove the 15-meter
distance limitation imposed by the RS-232 interface. One NPort 5100A is connected from its R S-232/422/485
port to the COM port of a PC or other type of computer, such as hand-held PDAs that have a serial port, and the
serial device is connected to the RS-232/422/485 port of the other NPort 5100A. The two NPort 5100A units are
then connected to each other with a cross-over Ethernet cable, both are connected to the sa me LAN, or in a
more advanced setup, they communicate with each other over a WAN (i. e., through one or more routers). Pair
Connection Mode transparently transfers both data and modem control signals (although it cannot transmit the
DCD signal) between the two NPorts.

Ethernet Modem Mode

Ethernet Modem Mode is designed for use with legacy operating systems, such as MS-DOS, that do not support
TCP/IP Ethernet. By connecting one of NPort 5100A’s serial ports to the MS-DOS computer’s serial port, it is
possible to use legacy software originally designed to transmit data via modem, but now transmit the data over
the Ethernet.

NPort 5100A Series Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

4-5

Reverse Telnet Mode

Console management is commonly used by connecting to Console/AUX or COM ports of routers, switches, and
UPS units. Rtelnet works the same as TCP Server mode in that only one TCP port is listened to after booting up.
The system then waits for a host on the network to initiate a connection. The difference is that the TCP Server
mode does not provide the conversion function provided by Telnet. If the connected devices need to use the
CR/LF conversion function when contr olling, then users must choose Reve rse Telnet mode.

Disabled Mode

When the Operation Mode for a particular port is set to Disabled, that port will be disabled.

5

5. Web Console Configuration

The Web Console is the most user-friendly method available to configure the NPort 5100A. In this chapter, we
introduce the Web Console function groups and function definitions.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:



Opening Your Browser



Quick Setup



Export/Import



Basic Settings



Network Settings

 SNMP Settings
 IP Address Report



Serial Settings



Serial Parameters



Operating Settings

 Real COM Mode
 RFC 2217 Mode
 TCP Server Mode
 TCP Client Mode
 UDP Mode
 UDP Multicast
 Pair Connection Mode
 Ethernet Modem Mode
 Dial-in
 Dial-out
 Disconnection Request from the Local Site
 Disconnection Request from the Remote Site
 AT Commands
 S Registers
 Reverse Telnet Mode
 Disabled Mode



Accessible IP Settings



Auto Warning Settings

 Auto warning: Email and SNMP trap
 Event Type



Upgrade Firmware



Monitor

 Monitor Line
 Monitor Async
 Monitor Async-Settings



Change Password



Load Factory Default

NPort 5100A Series Web Console Configuration

5-2

Opening Your Browser

1. Open your browser with the cookie function enabled. (To enable your browser for cookies, right click on
your desktop Internet Explorer icon, select Properties, click on the Security tab, and then select the three
Enable options as shown in the figure below.)

2. Type 192.168.127.254 in the Address input box (use the correct IP address if different from the default),
and then press Enter.

3. Input the password if prompted. The password will be transmitted with MD5 encryption over the Ethernet.
Note that you will not be prompted to enter the password if the NPort 5100A is not currently password
protected.

ATTENTION

If you use other

web browsers, remember to Enable the functions to “allow cookies that are stored on your

computer

” or “allow per-session cookies.” NPort 5100A uses cookies only for “password” transmission.

ATTENTION

Refer to Chapter 3, Initial IP Address Configuration, to see how to configure th e IP address . Examples shown
in this chapter use the Factory Default IP address (192.168.127.254).

NPort 5100A Series Web Console Configuration

5-3

4. The NPort 5100A homepage will open next. There are two buttons on this page: Quick setup and
Export/Import. You can click Overview at any time to go back to this page. The fol lowing sections introduce
these two convenient functions and al l the other specific settings in the left Main Menu.

ATTENTION

If you can’t remember the password, the ONLY way to start configuring

the NPort 5100A is to load factory

defaults

by using the Reset butto n located near the NPort 5100A’s RJ45 Ethernet port.

Remember to

export the configuration file when you have finished the configuration. After using the Reset

button to load factory defaults, your configuration can be easily reloaded into

the NPort 5100A using the

Import function.

ATTENTION

If your NPort 5100A application requires using password protection, you must enable the cookie function in
your browser. If the cookie function is disabled, you will not be allowed to enter the Web Console Screen.