User manual
    Server Properties Configuration 
Manual Documentation Number: ESP904-0504  Chapter 5  33 
B&B Electronics Mfg Co Inc – 707 Dayton Rd - PO Box 1040 - Ottawa IL 61350 - Ph 815-433-5100 - Fax 815-433-5104 – www.bb-elec.com 
B&B Electronics Ltd – Westlink Commercial Park – Oranmore, Galway, Ireland – Ph +353 91-792444 – Fax +353 91-792445 – www.bb-europe.com
Server Serial Port (Select 1 to 4) 
The configuration for each port is displayed one at a time. In the ESP 
Manager
, double-click on the port in the Serial Server List. This brings up 
the Server Properties window for that port. Make any desired changes to the 
configuration and then click on Update. Only the settings for the port shown 
are stored. 
N
N
o
o
t
t
e
e
:
:
 Click Update to store settings for each port before changing to the other port. 
Using  Telnet or Console Mode,  Save stores settings for all ports 
simultaneously. 
Baud Rate 
The serial port baud rate on the ESP904 must match the serial baud rate of 
the connected device unless using Virtual COM mode. In Virtual COM mode 
the software program will establish serial settings. 
Data/Parity/Stop 
Set this to match the data format used by the device connected when the 
Virtual COM mode is not being used.  
Flow Control 
The Flow Control setting must match the requirements of the device 
connected. 
N
N
o
o
t
t
e
e
:
:
 Select None when setting ESP Port 1 as RS-485 or 4-wire RS-422. 
Connection Mode 
The Connection Mode field has three options: Server, Client and Client (no 
heartbeat)
•  When using the 
Virtual COM Port feature, select Server. 
•  When using a 
TCP or UDP Socket program, select Server. 
•  When using 
Paired Mode communication between two serial servers set 
up one as a 
Client and the other as a Server. 
•  When connecting to a server that does not support 
Heartbeat, select 
Client (no Heartbeat). 
  Server Properties Configuration 
34  Chapter 5  Manual Documentation Number: ESP904-0504 
B&B Electronics Mfg Co Inc – 707 Dayton Rd - PO Box 1040 - Ottawa IL 61350 - Ph 815-433-5100 - Fax 815-433-5104 – www.bb-elec.com 
B&B Electronics Ltd – Westlink Commercial Park – Oranmore, Galway, Ireland – Ph +353 91-792444 – Fax +353 91-792445 – www.bb-europe.com
TCP/UDP Protocol 
Select TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) or UDP (User Datagram 
Protocol) protocol. If the application does not require a UDP connection, 
select TCP. TCP guarantees reliable communication with error checking 
whereas UDP provides faster transmission. 
TCP/UDP Port 
This sets the port number for connection. The default port number is 4000, 
4001, 4002, and 4003 for serial ports 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. 
In all modes of operation, 
Direct IP or Virtual COM, the port number set in 
the ESP904 menu must match the 
Virtual COM or socket software port 
settings. 
N
N
o
o
t
t
e
e
:
:
Example: The Virtual COM default setting is TCP/UDP Port 4000. If the port # 
property is changed to 4001, the virtual COM port will have to be changed to 
4001. The hardware settings can be changed from the ESP Manager or 
Console Configuration Menu. The Virtual COM port setting also can be 
changed within the Device Manager of the computer on which it is installed. 
Remote IP Address 
This is a security feature activated by entering the IP address of the desired 
client. The ESP904 will only communicate with the listed IP address and all 
other requests for connection will be filtered out. The ESP904 must be set up 
as a 
TCP or UDP Server to use this feature. The default setting is 
255.255.255.255. 
If 
Paired Mode is not being used, do not change this setting until the 
application has been tested and is communicating properly. Then activate the 
address filtering feature. 
N
N
o
o
t
t
e
e
:
:
Refer to Chapter 1 Paired Mode 
Timeout 
Default for the Timeout property is 0, or no timeout. Setting Timeout to any 
value between 1 and 255 seconds activates it. If set to 5 seconds and the 
ESP904 is configured as a Server. In this scenario the Client makes a 
connection and communications start. If communications are ideal for 5 
seconds the ESP904 will reset and make itself available for another client 
connection. 










