Moxa Technologies NPort IA5150A User Manual

NPort IA5150A/IA5250A Series Choosing the Proper Operation Mode
4-2
Overview
NPort IA5150A/IA5250A serial device servers network-enable traditional RS-232/422/485 devices, in which a
Serial 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 ports (RS-232/422/485) to collect data from
various kinds of instruments. Since the NPort IA5150A/IA5250A 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.
The NPort IA5150A/IA5250A 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, the NPort IA5150A/IA5250A 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 unicast or multicast of data to only one IP or groups of IP addresses.
Real COM Mode
The NPort IA5150A/IA5250A comes equipped with COM
d
rivers that work with Windows
95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/XP x64/2003
x64/Vista x64/2008 x64/7 x64 s
ystems, and also TTY
drivers for Linux or Unix systems. The drive
r establishes a
transparent connection between host and serial
device by
mapping the IP:Port of the NPort IA5150A/IA5250A’s serial
port to a local COM/TTY
port on the host computer. Real
COM
Mode also supports up to eight simultaneous
connections, so that
multiple hosts can collect data from the
same
serial device at the same time.
ATTENTION
The driver used for
Real COM Mode comes with the NPort IA5150A/IA5250A NPort Administrator.
The driver
is installed automatically on your computer when you install the NPort 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 IA5150A/IA5250A 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 IA5150A/IA5250A’s serial ports.

Moxa Technologies NPort IA5150A Specifications

General

Isolation	1.5 kV
Certification	CE, FCC
Serial interface type	RS-232/422/485
Serial ports quantity	1
Ethernet LAN data rates	10, 100 Mbit/s
Ethernet LAN (RJ-45) ports	2
Supported network protocols	ICMP, IP, TCP, UDP, DHCP, BOOTP, Telnet, Rtelnet, DNS, HTTP, SMTP, SNTP, IGMP
Connectivity LEDs	Yes
Storage temperature (T-T)	-40 - 85 °C
Operating temperature (T-T)	0 - 60 °C
Operating relative humidity (H-H)	5 - 95 %
Input voltage	12 - 48 V
Safety	UL-508

Weight and Dimensions

Weight	475 g
Dimensions (WxDxH)	36 x 105 x 140 mm