Moxa Technologies UC-7400-CE, UC-7420-CE, UC-7410-CE, UC-7408-CE User Manual

UC-7400-CE User’s Manual

Second Edition, July 2007

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UC-7400-CE 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.

Copyright Notice

Copyright © 2007 Moxa Systems Co., Ltd.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction without permi ssion is pr ohibited.

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 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 made periodically to the
information in this manual 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

Model Descriptions and Package Checklist.................................................................. 1-2

UC-7400 Product Features ........................................................................................... 1-3

Product Hardware Specifications.................................................................................. 1-4

UC-7400-CE Software Features..............................................................................................1-5

Application Development Environment....................................................................... 1-5

Networking and Communication Capabilities.............................................................. 1-6

Supporting Servers and Daemons................................................................................. 1-6

Learning Firmware Build Versions.......................................................................................... 1-6

Memory and File Systems ....................................................................................................... 1-7

RAM-based Storage ..................................................................................................... 1-7

Onboard Flash Memory Storage................................................................................... 1-7

External Media Storage................................................................................................1-7

Caution When Storing Data.......................................................................................... 1-7

Storing Data in RAM vs. Flash Memory...................................................................... 1-8

Hive-Based Registry................................................................................................................ 1-8

Inserting a CompactFlash Card................................................................................................ 1-8

Installing a USB Mass Storage Device.................................................................................... 1-8

Installing a PCMCIA Card....................................................................................................... 1-9

RS-232/422/485 Serial Ports.................................................................................................... 1-9

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

Starting the UC-7400-CE......................................................................................................... 2-2

Resetting the UC-7400-CE......................................................................................................2-2

Operating the UC-7400-CE from the Serial Console...............................................................2-2

Changing the Network Settings...............................................................................................2-2

Operating the UC-7400-CE by Telnet...................................................................................... 2-3

User/Group Management......................................................................................................... 2-4

Adjusting the System Time and RTC Time.............................................................................. 2-5

Troubleshooting Network Connectivity................................................................................... 2-6

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)..................................................................... 2-7

Chapter 3 Web-based Management System...............................................................3-1

Logging Onto Web-based Management System...................................................................... 3-2

System Information.................................................................................................................. 3-2

Networking/Server Configuration............................................................................................3-3

Serial Port Configuration......................................................................................................... 3-3

Process (Thread) Monitoring/Control...................................................................................... 3-4

Launching Processes Automatically ........................................................................................ 3-4

Services Monitoring/Control ................................................................................................... 3-5

Binary/Text File Management ................................................................................................. 3-5

Appendix A Programmable Function Keys and LCM...................................................A-1

Appendix B Firmware Upgrade Procedure....................................................................B-1

Appendix C Frequently Asked Questions ..................................................................... C-1

1

1

Chapter 1 Introduction

Microsoft® Windows® CE 5.0 is an open, scalable, 32-bit operating system (OS) that is used to
build a wide range of innovative, small footprint devices. Windows® CE-based devices are often
designed for specific uses that run independently of other computers, or as a distributed front-end
to a centralized host. Examples include enterprise tools, such as industrial controllers,
communications hubs, and point-of-sale terminals. Other examples include display devices, such
as HMIs, advertisement appliances, and interactive panels.

MOXA’s Windows® CE computers were designed to meet the requirements of Windows®
developers. We provide Windows® CE solutions for the MOXA UC-7400 series of ready-to-run
embedded computers, including the UC-7420, UC-7410, and UC-7408. MOXA’s experience with
developing embedded small footprint communication devices provides the intense technological
skill required while porting the Windows® CE 5.0 kernel.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:



