NPort 5200 Series User’s Manual
Choosing the Proper Operation Mode
4-3
ATTENTION
The driver used for Real COM Mode is bundled with NPort Administrator. The driver is
installed on your computer automatically when you install NPort 5200 Administration Suite.
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 TCP/IP packet, and then redirects it through the host’s Ethernet card. At the other end of the
connection, the NPort 5200 accepts the Ethernet frame, unpacks the TCP/IP packet, and then sends
it transparently to the appropriate serial device attached to one of the NPort 5200’s serial ports.
ATTENTION
Real COM Mode allows several hosts to have access control to the same NPort 5200. The driver
that comes with your NPort 5200 controls host access to attached serial devices by checking the
host’s IP address. Refer to the
Accessible IP Settings
section of Chapter 5 for more details.
TCP Server Mode
In
TCP Server Mode
, NPort 5200 is configured
with a unique IP:Port combination on a TCP/IP
network. In this case, NPort 5200 waits passively
to be contacted 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 5200 configured for TCP Server Mode.
2.
Once the connection is established, data can
be transmitted in both directions—from the
host to the NPort 5200, and from the NPort
5200 to the host.
TCP Server Mode
1
Request a
connection
2
Proceed with
data transmission
TCP/IP
Ethernet
TCP Server
RS-232
Device
1
2
10/100M
Ethernet
V+
V-
P1 RS-232
P2 RS-232
Ready
Link
P1
P2
Industrial RS-232
Device Server
5210
RESET
12-30V