Serial Port Slot
A Perle Serial Card will enable you to easily add RS232, RS422, RS485 serial or parallel ports to your PC or server. Compatible with PCI, PCI-X or PCI Express bus slots, Perle serial cards are the only products that support all major operating systems including Windows, Vista, Linux, Solaris, SPARC as well as SCO. Serial-port enables access to a specific serial port. This interface is restricted because it provides privileged access to configure serial port hardware. The slot is intended to be implemented by a gadget snap and is not provided by the core system snap.
MVI56E-GSC/GSCXT
The Generic ASCII Serial Enhanced Communication Modules allow Rockwell Automation ControlLogix Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs) to easily interface with serial devices using non-specific ASCII character text string or byte value serial communication protocols.
MVI56E-GSC enhancements include local and remote diagnostics through the module's Ethernet port, CIPconnect technology for bridging through Rockwell Automation ControlNet and EtherNet/IP networks, and an on-board web server containing status information, module documentation, and sample program files.
The MVI56E-GSC module is a fast and easy way to add two fully configurable serial communication ports to the ControlLogix platform, eliminating the need to use the front port of the processor or to consume valuable processing time sending and receiving serial messages.
The module is a single-slot, backplane-compatible solution. Each port is capable of sending and receiving large ASCII character strings or byte streams of up to 4096 characters or bytes. Many different serial communication devices can be integrated into the ControlLogix platform by building upon the sample ladder logic provided for this module.
A conformal coating option is available for this product.
Architectures
Features and Benefits
Features | Benefits |
Backward-Compatible |
|
RSLogix 5000 Integrated |
|
ProSoft Configuration Builder Graphical User Interface Software |
|
Web-enabled Ethernet port with Discovery Service |
|
Specifications
- Backward-compatible with previous MVI56-GSC version
- Single Slot - 1756 ControlLogix backplane compatible
- 10/100 MB Ethernet port for network configuration and diagnostics with Auto Cable Crossover Detection
- User-definable module data memory mapping of up to 5000 16-bit registers
- CIPconnect-enabled network diagnostics and monitoring using ControlLogix 1756-ENxT modules and EtherNet/IP pass-thru communications
- Sample Ladder Logic or Add-On Instruction (AOI) used for data transfers between module and processor and for module configuration
- Internal web page providing access to product documentation, module status, and firmware update software
- 4-character, scrolling LED display of status and diagnostic data in plain English
- ProSoft Discovery Service (PDS) software finds the module on the network and assigns a temporary IP address to facilitate module access
Hardware
Specification | Description |
Backplane Current Load | 800 mA @ 5 V DC3 mA @ 24 Vdc |
Operating Temperature | 0°C to 60°C (32°F to 140°F) |
Storage Temperature | -40°C to 85°C (-40°F to 185°F) |
Shock: | 30g Operational |
Relative Humidity | 5 to 95% (without condensing) |
LED Indicators | Battery Status (ERR) Application Status (APP) Module Status (OK) |
4-Character, Scrolling, Alpha-Numeric LED Display | Shows Module, Version, IP, Port Master/SlaveSetting, Port Status, and Error Information |
Debug/Configuration Ethernet port (E1 - Config) | |
Ethernet Port | 10/100 Base-T, RJ45 Connector, for CAT5 cable Link and Activity LED indicators Auto-crossover cable detection |
Serial Application ports (P1 & P2) Full hardware handshaking control, providing radio, modem, and multi-drop support | |
Software configurable communication parameters | Baud rate: 110 baud to 115.2kbps RS-232, 485 and 422 Parity: none, odd or even Data bits: 5, 6, 7, 8 Stop bits: 1 or 2 RTS on/off delay: 0 to 65535 milliseconds |
Serial Applications Ports (P1, P2) | RJ45 (DB-9M with supplied adapter cable) Configurable RS-232 hardware handshaking 500V Optical isolation from backplane RS-232, RS-422, RS-485 jumper-select, each port RX (Receive) and TX (Transmit) LEDs, each port |
Shipped with Unit | RJ45 to DB-9M cables for each serial port 5 foot Ethernet Straight-Thru Cable (Gray) |
Downloads
| ProSoft Configuration Builder | ||
| MVI56(E) Add-On Profile | 6.48 MB | Last Modified 05/22/2013 |
| MVI56E-GSC Datasheet | 393.36 kB | Last Modified 08/02/2019 |
| MVI56E-GSC EDS File | 1.12 kB | Last Modified 05/05/2010 |
| MVI56E-GSC Sample Ladder | 1.36 MB | Last Modified 09/15/2017 |
| MVI56E-GSC User Manual | 3.35 MB | Last Modified 07/17/2019 |
| Conformal Coating Option | 2.14 MB | Last Modified 05/18/2020 |
Videos
Guide to bit-level data addressing in ProSoft Modbus modules
Guide to 32-bit data types in ProSoft Modbus modules
Certifications
| CB Safety | 340.34 kB | Last Modified 02/26/2020 |
| Country Approval - Eurasian Customs Union Conformity (EAC) (Wired) | 1.92 MB | Last Modified 07/10/2020 |
| IECEx | 162.02 kB | Last Modified 05/25/2016 |
| Declaration of Conformity (RoHS/CE) | 441.95 kB | Last Modified 11/09/2020 |
| Ex Certificate (ATEX Directive) | 72.33 kB | Last Modified 03/25/2020 |
| UL CoC | 83.45 kB | Last Modified 06/23/2020 |
| Korean KC Registration | 586.65 kB | Last Modified 09/11/2020 |
Common serial port names are /dev/ttyS0, /dev/ttyS1, etc. Thenaround the year 2000 came the USB bus with names like /dev/ttyUSB0 and/dev/ttyACM1 (for the ACM modem on the USB bus). Multiport serialcard used somewhat differnt names (depending on the brand) such as/dev/ttyE5.
