7 EKI-1528/1526 User Manual
Chapter 2 Getting Started
2.1.1 COM Port Redirector (Virtual COM)
Advantech serial device server configuration utility is a serial COM port redirector that
creates virtual COM ports and provides access to the serial devices connected to
Advantech serial device servers. You can configure the serial device server and
enable the virtual COM port using one integrated utility. Advantech serial device
server configuration utility allows you to configure Microsoft applications to
communicate with network enabled serial device servers as easily as if they were
physically installed in or directly connected to the PC.
The Advantech redirector can create up to 255 virtual COM ports. Application on the
host can open virtual COM port to access the serial device servers at the same time.
The redirector will handle each active virtual COM port as a separate TCP connec-
tion to Advantech serial device servers.
Normal Mode
The Advantech redirector connects the Advantech serial device servers while an
application open the COM port and disconnects from the Advantech serial device
servers when the application closes the COM port. The redirector uses TCP network
connections to the Advantech serial device server to gain the access to the con-
nected serial devices.
Multi-Access Mode (Shared COM Port Mode)
Most of serial devices are connected directly and physically to the PC serial ports via
a cable. The operation system, ex. Windows XP, provides the COM ports that user’s
application can access, and control the serial device through the serial cable. This
means that the serial device can be connected to one host and only one application
on this host can handle input, output and control operation on this device.
If you want to run more than one applications to use same serial device, you can
employ EKI-1500 serial device servers that provide a virtual COM port for a host or
multi-hosts on an Ethernet network. EKI-1500 serial device server is located between
hosts and serial devices. Each serial port on the EKI-1500 serial device server can
allow the maximum of 5 host connections through one Ethernet port or two Ethernet
ports. There are two major operation modes for Multi-Access Mode. First one is
broadcast mode; the EKI-1500 serial device server handles a command from one
application and replies the data from the serial port to all applications that are con-
necting this serial port. Another one is polling mode; the EKI-1500 serial device
server handles the command from one application and reply to this application only.
Query from other applications must be queued and wait for current process complet-
ing.
By using a serial derive server to share serial device, you eliminate the separate
serial lines and serial devices that can be attached to individual hosts. Collecting the
data from these serial devices become more easily and more effectively.
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