A small gateway for serial data

Jon Lawson

Serial data which is recorded at a specific position in a system or a building often has to be lead to a central controller via long data lines. Here, the establishment of a transmission path would be the more elegant and efficient solution. With the Aport-213, Acceed introduces a new pocket size gateway, specially developed for this purpose. 

 

The networking of sensors and other data recording units under the buzzwords M2M, ZigBee or Industry 4.0 is the core task for communication between several devices within a system with or without a central controller. The IoT (Internet of Things) incorporates a large number of specialised units such as sensors, actors and controllers which are used equally in building management as in industrial plants, large-scale warehouses and accommodation units. The initial step is the transfer of separately recorded serial data from the sensors and other units. Here, the new Aport-213 is used as a serial WLAN gateway.

 

It has a serial interface which is executed as a conventional DB9 connector. The desired protocol (RS-232 / 422 / 485) can be set using the DIP switch. The gateway introduces the stored data transparently into the network, where it can be used and further processed by already existing software.

 

The protocols supported include TCP, UDP, ICMP, IGMP, IPv4, DHCP, ARP, DNS, SMTP and SNTP. Configuration can be made via the web browser or a serial console, a free Windows utility is provided.

 

Under operation, a wide temperature range from 0 to 70°C is permissible, which also supports the installation of the little device in casing and channels. Intelligent energy management minimises electricity consumption to 180 mA (at 12V DC) during data transfer and reduces electricity consumption further to a minimum during inactive periods. Therefore, the Aport-213 is particularly suitable for use with sensors for monitoring the surroundings, for example in greenhouses, for access protection, for filling level controls and several further manufacturing and automation applications.

 

LEDs provide information regarding readiness for operation, the status and use of the coms interfaces for the data transfer and the console connection. The possible voltage range from 9 to 48V DC is either provided via the terminal block or a micro USB socket. The power supply and assembly set for the top-hat rail are available as matching accessories.