Since DOS provided for 4 serial ports on the old ISA bus:COM1-COM4, or ttyS0-ttyS3 in Linux, most serial ports on the newer PCIbus used higher numbers such as ttyS4 or ttyS14 (prior to kernel2.6.13). But since most PCs only came with one or two serial ports,ttyS0 and possibly ttyS1 (for the second port) the PCI bus can now usettyS2 (kernel 2.6.15 on). All this permits one to have both ISAserial ports and PCI serial ports on the same PC with no nameconflicts. 0-1 (or 0-3) are reserved for the old ISA bus (or thenewer LPC bus) and 2-upward (or 4-upward or 14-upward) are used forPCI, where older schemes are shown in parentheses . It's not requiredto be this way but it often is.
If you're using udev (which puts only the device you have on yourcomputer into the /dev directory at boottime) then there's an easy wayto change the device names by editing files in /etc/udev/. Forexample, to change the name of what the kernel detects as ttyS3 towhat you want to name it: ttyS14, add a line similar to this to/etc/udev/udev.rules
BUS'pci' KERNEL'ttyS3',NAME='ttyS14'
On-board serial ports on motherboards which have both PCI and ISAslots are likely to still be ISA ports. Even for all-PCI-slotmotherboards, the serial ports are often not PCI. Instead, they areeither ISA, on an internal ISA bus or on a LPC bus which is intendedfor slow legacy I/O devices: serial/parallel ports and floppy drives.
Devices in Linux have major and minor numbers. The serial portttySx (x=0,1,2, etc.) is major number 4. You can see this (and theminor numbers too) by typing: 'ls -l ttyS*' in the /dev directory. Tofind the device names for various devices, see the 'devices' file inthe kernel documentation.
There formerly was a 'cua' name for each serial port and it behavedjust a little differently. For example, ttyS2 would correspond tocua2. It was mainly used for modems. The cua major number was 5 andminor numbers started at 64. You may still have the cua devices inyour /dev directory but they are now deprecated. For details seeModem-HOWTO, section: cua Device Obsolete.
For creating the old devices in the device directory see:
Dos/Windows use the COM name while the messages from the serial driveruse ttyS00, ttyS01, etc. Older serial drivers (2001 ?) used justtty00, tty01, etc.
The tables below shows some examples of serial device names. TheIO addresses are the default addresses for the old ISA bus (not forthe newer PCI and USB buses).
For more info see the usb subdirectory in the kernel documentationdirectory for files: usb-serial, acm, etc.
On some installations, two extra devices will be created,/dev/modem for your modem and /dev/mouse for amouse. Both of these are symbolic links to the appropriatedevice in /dev.
Historical note: Formerly (in the 1990s) the use of/dev/modem (as a link to the modem's serial port) wasdiscouraged since lock files might not realize that it was really say/dev/ttyS2. The newer lock file system doesn't fall intothis trap so it's now OK to use such links.
Inspect the connectors
Inspecting the connectors may give some clues but is often notdefinitive. The serial connectors on the back side of a PC areusually DB connectors with male pins. 9-pin is the most common butsome are 25-pin (especially older PCs like 486s). There may be one9-pin (perhaps ttyS0 ??) and one 25-pin (perhaps ttyS1 ??). For two9-pin ones the top one might be ttyS0.
