Chapter 4 – Communications
Page 50 TestEquity F4T Controller
GPIB and Ethernet Modbus Interface Converters (optional)
Serial Modbus-to-GPIB Converter
Your chamber may have been ordered with a GPIB Interface option. GPIB communications is
achieved through an ICS Electronics 4899A (external, TestEquity Option 1052) or 4809A
(internal, TestEquity Option 003) GPIB-to-Modbus Interface Converter. The ICS 4899A
converts GPIB commands to serial Modbus commands that are transmitted over RS-232. The
GPIB Converter also takes care of calculating block checksums that are required for
communications to and from the F4T Controller. For more details, see the documentation that
came with the GPIB interface option.
Serial Modbus-to-Ethernet Converter
Your chamber may have been ordered with a Serial Modbus-to-Ethernet Interface option. GPIB
communications is achieved through an ICS Electronics 9099 (TestEquity Option 1056). The
programming syntax is the same as the GPIB Interface Converter mentioned above. For more
details, see the documentation that came with the Ethernet interface option.
NOTE: Composer software will only work with the native F4T Ethernet interface and
Data Map 1, not the Serial Modbus-to-Ethernet Converter.
Why use the Ethernet Converter when the F4T Controller has an Ethernet Interface?
The native F4T Ethernet Interface uses the Modbus TCP protocol. The 1056 Ethernet Interface
Converter converts the controller’s RS-232 Modbus interface to Ethernet. The converter takes
care of the Modbus packet formatting so the command structure is simplified. The most
compelling reason why you would want to use 1056 Ethernet Interface Converter instead of the
F4T's native Ethernet interface is if you wanted to program using simple ASCII commands
instead of Modbus packets.
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