Serial to Ethenet converter

allancoppockMember

I have started using a B&B RS-232 to Ethernet converter, and it seems a lot less prone to difficulties than the Serial/USB cables I have been using. This little box, about 2"x3", has a DB9 male connector on one end and an RJ45 female jack on the other. It becomes just another node on the network with its own IP address. There is software with it that allows you to communicate with it either via TCP/IP or by using what they call a "virtual comm port".

I used this at the Boulder Mt Tour a couple of weeks ago in Ketchum, ID (a 1000 person point to point Nordic event) with no problems, and will use it again this weekend on the Stowe Derby (also a point to point Nordic event).

B&B also makes a WiFi version, which I have not tried. I do use their radio modems, and have had good luck with them, up to about a mile.

2/23/066:31 AM

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jimkarnesMember

We have also been using Serial to IP converters. Our choice is from MOXA and it has 4 male DB9 connectors. http://www.moxa.com/product/NPort_5410.htm

The greatest use of this device allows us to use one timer connected to multiple laptops on the network. Much like our previous method of using the Din cable off the S4 to two DB9 connectors to allow one timebase to multiple laptops (Running 4 courses on each timer). The extra ports are used for our datalogs for each course and seperate GAZ outputs for each timing computer.

We have used it with wireless, but when that many races are relying on this hardware, it is best to stay wired. We still connect a home wireless router to the network with protected IP address to allow all the coaches to run our Commentator screens in their "compound" in the parking lot for real-time results.

2/23/067:23 AM

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johnMember

I also have been using serial-ethernet converters and my latest task is not working yet, perhaps some of you can help. I am trying to take a display signal (rs-232 at 2400 baud) and introduce it to my net as a UDP broadcast to be used at multiple locations across the network. I have had limited sucess and it seems that my UDP settings still need some tweaking. My goal is to have the display signal available at any point on the network. While skunk products already do this very well (UDP broadcast port 29001), I am attempting to use either a direct output from a clock or output from SST software.

The problems that I am having are that the MOXA seems to spoll the incoming data and releases it more slowly than it is comes in. There are also what looks like delimiters in the string that seem to affect output. The characters are what seems to be a "full block" and from an ascii character chart the code would be #219 or DB in hex. I have tried to strip these with the port settings but it still looks like this on the debug form when checking it with GazEm.