User manual

Connect Tech Blue Heat/Net User Manual
10 Revision 0.17
Understanding virtual COM ports
In a typical serial port setup, the application communicates directly with the connected serial
port hardware.
Virtual COM ports differ in that the application communicates with a network protocol layer that
transfers the necessary information to and from the remote serial ports. The virtual ports appear
as standard serial ports to the application, but in reality, the data is translated into a series of
Ethernet messages between the Blue Heat/Net unit and the host computer. The serial port is not
physically connected to the host computer, but this is transparent to the application trying to
access it.
There are several advantages to using virtual COM ports, which include:
Distance – The serial ports can be a very long distance away from the host computer. They
are not limited by the standard electrical characteristics of the RS-232 or RS-422 interface
because the primary data transfer is being done via Ethernet. Depending on the set up, these
serial ports can be at a different location and the Internet can act as the carrier of the serial
port traffic.
Speed – Short RS-232/422 cable lengths can be used with the primary distance relying on
the network connection. The capacitance of long lengths of serial cable does not limit data
speeds in these cases.
Cabling – Cost effective Ethernet cabling can be used for the transfer of information to the
Blue Heat/Net and often this is part of the existing networking infrastructure. Putting some
serial ports in a remote location can be as easy as plugging in a Blue Heat/Net to the
Ethernet network. This provides a simple, clean cabling arrangement.
Port Sharing – In some applications, it is desirable to have a serial resource that is accessed
and shared by more than one host computer. Connect Tech’s Virtual Serial Port technology
allows this to be done easily.
Routing – Different ports on a Blue Heat/Net can be connected to multiple host computers.
Monitoring – The Virtual Serial Ports can easily be monitored to ensure everything is
working correctly because they are on the network.
Blue Heat/Net Installation Overview
There are three main stages in the installation process for your Blue Heat/Net.
1. Hardware Installation
This involves the physical connection of the Blue Heat/Net hardware to your network,
and addresses issues such as cabling and power requirements.
2. Blue Heat/Net Configuration
The first step in the configuration process is to set the IP Address. Then use one of three
available methods to configure the Blue Heat/Net firmware settings for your application.
This can be done through the SCM (Serial Configuration Manager), TCM (Telnet
Configuration Manager), or the WCM (Web Configuration Manager), depending on
circumstances and personal preference.
3. Software Installation for Windows
This step installs and configures the Blue Heat/Net drivers and ports for your host
Operating System, and allows you to set parameters specific to your serial requirements.
This is done via the Blue Heat/Net Configuration Manager.