Moxa Technologies NPort 5400 User Manual

NPort 5400 Series

User’s Manual

Fourth Edition, September 2005

www.moxa.com/product

Moxa Technologies Co., Ltd.

Tel: +886-2-8919-1230 Fax: +886-2-8919-1231

Web:

MOXA Technical Support

Worldwide: The Americas

www.moxa.com

support@moxa.com.tw support@moxa.com

NPort 5400 Series

User’s 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.

Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Trademarks

MOXA is a registered trademark of The Moxa Group.

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, either expressed or implied, including, but not 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 Technologies 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.

Table of Contents

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

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

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

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

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

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

Panel Layout.................................................................................................. 2-2

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

Wiring Requirements .....................................................................................2-3

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

Grounding NPort 5400...................................................................................2-3

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

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

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

Chapter 3 Initial IP Address Configuration..................................................... 3-2

Initializing NPort’s IP Address .......................................................................3-3

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

LCM Display ..................................................................................................3-3

NPort Administration Suite ............................................................................3-6

ARP ............................................................................................................... 3-6

Telnet Console .............................................................................................. 3-7

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Basic Settings................................................................................................5-4

Network Settings ........................................................................................... 5-6

Serial Settings ............................................................................................... 5-9

Operating Settings....................................................................................... 5-11

Real COM Mode..........................................................................................5-11

TCP Server Mode.........................................................................................5-14

TCP Client Mode .........................................................................................5-17

UDP Mode ...................................................................................................5-21

Pair Connection Mode..................................................................................5-23

Reverse Telnet Mode ...................................................................................5-25

Disabled Mode .............................................................................................5-26

Accessible IP Settings ................................................................................. 5-26

Auto Warning Settings................................................................................. 5-27

Auto warning: E-mail and SNMP trap.........................................................5-27

Event Type ................................................................................................... 5-28

Monitor......................................................................................................... 5-30

Monitor Line ................................................................................................5-30

Monitor Async .............................................................................................5-30

Monitor Async-Settings ...............................................................................5-30

Change Password .......................................................................................5-31

Load Factory Default ................................................................................... 5-31

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

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

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

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

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

Unlock Password Protection ..........................................................................6-7

Configuring NPort 5400.................................................................................6-8

Upgrading the Firmware ..............................................................................6-10

Export Configuration ...................................................................................6-12

Import Configuration ...................................................................................6-12

Monitor......................................................................................................... 6-13

Port Monitor ................................................................................................. 6-19

COM Mapping ............................................................................................. 6-20

On-line COM Mapping................................................................................6-20

Off-line COM Mapping ...............................................................................6-25

IP Location................................................................................................... 6-27

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

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

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

Example Program.......................................................................................... 7-3

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

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

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

Serial Port Pinouts......................................................................................... A-2

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

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

Serial Cables .................................................................................................A-3

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

Appendix C SNMP Agents with MIB II & RS-232 like group .............................C-1

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

Appendix E Service Information .........................................................................E-1

MOXA Internet Services ............................................................................... E-2

Problem Report Form ................................................................................... E-3

Product Return Procedure............................................................................ E-4

Chapter 1 Introduction

Welcome to MOXA NPort 5400 Series of advanced serial device servers that make it easy to network enable your serial devices. NPort 5410 comes with four RS-232 ports, and NPort 5430/5430I provide four RS-422/485 ports.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

 Overview  Package Checklist  Product Features  Product Specifications

NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Introduction

Overview

NPort 5400 Series serial device servers are designed to make your industrial serial devices Internet ready instantly. The compact size of NPort 5400 device servers makes them the ideal choice for connecting your RS-232 (NPort 5410) or RS-422/485 (NPort 5430/5430I) serial devices—such as PLCs, meters, and sensors—to an IP-based Ethernet LAN, making it possible for your software to access serial devices anywhere over a local LAN or the Internet.

NPort 5400 serial device servers ensure the compatibility of network software that uses a standard network API (Winsock or BSD Sockets) by providing TCP Server Mode, TCP Client Mode, and UDP Mode. And thanks to NPort’s Real COM/TTY drivers, software that works with COM/TTY ports can be set up 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 5400 serial device servers support automatic IP configuration protocols (DHCP, BOOTP) and manual configuration via NPort’s handy web browser console. Both methods ensure quick and effective installation. And with NPort 5400’s Windows Utility, installation is very straightforward, since all system parameters can be stored and then copied to other device servers simultaneously.

