1. Application of serial port server in the Ministry of Transport
1.1 Equipment distribution and connection status
The Meishan Iron and Steel Transportation Department has 5 sets of AEI equipment distributed at the Guxiong Railway Station, which is far away from the transportation information system room. The equipment uses RS232/RS 485 for network communication, but this bus has many inherent defects ( such as limited distance, need rewiring, etc.). Due to the limitations of the equipment communication interface and the on-site enterprise LAN, the application server can only be placed in the nearby Guxiong signal building and communicate with outdoor equipment through serial ports to collect data. There is a dynamic camera system for road vehicles at Chaoyang crossing. Due to the same reasons mentioned above, the application server can only be placed on site and serial communication is used to collect data. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the distribution and connection of field equipment.
In this kind of distribution and connection situation, it brings great inconvenience to daily inspection and troubleshooting. Due to the long distance, each inspection and troubleshooting takes at least about 1 hour, and the operating status of the two application servers cannot be grasped in time . The on-site environment is much harsher than the information room of the Ministry of Transport, which increases the failure rate of the application server and makes daily equipment inconvenient.
1.2 Application of serial port server
In order to solve the impact of factors such as limited serial port transmission distance, low data sharing and reliability, serial port mode and Ethernet connection, and inconvenient daily management, a serial port server is adopted, which can provide a simple and fast networking method for serial port devices. This method does not require the modification of the original equipment or the expansion of the enterprise LAN. Through simple settings, the serial device can be immediately connected to the network to achieve the purpose of data sharing. At the same time , it can reduce the investment in application servers and facilitate client access. Achieve the purpose of jointly managing serial port devices and decentrally managing hosts in the local area network.
2. Application of serial port server in other fields
Factory floor data transmission
RS-232/RS-485 serial devices are among the many data loggers and collectors that monitor critical processes in manufacturing operations. Industrial automation brings wired LAN capabilities to most factories. Enables these devices to connect directly to LAN networks with multi-drop functionality.
Quality control operations that use mechanical equipment to test products on the production line, often also driven by the RS485 serial bus. With the help of a serial port server to bidirectionally transmit serial port data and Ethernet data, the existing Ethernet network on the factory floor can be used to connect these devices. This helps provide integration between the factory floor and office environments.
Security applications
It has become common in the IoT era to program security access control devices to allow only authorized employees to enter factories, corporate offices, or other restricted areas.
Many large companies currently use serial networking servers to centrally manage secure access devices across all their subsidiaries. No matter where you entered your identity, wherever you are now, you can go to any branch from its headquarters, factory or sales office. They can allow or disallow visitors based on employee ID information. All information can be updated centrally.
Traffic control
More and more cities are relying on the Internet to connect all their departments. RS232 devices (such as traffic lights and entire traffic control systems) can be transmitted through a serial port server or DTU. If there is an Ethernet network on site, the data can be transmitted through a stable Ethernet. If there are many base stations on site and M2M data transmission is stable, DTU can be used for data transmission through the M2M network, which can save tedious line layout work. In addition, remote management of traffic control equipment can simplify the reset or reprogramming of equipment in the event of equipment failure.
Grading system application
Automated scanners and test readers used to score student exams are often powered by RS-232. As with other serial devices, if you do not have a direct connection to the device, you must install a dial-up modem to gain access. The serial The server allows schools to connect scanners to an Ethernet network so users can communicate with any grade level via the serial port and retrieve their data.
medical equipment
Hospitals rely on devices that can monitor patient functions and trigger alarms to warn hospital staff of dangerous conditions. Historically, these monitors and alerts were typically based on serial ports, especially most code alerts. Adding virtual serial port software to monitoring devices or code alarms can allow access to data and code alarms through the hospital’s data communications.
alarm company
Most alarm control panels are RS232 controlled. Alarm companies must monitor and manage devices located far from each other within customer service areas. For companies with Ethernet connections at various locations, their RS232 controlled alarm panels can be accessed by connecting to the alarm control panel through virtual serial software.
At present, there are still many devices in the industrial environment using RS232/RS 485 for network communication, but its bus has many inherent defects. Ethernet is the most widely used network and has the most extensive network support and resources, and enterprises The informatization construction must also establish high-grade data collection, production monitoring, and real-time cost management networking systems. Therefore, the serial port data stream transmission based on TCP/IP is used to realize the management of device hardware. The serial port server can immediately upgrade the enterprise’s previous RS 232/RS 485 devices to devices with Ethernet interfaces, and the devices can be installed without wiring. By connecting to the existing Ethernet network, it can be replaced or upgraded without investing a lot of manpower and material resources.