If you only have one serial port connector on the back of your PC,this may be easy. If you also have an internal modem, a program likewvdial may be able to tell you what port it's on (unless it's a PnPthat hasn't been enabled yet). A report from setserial (atboot-time or run by you from the command line) should help youidentify the non-modem ports.
If you have two serial ports it may be more difficult. You could haveonly one serial connector but actually have 2 ports, one of whichisn't used (but it's still there electronically). First check manuals(if any) for your computer. Look at the connectors for meaningfullabels. You might even want to take off the PC's cover and see ifthere are any meaningful labels on the card where the internal ribbonserial cables plug in. Labels (if any) are likely to say something like'serial 1', 'serial 2' or A, B. Which com port it actually is willdepend on jumper or PnP settings (sometimes shown in a BIOS setupmenu). But 1 or A are more likely to be ttyS0 with 2 or B ttyS1.
Send bytes to the port
Labels are not apt to be definitive so here's another method. Ifthe serial ports have been configured correctly per setserial, thenyou may send some bytes out a port and try to detect which connector(if any) they are coming out of. One way to send such a signal is tocopy a long text file to the port using a command like: cpmy_file_name /dev/ttyS1. A voltmeter connected to the DTR pin (seeSerial-HOWTO for Pinout) will display a positive voltage as soon asyou give the copy command.
The transmit pin should go from several volts negative to a voltagefluctuating around zero after you start sending the bytes. If it doesn't(but the DTR went positive) then you've got the right port but it'sblocked from sending. This may be due to a wrong IRQ, -clocal beingset, etc. The command 'stty -F /dev/ttyS1 -a' should showclocal (and not -clocal). If not, change it to clocal.
Another test is to jumper the transmit and receive pins (pins 2 and 3of either the 25-pin or 9-pin connector) of a test serial port. Thensend something to each port (from the PCs keyboard) and see if it getssent back. If it does it's likely the port with the jumper on it.Then remove the jumper and verify that nothing gets sent back. Notethat if 'echo' is set (per stty) then a jumper creates an infiniteloop. Bytes that pass thru the jumper go into the port and come rightback out of the other pin back to the jumper. Then they go back inand out again and again. Whatever you send to the port repeats itselfforever (until you interrupt it by removing the jumper, etc.). Thismay be a good way to test it as the repeating test messages halt whenthe jumper is removed.
As a jumper you could use a mini (or micro) jumper cable (sold in someelectronic parts stores) with mini alligator clips. A small scrap ofpaper may be used to prevent the mini clips from making electricalcontact where it shouldn't. Metal paper clips can sometimes be bentto use as jumpers. Whatever you use as a jumper take care not to bendor excessively scratch the pins. To receive something from a port,you can go to a virtual terminal (for example Alt-F2 and login) andtype something like 'cp /dev/ttyS2 /dev/tty'. Then at another virtualterminal you may send something to ttyS2 (or whatever) by 'echotest_message > /dev/ttyS2'. Then go back to the receive virtualterminal and look for the test_message. See Serial Electrical Test Equipment for more info.
Connect a device to the connector
Another way to try to identify a serial port is to connect somephysical serial device to it and see if it works. But a problem hereis that it might not work because it's not configured right. A serialmouse might get detected at boot-time if connected.
You may put a device, such as a serial mouse (use 1200 baud), on a portand then use minicom or picocom to communicate with that port. Thenby clicking on the mouse, or otherwise sending characters with thedevice, see if they get displayed. It not you may have told picocomthe wrong port (such as ttyS0 instead of ttyS1) so try again.
Missing connectors
If the software shows that you have more serial ports than youhave connectors for (including an internal modem which counts as aserial port) then you may have a serial port that has no connector.Some motherboards come with a serial port with no cable or externalserial DB connector. Someone may build a PC from this and decide notto use this serial port. There may be a 'serial' connector and labelon the motherboard but no ribbon cable connects to its pins. To usethis port you must get a ribbon cable and connector. I've seendifferent wiring arrangements for such ribbon cables so beware.
Serial Port Switch
If you don't use devfs (which automatically creates such devices) anddon't have a device 'file' that you need, you will have to create it.Use the mknod command or with the MAKEDEV shell script.Example, suppose you needed to create ttyS0:
ttyS0Serial Port Slot Machines
you would just type:If the above command doesn't work (and you are the root user), lookfor the MAKEDEV script in the /dev directory and run it.
This handles the devices creation and should set the correct permissions.For making multiport devices see Making multiport devices in the /dev directory.