Package Checklist

MOXA NPort 5400 Series products are shipped with the following items:

Standard Accessories

y 1 NPort 5400 4-port serial device server y NPort Document & Software CD y NPort 5400 Series Quick Installation Guide y Product Warranty Booklet

Optional Accessories

y DK-35A DIN-Rail Mounting Kit (35 mm)

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

Product Features

NPort 5400 Series products enjoy the following features:

y Make your serial devices Internet ready y Easy-to-use LCM (Liquid Crystal Module) interface for setting up IP address y Versatile socket operation modes, including TCP Server, TCP Client, and UDP y Easy-to-use Windows Utility for mass installation y Supports 10/100 Mbps Ethernet—auto detectable y 2- or 4-wire RS-485 with patented ADDC™ (Automatic Data Direction Control)

for NPort 5430/5430I

y Built-in 15 KV ESD protection for all serial signals y Supports SNMP MIB-II for network management y NPort 5430I has 2 KV isolation protection

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Introduction

Product Specifications

LAN Ethernet 10/100 Mbps, RJ45, Auto MDI/MDI X Protection Built-in 1.5 KV magnetic isolation

NPort 5410 Serial Interface Interface RS-232 No. of Ports 4 Port Type DB9 Male Signals TxD, RxD, RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR, DCD, GND Serial Line Protection 15 KV ESD for all signals

NPort 5430 Serial Interface Interface RS-422/485 No. of Ports 4 Port Type Terminal Block (5 pins per port) Signals RS-422: Tx+, Tx-, Rx+, Rx-, GND RS-485 (2-wire): Data+, Data-, GND RS-485 (4-wire): Tx+, Tx-, Rx+, Rx-, GND Serial Line Protection 15 KV ESD for all signals 2 KV Isolation for NPort 5430I RS-485 Data Direction ADDC™ (Automatic Data Direction Control)

Power Line Protection 4 KV Burst (EFT), EN61000-4-4 2 KV Surge, EN61000-4-5

Advanced Built-in Features HMI LCM display with four push buttons Buzzer Real-Time Clock Watch Dog Timer

Serial Communication Parameters Parity None, Even, Odd, Space, Mark Data Bits 5, 6, 7, 8 Stop Bit 1, 1.5, 2 Flow Control RTS/CTS (only for RS-232 port), XON/XOFF Transmission Speed 50 bps to 921.6 Kbps

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Introduction

Software Features Protocols ICMP, IP, TCP, UDP, DHCP, BOOTP, Telnet, DNS,

SNMP, HTTP, SMTP, SNTP Utilities NPort Administrator for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP Real COM/TTY Drivers Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP COM driver, Linux real

TTY driver Configuration Web Browser, Telnet Console, or Windows Utility

Power Requirements

Power Input 12 to 48 VDC Power Consumption NPort 5410: 350 mA (at 12V max.) NPort 5430: 360 mA (at 12V max.) NPort 5430I: 585 mA (at 12V max.)

Mechanical

Material SECC sheet metal (0.8 mm) Dimensions (W × H × D) With mounting kit: 176 × 35.5 × 103 mm

(6.93 × 1.4 × 4.06 inch)

Without mounting kit: 158 × 33 × 103 mm

(6.22 × 1.3 × 4.06 inch) Gross Weight NPort 5410: 0.5 kg (1.10 lb) NPort 5430, NPort 5430I: 0.5 kg (1.10 lb) Installation DIN-Rail, Wall Mounting

Environment

Operating Temperature 0 to 55°C (32 to 131°F), 5 to 95%RH Storage Temperature -20 to 70°C (-4 to 158°F), 5 to 95%RH

Regulatory Approvals

EMC FCC Class A, CE Class A Safety UL, CUL, TÜV WARRANTY 5 years

1-4

Chapter 2 Getting Started

This chapter includes information about installing NPort 5400 Series. The following topics are covered:

 Panel Layout  Connecting the Hardware

¾ Wiring Requirements ¾ Connecting the Power ¾ Grounding NPort 5400 ¾ Connecting to the Network ¾ Connecting to a Serial Device ¾ LED Indicators

NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Getting Started

Panel Layout

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Getting Started

Connecting the Hardware

This section describes how to connect NPort 5400 to serial devices for first time testing purposes. We cover Wiring Requirements, Connecting the Power, Grounding NPort 5400 Series, Connecting to the Network, Connecting to a Serial Device, and LED Indicators.