Overview

¾

Model Descriptions and Package Checklist

¾

UC-7400 Product Features

¾

Product Hardware Specifications



UC-7400-CE Software Features

¾

Application Development Environment

¾

Networking and Communication Capabilities

¾

Supporting Servers and Daemons



Learning Firmware Build Versions



Memory and File Systems

¾

RAM-based Storage

¾

Onboard Flash Memory Storage

¾

External Media Storage

¾

Caution When Storing Data

¾

Storing Data in RAM vs. Flash Memory



Hive-Based Registry



Inserting a CompactFlash Card



Installing a USB Mass Storage Device



Installing a PCMCIA Card



RS-232/422/485 Serial Ports

UC-7400-CE User’s Manual Introduction

1-2

Overview

The MOXA UC-7400-CE Series (referred to in this manual as the UC-7400-CE) includes the
UC-7420-CE, UC-7410-CE, and UC-7408-CE. These RISC-based ready-to-run embedded
computers are ideal for embedded applications. The UC-7400-CE features 8 RS-232/422/485
serial ports, dual 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports, 8 digital input and 8 digital output channels, a
PCMCIA interface for wireless LAN communication, a CompactFlash port for flash disk
expansion, and USB ports for adding additional memory (such as a USB flash disk).

The UC-7400-CE uses an Intel XScale IXP-422 266 MHz RISC CPU. Unlike the X86 CPU,
which uses a CISC design, the IXP-422’s RISC design architecture and modern semiconductor
technology provide the UC-7400-CE with a powerful computing engine and communication
functions, but without generating a lot of heat. The built-in 32 MB NOR Flash ROM and 128 MB
SDRAM provide enough memory for running application software directly from the UC-740 0.
Since the dual LAN ports are built into the IXP-422 CPU, the UC-7400-CE makes an ideal
communication platform for network security applications. If your application requires placing the
UC-7400-CE at a site that is not located near an Ethernet LAN connection, you can connect to the
network by using the UC-7400’s PCMCIA port to attach a wireless LAN card.

The UC-7400-CE series of ready-to-run embedded computers use the Microsoft® Windows® CE

5.0 operating system (OS), which makes them suitable for new system development and legacy
system migration.

All of the necessary device drivers, such as a PCMCIA wireless LAN module and keypad, LCM,
and buzzer control, are included with UC-7400-CE. The operating system, device drivers, and the
software you develop for your own application can all be stored in the UC-7400’s flash memory.

Model Descriptions and Package Checklist

The basic features of each UC-7400-CE product are described below:

UC-7420-CE

RISC-based ready-to-run embedded computer with 8 serial ports, dual Ethernet ports, PCMCIA,
CompactFlash, USB, WinCE 5.0

UC-7410-CE

RISC-based ready-to-run embedded computer with 8 serial ports, dual Eth e rnet p orts, Wi nC E 5. 0

UC-7408-CE

RISC-based data acquisition embedded computer with 8 serial ports, 8 DI channels, 8 DO
channels, dual Ethernet ports, PCMCIA, CompactFlash, WinCE 5.0

The UC-7400-CE is shipped with the following items:

y 1 UC-7400 series embedded computer
y Wall-Mounting Kit
y DIN-Rail Mounting Kit
y Quick Installation Guide
y Document & Software CD
y Cross-over Ethernet cable
y CBL-RJ45M9-150: 150 cm, 8-pin RJ45 to male DB9 serial port cable
y CBL-RJ45F9-150: 150 cm, 8-pin RJ45 to female DB9 console port cable
y Universal Power Adaptor
y Product Warranty Booklet

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

UC-7400-CE User’s Manual Introduction

1-3

UC-7400 Product Features

y Intel XScale IXP-422 266 MHz Processor
y On-board 128 MB RAM, 32 MB Flash ROM
y Eight RS-232/422/485 serial ports
y 8 digital input channels and 8 digital output channels (UC-7408 only)
y Dual 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports
y USB 2.0 host for mass storage devices (UC-7420 only)
y PCMCIA, wireless LAN expansion (supports 802.11b/802.11g)
y CompactFlash for storage expansion (UC-7420/7408 only)
y LCM display and keypad for HMI (UC-7420/7410 only)
y Ready-to-run WinCE 5.0 .NET platform
y DIN-Rail or wall mounting installation
y Robust, fanless design

UC-7420/UC-7410 UC-7408

The UC-7420-CE and UC-7408-CE have a PCMCIA slot and CompactFlash interface for wireless
communication and flash storage expansion. In addition, the UC-7420-CE integrates two USB
hosts, a USB device port, and an LCM display for mass storage capability and other uses.

