Connecting virtually any serial device to Ethernet
January 2002
Data Acquisition & Telemetry
The DINPAD, which is a repackaged EtherPAD in an enclosure fully compliant with the DIN-rail standard, is now offered by SAN People.
The EtherPAD is a compact device designed to connect virtually any serial device to Ethernet networks. This is achieved by assigning an IP Address, subnet mask and Gateway IP address to the EtherPAD. The serial device is then connected to the serial interface of the EtherPAD and all data output by the serial device is converted to TCP/IP packets, which can then be addressed to any networked enabled device such as a PC. Conversely any data addressed to the EtherPAD IP address, received from the network via the EtherPAD network interface, is converted to a stream of serial data and passed seamlessly, via the EtherPAD serial interface, to the serial device.
In addition to the basic functionality of the DINPAD, the device also has the following features: The ability to log data from the serial device. DINPAD allows the user to upload custom web pages using the SANscript scripting language. These web pages allow the DINPAD to interact with the serial device and enables control to be brought down to the level of the device. Viewing the device status is easily accomplished with the use of an ordinary commercial web browser to access the DINPAD. In this way the user may monitor, interrogate or control the attached device. The DINPAD also incorporates the SAN People Modbus Bridge, which recently gained certification as a Schneider approved Modbus device from the University of Michigan in the USA.
The SAN People Modbus implementation enables the DINPAD to function as a Modbus bridge. Serial Modbus ASCII/RTU data, output by the serial device, enters the DINPAD via the Serial Application port. The DINPAD translates this data to Modbus/TCP - which is output on the DINPAD network interface. Thus a user may serially connect Modbus ASCII/RTU device to a DINPAD and the device will be accessible via Modbus/TCP over an Ethernet network.
The DINPAD can be configured to function as a Modbus Bridge Master or a Modbus Bridge Slave. A short explanation of the principle of operation follows: A Modbus Master device sends messages to a specific Modbus ID. The DINPAD, configured as a Modbus Bridge Master, will receive the message and determines the IP address to where the message has to be sent. A TCP connection is made and the message sent to the required IP address. If a reply is received the answer is sent back to the Modbus Master device.
The Modbus Slave Bridge waits for incoming TCP connections. Once such a connection has been established, it sends the received Modbus message to the Modbus Slave device serially connected to the DINPAD serial interface. When the DINPAD receives a response from the serial Modbus device it will send this response back over the TCP connection.
The DINPAD is fully compliant with IEEE 802.2, IEEE 802.3, CE, FCC Part 15 (Class A), CB and UL (pending) and operates on any AC or DC voltage from 10 to 30 V.
SAN People
(021) 882 8811
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