Wiring Requirements

ATTENTION

Safety First!

Be sure to disconnect the power cord before installing and/or wiring your NPort 5400 Series.

Wiring Caution!

Calculate the maximum possible current in each power wire and common wire. Observe all electrical codes dictating the maximum current allowable for each wire size.

If the current goes above the maximum ratings, the wiring could overheat, causing serious damage to your equipment.

Temperature Caution!

Please take care when handling NPort 5400. When plugged in, NPort 5420/5430/5430I’s internal components generate heat, and consequently the casing may feel hot to the touch.

You should also heed the following:

y Use separate paths to route wiring for power and devices. If power wiring and device wiring

paths must cross, make sure the wires are perpendicular at the intersection point.

NOTE: Do not run signal or communication wiring and power wiring in the same wire conduit. To avoid interference, wires with different signal characteristics should be routed separately.

y You can use the type of signal transmitted through a wire to determine which wires should be

kept separate. The rule of thumb is that wiring that shares similar electrical characteristics can be bundled together.

y Keep input wiring and output wiring separate. y Where necessary, it is strongly advised that you label wiring to all devices in the system.

Connecting the Power

Connect the 12-48 VDC power line with NPort 5400’s terminal block. If the power is properly supplied, the “Ready” LED will show a solid red color until the system is ready, at which time the “Ready” LED will change to a green color.

Grounding NPort 5400

Grounding and wire routing helps limit the effects of noise due to electromagnetic interference (EMI). Run the ground connection from the ground screw to the grounding surface prior to connecting devices.

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Getting Started

ATTENTION

This product is intended to be mounted to a well-grounded mounting surface such as a metal panel.

SG: The Shielded Ground (sometimes called Protected Ground)

contact is the left most contact of the 3-pin power terminal block connector when viewed from the angle shown here. Connect the SG wire to an appropriate grounded metal surface.

Connecting to the Network

Connect one end of the Ethernet cable to NPort 5400’s 10/100M Ethernet port and the other end of the cable to the Ethernet network. If the cable is properly connected, NPort 5400 will indicate a valid connection to the Ethernet in the following ways:

y The Ethernet LED maintains a solid green color when connected to a 100 Mbps Ethernet

network.

y The Ethernet LED maintains a solid yellow color when connected to a 10 Mbps Ethernet

network.

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

Connecting to a Serial Device

Connect the serial data cable between NPort 5400 and the serial device.

LED Indicators

The top panels of NPort 5400 have four LED indicators, as described in the following table.

LED Name LED Color LED Function

red

Ready

green

off Power is off, or power error condition exists.

orange 10 Mbps Ethernet connection.

Ethernet

P1, P2,

P3, P4

green 100 Mbps Ethernet connection.

off

orange Serial port is receiving data.

green Serial port is transmitting data.

off No data is being transmitted or received through the serial port.

Steady on: Power is on and NPort is booting up. Blinking: Indicates an IP conflict, or DHCP or BOOTP server did

not respond properly. Steady on: Power is on and NPort is functioning normally. Blinking: The NPort has been located by NPort Administrator’s

Location function

Ethernet cable is disconnected, or has a short.

2-4

Chapter 3 Initial IP Address Configuration

When setting up your NPort 5410/5430/5340I for the first time, the first thing you should do is configuring the IP address. This chapter introduces the method to configure NPort’s IP address. Select one of the initial IP Address configuration methods to configure NPort’s IP Address. For more details about network settings, see the Network Settings section from Chapter 5, Web Console Configuration.

This chapter includes the following sections:

 Initializing NPort’s IP Address  Factory Default IP Address  LCM Display Å recommended configuration method  NPort Administration Suite Å recommended configuration method  ARP  Telnet Console

NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

Initializing NPort’s IP Address

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

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

3. If NPort is used in a Dynamic IP environment, you can use LCM Display, NPort Administration suite, Web Console, or Telnet Console to configure NPort 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 5400 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 NPor.

Factory Default IP Address

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

(IP addresses of the form 192.168.xxx.xxx are referred to as private IP addresses, since it is not possible to directly access a device configured with a private IP address from a public network. For example, you would not be able to ping such a device from an outside Internet connection. NPort 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.)

