National Instruments FieldPoint FP-1001, User Manual, Page: 17 / 65

Chapter 2 Hardware Installation and Configuration
© National Instruments Corporation 2-7 FP-1000/1001 User Manual
Connecting the FP-1000 to Your Computer
This section describes the network configurations possible with the
FP-1000 network module.
Connect the RS-232 port of the FP-1000 to your host computer’s RS-232
port. Use a 9-pin DSUB male-to-female straight-through cable. Do not use
a null modem cable (usually female-to-female).
You can connect only one FP-1000 for each RS-232 port in your host
computer. You can add more FieldPoint banks without using more RS-232
ports of your host computer, by connecting one or more (up to 24) FP-1001
network modules to the RS-485 repeater port of the FP-1000. This network
configuration is shown in Figure 2-8.
Figure 2-8. Host Computer Connected to One FP-1000 and
Two FP-1001 Network Modules
The RS-485 repeater port on the FP-1000 must always be wired in 4-wire,
full-duplex mode.
RS-232 Interface Specifications
RS-232 specifies a maximum cabling distance of 50 ft, but improvements
in line drivers and cabling technology often allow you to design your
network beyond the recommendations of the specification.
Host Computer
FP-1000 FP-1001 FP-1001
RS-232 RS-485