The UC-7408-CE, which does not have an LCM or USB port, features 8 digital input channels and
8 digital output channels, making it an ideal but cost-effective embedded computer for data
acquisition systems.

The UC-7410-CE is a low-cost, stripped-down version of the UC-7420-CE designed for
smaller-scale applications. As such the UC-7410-CE does not have a PCMCIA slot, CompactFlash,
or USB port. Please see the comparison table below for more details about these products.

UC-7400-CE User’s Manual Introduction

1-4

Product Hardware Specifications

UC-7420 UC-7410 UC-7408

CPU

Intel XScale,
IXP-422 266 MHz

Intel XScale,
IXP-422 266 MHz

Intel XScale,
IXP-422 266 MHz

RAM

128 MB 128 MB 128 MB

Flash

32 MB 32 MB 32 MB

LAN

Auto-sensing 10/100 Mbps × 2 with built-in 1.5 KV magnetic isolation protection,

RJ45 connector

Serial Ports

RS-232/422/485 × 8,
RJ45 connector

RS-232/422/485 × 8,
RJ45 connector

RS-232/422/485 × 8,
RJ45 connector

Serial Protection

15 KV ESD for all signals

Data Bits

5, 6, 7, 8

Stop Bits

1, 1.5, 2

Parity

none, even, odd, space, mark

Flow Control

RTS/CTS, XON/XOFF, RS-485 ADDC™

Speed

50 bps to 921.6 Kbps

Serial Console

RS-232 × 1,
RJ45 connector

RS-232 × 1,
RJ45 connector

RS-232 × 1,
RJ45 connector

DI/DO

N/A DI × 8, DO × 8 N/A

USB 2.0 Hosts

2 N/A N/A

USB 1.1 Client

1 * 1 * 1 *

PCMCIA

Cardbus × 1 N/A Cardbus × 1

Storage Expansion

Compact Flash × 1 ** N/A Compact Flash × 1 **

LCM

128 × 64 dots 128 × 64 dots N/A

Keypad

5 5 N/A

Real-time Clock

Yes Yes Yes

Buzzer

Yes Yes Yes

Reset Button

HW Reset × 1,
Reset to Default × 1

HW Reset × 1,
Reset to Default × 1

HW Reset × 1,
Reset to Default × 1

Power Input

12 to 48 VDC 12 to 48 VDC 12 to 48 VDC

Power Consumption

12W 10W 8W

Dimensions
(W x D x H)

197 × 125 × 44 mm 197 × 125 × 44 mm 197 × 125 × 44 mm

Weight

875 g 810 g 87 0 g

Operating
Temperature

-10 to 60°C (14 to 140°F), 5 to 95% RH

Storage temperature

-20 to 80°C (-4 to 176°F), 5 to 95% RH

Regulatory Approvals

EMC: CE Class A, FCC Class A

Safety: UL, cUL, TÜV

Warranty

5 years 5 years 5 years

* The USB Client function is reserved for future enhancement.
** The CompactFlash is designed for a flash memory card or Microdrive.

UC-7400-CE User’s Manual Introduction

1-5

UC-7400-CE Software Features

The UC-7400-CE ready-to-run embedded computers are network-centric, head-less computers that
are designed for programmed, embedded communication applications. The software features of the
UC-7400-CE are described in the following subsections:

Application Development Environment

The Windows® CE environment of the UC-7400-CE provides users with a convenient,
easy-to-use programming environment. The UC-7400-CE provid es the following software
features:

y C Libraries and Run-times—Compared to the C libraries and run-times used on a desktop PC

running Windows®, the C libraries and run-times on a U C-7400-CE are a subset of the WIN32
APIs. The C libraries support full ANSI C run time, standard input/output library, standard
input/output ASCII library, and standard ASCII string functions. In addition, the C libraries
support compiler C++ exception handling equivalency and Run-Time Type Information (RTTI)
equivalent to desktop C++ compilers.

y Component Services (COM and DCOM)—The Common Object Model (COM) is an

operating system-independent, object-oriented system for creating binary software components
that can interact with other COM-based components in the same process space, in other
processes, or on remote machines.

y Microsoft® Foundation Classes (MFC)—MFC is a comprehensive class library and complete

object-oriented application framework designed to help build applications, COM components,
and controls.