LCM Display

We recommend using LCM display and four push buttons to configure the IP address at the first time installation.

Basic Operation

If the NPort is working properly, the LCM panel will display a green color. The red Ready LED will also light up, indicating that the NPort is receiving power. After the red Ready LED turns to green, you will see a display similar to:

N P 5 4 1 0 _ 6 1 4 0 5 1 9 2 . 1 6 8 . 1 2 7 . 2 5 4

This is where

• NP5410 is the NPort’s name

• 61405 is the NPort’s serial number

• 192.168.127.254 is the NPort’s IP address

Default IP address: 192.168.127.254

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

There are four push buttons on NPort’s nameplate. Going from left to right, the buttons are:

Button Name

MENU menu activates the main menu, or returns to a lower level

U V

SEL

up cursor down cursor scrolls down through a list of items shown on the LCM panel’s second line select

Action

scrolls up through a list of items shown on the LCM panel’s second line

selects the option listed on the LCM panel’s second line

The buttons are manipulated in a manner similar to the way a modern cellular phone operates. As you move through the various functions and setting options, note that the top line shows the current menu or submenu name, and the bottom line shows the submenu name or menu item which is activated by pressing the sel button.

Detailed Menu Options

The best way to explain all of NPort’s LCM functions is to refer to the tree graph shown in the next page. There are three main levels—1, 2, and 3—with each level represented by a separate column.

The first thing to remember is that the menu button is used to move back and forth between the LCM panel’s default screen, and main menu screen:

N P 5 4 1 0 _ 6 1 4 0 5 1 9 2 . 1 6 8 . 1 2 7 . 2 5 4

M a i n M e n U S e r v e r s e t t i n g ↓

In addition, you only need to remember to:

• Use the sel button to move up one level (i.e., left to right on the tree graph)

• Use the menu button to move down one level (i.e., right to left on the tree graph)

• Use the cursor keys, U and V, to scroll between the various options within a level (i.e.,

up and down on the tree graph).

As you use the buttons to operate the LCM display, you will notice that with very few exceptions, moving up one level causes the bottom line of the display to move to the top line of the display. You will also notice that the bottom three options in level 2, and all of the options in level 3 have either a C or D attached. The meaning is as follows:

• C = configurable

I.e., you are allowed to change the setting of this option

• D = display only

I.e., the setting for this option is displayed, but it cannot be changed (this does NOT necessarily mean that the number doesn’t change; only that you can’t change it)

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

Main Menu Server

setting

Network

setting

Serial set Select port

Op Mode set

Console Web console

Ping C Save/Restart C

Serial number Server name Firmware ver Model name Ethernet status MAC address IP config IP address Netmask Gateway DNS server 1 DNS server 2

Baud rate Data bit Stop bit Parity Flow control Tx/Rx fifo Interface Tx/Rx bytes Line status Select port Select mode [mode] Real COM

Alive timeout Max connection Delimiter 1 Delimiter 2 Force Tx

Telnet console

TCP server

Alive timeout Inact. time Max connection Delimiter 1 Delimiter 2 Force Tx Local TCP port Command port

TCP client

Alive timeout Inact. time Delimiter 1 Delimiter 2 Force Tx Dest IP-1 TCP port-1 Dest IP-2 TCP port-2 Dest IP-3 TCP port-3 Dest IP-4 TCP port-4 TCP connect

UDP svr/cli

Delimiter 1 Delimiter 2 Force Tx Dest IP start-1 Dest IP end-1 Dest port-1 Dest IP start-2 Dest IP end-2 Dest port-2 Dest IP start-3 Dest IP end-3 Dest port-3 Dest IP start-4 Dest IP end-4 Dest port-4 Local port

D C D D D D C C C C C C C C C C C C C C D D C C

C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C

The part of the LCM operation that still requires some explanation is how to edit the configurable options. In fact, you will only encounter two types of configurable options.

The first type involves entering numbers, such as IP addresses, Netmasks, etc. In this case, you change the number one digit at a time. The up cursor (U) is used to decrease the highlighted digit, the down cursor (V) is used to increase the highlighted digit, and the sel button is used to move to the next digit. When the last digit has been changed, pressing sel simply enters the number into NPort Server Lite’s memory.

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

The second type of configurable option is when there are only a small number of options from which to choose (although only one option will be visible at a time). Consider the PARITY attribute under PORT SETTING as an example. Follow the tree graph to arrive at the following PARITY screen. The first option, NONE, is displayed, with a down arrow all the way to the right. This is an indication that there are other options from which to choose.

