
Introduction
Documentation Number: LWS40xA-906m
Chapter 1
1
Black Box Corporation - 1001 Park Drive - Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
www.blackbox.com
-- Tech Support and Ordering: 724-746-5500 - Fax: 724-746-0746
C
C
h
h
a
a
p
p
t
t
e
e
r
r
1
1
:
:
I
I
n
n
t
t
r
r
o
o
d
d
u
u
c
c
t
t
i
i
o
o
n
n
Thank you for purchasing a LWS40xA Wireless Serial Server!
Like all
Black Box products, your serial server has been manufactured to high
standards of quality and performance to ensure your complete satisfaction.
Please read this manual and carefully follow the instructions to achieve best
results. For additional information on this and other products, and for
technical support, and for technical support, call 724-746-5500, or access
Black Box website at:
www.blackbox.com
About Your LWS40xA Wireless Serial Server
LWS40xA Wireless Serial Servers
are part of Black Box growing family
of device servers, products that allow you to connect equipment with
available serial connections into existing networks. LWS40xA wireless serial
servers connect RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485 devices to a wireless network via
wireless access points, eliminating the need for network cabling. Devices
connected to the serial ports on your LWS40xA can be accessed from any
node on the LAN using
Direct IP Mode
,
Virtual COM Port
, or
Serial
Tunneling
(Paired Mode) connections. Based on the 802.11g wireless
standard, LWS40xA servers operate at up to 54Mbps over the 2.4 GHz band,
which does not require licensing.
LWS40xA Wireless Serial Servers
( LWS401A shown)
LWS40xA wireless serial servers are built for use in industrial environments
and feature rugged DIN or panel mountable enclosures. They operate from
AC or DC power supply voltages and feature removable screw terminal
power connectors.
Introduction
2
Chapter 1
Documentation Number: LWS40xA-906m
Black Box Corporation - 1001 Park Drive - Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
www.blackbox.com
-- Tech Support and Ordering: 724-746-5500 - Fax: 724-746-0746
Features
•
Backward compatibility
with 802.11b (up to 11 Mbps)
•
Multi-interface serial ports
o
The LWS401A features one RS-232 serial port using a standard
DB-9M connector
o
The LWS406A features one RS-422/485 serial port using a
removable terminal block connector
o
The LWS402A features two serial ports (one RS-232 and one
software-selectable RS-232/422/485) using DB-9M connectors
o
The LWS404A features four serial ports (two RS-232 and two
software-selectable RS-232/422/485) using DB-9M connectors
•
Rugged DIN rail or panel mountable IP30 enclosure
•
Accepts AC or DC power over a wide voltage range
•
LAN and WAN Communications via wireless access point
•
TCP or UDP Client or Server operation
- configurable
•
Software Support -
Windows 98/ME/2001/XP or NT 4.0
•
Field upgradeable
•
Configuration
of wireless and serial port settings using:
o
Web Console,
which allows configuration via the network
using a web browser.
Communication Modes
LWS40xA Wireless Serial Servers
enable communication with serial
devices over a wireless network. The three main types of communications
supported by LWS40xA Wireless Serial Servers are
Direct IP Mode,
Virtual COM Mode
and
Serial Tunneling Mode.
Direct IP Mode
Direct IP
connections allow applications using TCP/IP or UDP/IP socket
programs to communicate with the asynchronous serial ports on the serial
server. In this type of application the serial server is configured as a TCP or
UDP server. The socket program running on the PC establishes a
communication connection. The data is sent directly to and from the serial
port on the server. When using UDP protocol the server can be configured to
broadcast data to and receive data from multiple IP addresses.