Data
Acquisition Hardware Info
Kepware resells a few types of converters and connectivity hardware as
a one-stop-shopping convenience for customers who purchase our data acquisition
and collections software products like U-CON Protocol Server and KEPServerEX.
RS-422
and RS-485
Many of the drivers available for use with Kepware's configurable data
collection and pre-built PLC driver software utilize either RS-422 or RS-485
as their physical communications layer. Your normal PC comes equipped only
with RS-232 for serial communications. In order to communicate with an
RS-422/485 device your PC will need a converter. We suggest you use a converter
that supports Automatic
Flow Control.
USB
to Serial Converters
If your application needs to access more than a single device from your
computer's serial port, significant improvements in performance can be
realized by using multiple serial communication ports via USB to Serial
converter hardware.
Device / Terminal Servers –
serial to Ethernet device bridges
Terminal servers (also known as device servers or serial-to-Ethernet device
bridges) are devices which allow users to connect serial devices (RS232
, RS422, RS485) into a wired Ethernet network. These DIN rail devices can
help owners get more life out of legacy hardware which may not be cost-effective
to replace. The diagram below shows a typical terminal server connection.
In order to Ethernet enable serial devices, device servers "wrap" or
Encapsulate an Ethernet header and footer around the serial data stream
coming from the legacy device. At the data collection system terminal drivers
strip off the Ethernet header and footer then pass the serial stream to
the collection application. Use of these terminal servers typically requires
the installation of drivers on the data collection PC.
Serial and Ethernet data acquisition software products by Kepware enhance
the reliability of terminal server connections through built-in Ethernet
Encapsulation features. This provides a standard way to connect to terminal servers regardless
of manufacturer and eliminates the need to install separate terminal drivers
on the data collection computer.
Data Acquisition Troubleshooting
Tips
Connecting a Client Application to the DAQ Software Client
Software Connectivity Kepware data acquisition software is OPC based
and due to the client/server nature of OPC, a software client application
must be connected to the OPC server before it will poll the device for
data. Use the link above to understand how to confirm that a client application
connects to Kepware's OPC server(s). The example uses the free OPC Quick
Client provided with data acquisition software products by Kepware.
Device Connectivity Steps
If you are using data acquisition software products by Kepware the following
link will provide basic steps to Troubleshoot
a Device Connection.
DAQ Software
Using U-CON Protocol Server's pre-defined commands through
a menu driven interface will allow you to acquire data from
Weigh Scales, Barcode Scanners,
RFID readers, Sensors, Digital Displays, GPS Systems, Meters,
Printers and more.
"The U-CON product is impressive. The extensive documentation, sample
code, and online diagnostics tools proved to be extremely helpful. I developed
a working profile and was communicating with my customer's device in no time!"
Benefits of using U-CON for Data Acquisition/Collection
-
Scalability:
supports serial + Ethernet connectivity with up to 100 configured protocols, no device limits or data limits
- Standardization:
a single OPC server supporting multiple (configured or pre-built) protocols
- Reliability:
built-in Ethernet Encapsulation, Error Recovery, Timing Adjustments, Write
optimizations, Runs as a Service