P a r i t Y

N O n e

Press the down cursor button once to see Odd as the second option.

P a r i t Y

O d d

Press the down cursor button again to see Even as the third option.

P A R I T Y

E v e n

Press the down cursor button again to see Space as the fourth option.

P A R I T Y

M a r k

Press the down cursor button yet again to see the last option, Space.

P A R I T Y

S p a c e

To choose the desired option, press the select button when the option is showing on the screen.

↓

↑ ↓

↑

NPort Administration Suite

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

See Chapter 5 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.

ARP

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

ATTENTION

In order to use this setup method, both your computer and NPort must be connected to the same LAN. Or, you may use a cross-over Ethernet cable to connect the Nport directly to your computer’s Ethernet card. Your NPort must be configured with the factory default IP address—192.168.127.254—before

executing the ARP command, as described below.

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

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

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

2. Obtain the NPort’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. You will need to change both numbers, as described above in points 1 and 2.

4. Next, execute a special Telnet command by typing: telnet 192.168.200.100 6000

After issuing this command, a Connect failed message will appear, as shown here. After the NPort 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.

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’s IP address. This can be done using the Telnet program.

1. From the Windows desktop, click on 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 is password protected.

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

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

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

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

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

7. Press any key to continue…

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

9. Type s and then press Enter to Save/Restart the system.

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

3-9

Chapter 4 Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

In this chapter, we describe the various NPort 5400 operation modes. The options include an operation mode that 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 definitions.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

 Overview  Real COM Mode  TCP Server Mode  TCP Client Mode  UDP Mode  Pair Connection Mode  Reverse Telnet Mode  Disabled Mode

NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

Overview

NPort Device Servers network-enable traditional RS-232/422/485 devices, in which a 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 configure remote facilities and equipment over the Internet from anywhere in the world.

Traditional SCADA and data collection systems rely on serial prots (RS-232/422/485) to collect data from various kinds of instruments. Since NPort Serial Device Servers network-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.

NPort is an external IP-based network device that allows you to expand the number of serial ports 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, NPort also comes with a Real COM/TTY driver that transmits all serial signals intact. This means that your existing COM/TTY-based software can be 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 multicasting of data to groups of IP addresses.

ATTENTION

Pictures in this Chapter will use NPort 5400 series as an example.

Real COM Mode

NPort comes equipped with COM drivers that work with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP 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’s serial port to a local COM/TTY port on the host computer. This operation mode also supports up to 4 simultaneous connections, so that multiple hosts can collect data from the same serial device at the same time.

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

ATTENTION

The driver used for Real COM Mode comes with the NPort Windows Administrator. The driver is installed automatically on your computer when you install NPort Administration Suite.

The important point 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 TCP/IP packet, and then redirects it through the host’s Ethernet card. At the other end of the connection, the NPort accepts the Ethernet frame, unpacks the TCP/IP packet, and then transparently sends it to the appropriate serial device attached to one of the NPort’s serial ports.

ATTENTION

Real COM Mode allows several hosts to have access control over the same NPort. The driver that comes with your NPort controls host access to attached serial devices by checking the host’s IP address. Modify the Accessible IP Setting table when the legal IP address should be required in your application

TCP Server Mode

In TCP Server mode, NPort provides a unique IP:Port address on a TCP/IP network. NPort waits passively to be contacted by the host computer, allowing the host computer to establish a connection with and get data from the serial device. This operation 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 configured for TCP Server Mode.

2. Once the connection is established, data can be transmitted in both directions—from the host to the NPort, and from the NPort to the host.

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

TCP Client Mode

In TCP Client mode, NPort can actively establish a TCP connection to a pre-defined host computer when serial data arrives.

After the data has been transferred, NPort can automatically disconnect from the host computer by using the TCP alive check time or Inactivity time settings. Refer to chapter 5 for more details.

As illustrated in the figure, data transmission proceeds as follows:

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

2. Once the connection is established, data can be transmitted in both directions—from the host to the NPort, and from the NPort to the host.

UDP Mode

Compared to TCP communication, UDP is faster and more efficient. In UDP mode, you can multicast data from the serial device to multiple host computers, and the serial device can also receive data from multiple host computers, making this mode ideal for message display applications.

Pair Connection Mode

Pair Connection Mode employs two NPort 5400 in tandem, and can be used to remove the 15-meter distance limitation imposed by the RS-232 interface. One NPort 5400 is connected from its RS-232 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 port of the other NPort 5400. The two NPort 5400 units are then connected to each other with a cross-over Ethernet cable, both are connected to the same 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.

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Choosing the Proper Operation Mode

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 RAW 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 RAW mode does not provide the conversion function provided by Telnet. If the connected devices need to use the CR/LF conversion function when controlling, then users must choose Rtelnet mode.

Disabled Mode

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

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Chapter 5 Web Console Configuration

The Web Console is the most user-friendly way to configure NPort 5410/5430/5340I. This chapter will introduce the Web Console function groups and function definitions. This chapter uses NPort 5230 as an example. The function and definition is totally the same with NPort 5400 series.

 Opening Your Browser  Basic Settings  Network Settings  Serial Settings  Operation Settings

¾ Real COM Mode ¾ TCP Server Mode ¾ TCP Client Mode ¾ UDP Mode ¾ Pair Connection Mode ¾ Reverse Telnet Mode ¾ Disabled Mode

 Accessible IP Settings  Auto Warning Settings

¾ Auto warning: E-mail and SNMP trap ¾ Event Type

 Monitor

¾ Monitor Line ¾ Monitor Async ¾ Monitor Async-Settings

 Change Password  Load Factory Default

NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Web Console Configuration

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 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 5400 series uses cookies only for “password” transmission.

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Web Console Configuration

ATTENTION

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

The NPort 5410/5430/5340I homepage will open. On this page, you can see a brief description of the Web Console’s nine function groups.

ATTENTION

If you can’t remember the password, the ONLY way to start configuring NPort is to load factory defaults by using the Reset button located near the NPort’s RJ45 Ethernet port.

Remember to use NPort Administrator 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 NPort by using the NPort Administrator Import function. Refer to Chapter 6 for more details about using the Export and Import functions.

ATTENTION

If your NPort 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.

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Web Console Configuration

Basic Settings

Server name

Setting Factory Default Necessity

1 to 39 characters NP[model name]_[Serial No.] Optional

This option is useful for specifying the location or application of different NPorts.

Time

NPort 5410/5430/5340I has a built-in Real-Time Clock for time calibration functions. Functions such as Auto warning “Email” or “SNMP Trap” can add real-time information to the message.

ATTENTION

First time users should select the time zone first. The Console will display the “real time” according to the time zone compared to GMT.

If you would like to modify the real time clock, select “Local time.” NPort’s firmware will modify the GMT time according to the Time Zone.

Time zone

Setting Factory Default Necessity

User selectable time zone GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Required

Local time

Setting Factory Default Necessity

User adjustable time (1900/1/1-2037/12/31)

Click on the Modify button to open the Modify time settings window to input the correct local time.

GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Required

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NPort 5400 Series User’s Manual Web Console Configuration

Time server

Setting Factory Default Necessity

IP or Domain address (E.g., 192.168.1.1 or time.stdtime.gov.tw

or time.nist.gov)

NPort 5410/5430/5340I uses SNTP (RFC-1769) for auto time calibration.

Input the correct “Time Server” IP address or domain address. Once NPort is configured with the correct Time Server address, NPort will request time information from the “Time Server” every 10 minutes.

None Optional

Web/Telnet Console

The “Disable” option for “Web Console” and “Telnet Console” is included for security reasons. In some cases, you may want to Disable one or both of these console utilities as an extra precaution to prevent unauthorized users from accessing your NPort 5400. The factory default for both Web console and Telnet console is Enable.

Web console

Setting Factory Default Necessity

Enable or Disable Enable Required

Telnet console

Setting Factory Default Necessity

Enable or Disable Enable Required

ATTENTION

If you disable both the “Web console” and “Telnet console,” you can still use NPort Administrator to configure NPort 5400 series either locally or remotely over the network. Refer to Chapter 6 for more details.

LCM password protect

Setting Factory Default Necessity

No or Yes No Required

Select Ye s to use the web console password to enter the LCM utility. If the console password is blank, the LCM password will also be blank. To enter the password using the LCM buttons, use the scroll buttons to locate a particular character, press SEL, enter the next character in the password, press SEL, etc. Once the password has been entered, press SEL until the LCM screen is activated.

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