y SOAP Toolkit—SOAP is an XML-based protocol for object exchange and remote procedure

calls. Microsoft® Windows® CE 5.0 provides functionality similar to the SOAP Toolkit
version 2 on the desktop. It provides a layer that allows COM objects to use SOAP as the
transport protocol for remote procedure calls and to interact with Web services.

y Microsoft® .NET Compact Framework 2.0—Offers a choice of languages (initially

Microsoft® Visual Basic® and Microsoft® Visual C#) and eliminates the common problems
faced with language interoperability.

y XML—Provides the Document Object Model (DOM) for base XML functionality, support for

XML Query Language (XQL) and XPATH, which are Extensible Style Sheet Language
Transformations (XSLT) that enable you to transform one class of XML document into another
class. In addition, SAX2 supports event-based parsing of XML documents and includes
MSXML Writer, and parsing based on Simple API for XML (SAX) for resource-constrained
target devices.

y Winsock 2.2—Provides enhanced capabilities over Winsock 1.1, including installable service

providers for additional third-party protocols, and Media sense.

UC-7400-CE User’s Manual Introduction

1-6

Networking and Communication Capabilities

For network-centric embedded application usage, the UC-7400-CE not only provides powerful
communication hardware interfaces, including dual Ethernet ports and 3-in-1 serial ports, but also
supports the networking and communications capabilities that are built into the Windows® CE 5.0
OS. The following features are supported:

y Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)—Monitors remote connections to the

network.

y Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) Client—Provides support for synchronizing the

device’s system time with an SNTP server, and supports Daylight Savings Time.

y Serial Communications—In addition to the 16550 UART driver bound to a debug port and the

console port, also included is a special driver for 8 additional MOXA serial ports.

y Network Utilities (IpConfig, Ping, Route)—Utilities for troubleshooting various network

problems.

y TCP/IP—The protocols that are included are IP, Addre ss R esol ut i o n (A R P), I nt ernet C ontrol

Messaging (ICMP), Internet Group Membership (IGMP) , Tran smission Control (TCP), User
Datagram (UDP), name resolution and registration, and DHCP.

Supporting Servers and Daemons

In addition to its development and communication capability, the UC-7400-CE also has the
following embedded services and daemons. These common and easy-to-use application servers
make it easy for users to migrate the UC-7400-CE embedded computer to industrial
communication applications.

y Telnet Server—Sample server that allows remote administration through a standard Telnet

client.

y FTP Server—Sample server used for transferring files to and from remote computer systems

over a network using TCP/IP.

y Web Server (HTTPD)—Includes ASP, ISAPI Secure Socket Layer support, SSL 2, SSL 3,

Transport Layer Security (TLS/SSL 3.1) public key-based protocols, and Web Administration
ISAPI Extensions.

y Dial-up Networking—Includes the RAS client API and the Point to Point Protocol (PPP).

RAS and PPP support Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) and RAS scripting.

Learning Firmware Build Versions

Three methods are available for obtaining the firmware version of the UC-7400-CE computer.
You will need the firmware version to determine the precise features of your UC-7400-CE
computer.

y Examine the welcome message after you log on to the computer.
y Log on to the web-based management system (described in a later chapter) to view the system

information.

y For the UC-7420-CE or UC-7410, you can obtain the firmware version by pressing the F1

function key, and then examine this information on the LCM display.

UC-7400-CE User’s Manual Introduction

1-7

Memory and File Systems

The UC-7400-CE file system allows file storage on the system RAM or on the onboard flash
memory. Files can also be stored on external media such as a USB drive or CompactFlash card.

RAM-based Storage

About 20 MB of the 128 MB SDRAM is available for user applications and data. The operating
system and kernel image occupy the rest of the space. The root directory is stored in RAM, along
with subdirectories such as “Windows”, “Temp”, “My Documents”, “Network”, and “Program
Files”. Files can be temporarily stored in these directories, but they will be deleted when the
system is shut down or restarted. Persistent files and programs should be placed in the
“NORFlash” directory.

Onboard Flash Memory Storage

Onboard flash memory storage is provided through the “NORFlash” directory. Anything that is
saved in this directory will be retained when power is disconnected or lost. 15.5 MB of storage is
available.

