Connecting the VP-8x8A
17
6.6.2
Setting the Machine # Dipswitches
The Machine # determines the position of a
VP-8x8A
unit, specifying which
VP-8x8A
unit is being controlled when several
VP-8x8A
units connect to a
PC or serial controller. Set the Machine # on a
VP-8x8A
unit via SETUP
DIPS 1, 2, 3 and 4, according to Table 9.
When using a standalone
VP-8x8A
unit, set the Machine # to 1. When
connecting more than one
VP-8x8A
unit, set the first machine (the Master)
that is closest to the PC, as Machine # 1 (dipswitches are set to OFF).
Table 9: Machine # Dipswitch Settings
Mach. #
DIP 1 DIP 2 DIP 3 DIP 4
Mach. #
DIP 1
DIP 2
DIP 3
DIP 4
1
OFF
OFF
OFF
OFF
9
ON
OFF
OFF
OFF
2
OFF
OFF
OFF
ON
10
ON
OFF
OFF
ON
3
OFF
OFF
ON
OFF
11
ON
OFF
ON
OFF
4
OFF
OFF
ON
ON
12
ON
OFF
ON
ON
5
OFF
ON
OFF
OFF
13
ON
ON
OFF
OFF
6
OFF
ON
OFF
ON
14
ON
ON
OFF
ON
7
OFF
ON
ON
OFF
15
ON
ON
ON
OFF
8
OFF
ON
ON
ON
16
ON
ON
ON
ON
6.7 Cascading Machines
You can cascade up to 16
VP-8x8A
units with control from a PC or serial
controller.
To cascade up to 16 individual
VP-8x8A
units via RS-485 (as illustrated in
Figure 12), do the following:
1. Connect the sources and acceptors, as section 6.1 describes.
2. Connect the RS-232 port
1
of the first
VP-8x8A
unit to a PC using the Null-
modem adapter provided with the machine (recommended), as section 6.2
describes.
3. Connect the RS-485 terminal block port on the first unit to the RS-485 port on
the second
VP-8x8A
unit and so on, connecting all the RS-485 ports.
4. Set the dipswitches, as section 6.6 describes:
Set the first
VP-8x8A
unit as Machine # 1 and the following 15
VP-8x8A
units as Machine # 2 to Machine # 16, according to Table 9
Set DIP 8 ON on the first and last
VP-8x8A
units (terminating the RS-485
line at 120 ). Set DIP 8 OFF on the other
VP-8x8A
units
Set DIP 5, DIP 6 and DIP 7 OFF on all
VP-8 8A
units
1 Alternatively, the ETHERNET port could be used for PC control (instead of RS-232)