The flash memory file system supports TFAT (Transaction-Safe File Allocation Table), which is
safer than FAT. TFAT protects the file system from write corruption during critical events such as
a sudden power loss. After a sudden power loss, the file state is rolled back. TFAT is a superset of
FAT, which means that the embedded computer is able to mount external FAT file systems.

External Media Storage

When external media is installed, such as a USB drive or CompactFlash card, it will be found as
an additional directory. For data that is intended to be shared with a PC, the external media should
be formatted using the PC’s FAT file system instead of the TFAT file system. PCs may not
recognize the TFAT format.

Caution When Storing Data

It is recommend that the onboard NOR flash be used for storing programs only. For log data
generated by your programs, use external storage media such as CompactFlash or a Network File
System. CompactFlash is much easier to replace if it is damaged or full.

NOR flash memory has a life cycle of 100,000 write operations at the block (128 KB) level. It
does not support BBM (Bad Block Management). For this reason, a FAT file system would not
know if a flash block has reached the end of its life cycle. The FAT file system would continue to
scan the block again and again, eventually resulting in an unpred ictable state.

In addition, the FAT file system searches for free space sequentially when performing write
operations. As files are deleted, free storage space becomes more and more fragmented, making it
difficult to search. When a file is frequently updated, data is deleted and rewritten to the same
memory blocks over and over again. Eventually, the FAT file system would be unable to read
those blocks, causing the operating system to hang.

Although CompactFlash cards also have a life cycle, most use NAND flash memory with
hardware controllers that implement BBM. This feature allows the FAT file system to flag and
skip any bad blocks. Furthermore, there is much more storage space available on CompactFlash
cards than on the NOR flash memory. This space can be used cautiously to maximize the media’s
life cycle. An effective method is to create a large empty file (around 30 MB) to store log data.
Data is written evenly over the space, and when the end of the space is reached, the write
operations start over from the beginning of the space. This method reduces the number of write
operations performed on each block.

UC-7400-CE User’s Manual Introduction

1-8

Storing Data in RAM vs. Flash Memory

Although data saved in RAM will be deleted when the system shuts down, RAM storage has the
advantage of faster read/write access and no life cycle issue.

For applications where important data is transmitted immediately and directly to a host, you can
store the necessary log data in RAM. After the host receives the data, the data does not need to be
retained and can be deleted.

Embedded computers have resource limits, so integrators need to determine when it is critical that
data be stored on one of the file systems. When it is necessary for data to be stored, the appropriate
file system should be used.

Hive-Based Registry

The registry for the UC-7400-CE is a hive-based registry, instead of a RAM-based registry. The
hive-based registry stores registry data inside files, or hives, which can be kept on any file system.
This removes the need for performing backup and restore on power off.

Inserting a CompactFlash Card

The UC-7400-CE (except for the UC-7410-CE) is equipped with a type II CompactFlash slot that
supports cards of both types I and II. Since mass storage cards are considered to be standard
attachments, when an empty mass storage card is inserted in the slot, the computer automatically
formats it in FAT format. Note that the formatting process takes a few minutes to complete. When
a mass storage card is inserted, the UC-7400-CE creates a directory named “CFFloder” under the
root directory. For programming purposes, use “CFFloder” to link to the directory.

The following CompactFlash products have been verified compatible with the embedded
computer:

Manufacturer Size S

p

eed

PRETEC 128 MB

SanDisk Ultra II 1 GB

Transcend 2 GB 45X
Transcend 2 GB 80X
Transcend 4 GB 80X

ATTENTION

If your CompactFlash card is not detected when the system boots up, try the following:
(a) Remove the CompactFlash card and insert it again.

(b) Turn the embedded computer off and turn it on again.

Installing a USB Mass Storage Device

When an empty USB drive is installed on the UC-7420-CE, it will automatically be formatted
using the FAT file system rather than the TFAT system. This is because USB drives are most often
used to share data with PCs.

Each USB drive will appear as a directory under the root directory, with the first device named
“USBDisk” and the second device named “USBDisk2”.

The following USB drives have been verified compatible with the embedded computer: