µTasker Forum

µTasker Forum => µTasker general => Topic started by: mhoneywill on August 26, 2009, 06:28:23 PM

Title: Using uTasker to create a serial to Ethernet conveter
Post by: mhoneywill on August 26, 2009, 06:28:23 PM

Hi Mark,

We have an application where we are looking for a serial to Ethernet converter (Having a virtual serial port on a PC that links via Ethernet to a physical serial port on a target microprocessor). I know there are a number of simple modules out there by Lantronix and Xport that provide this functionality, but I was wondering if this was anything you had looked at with uTasker.

I can forsee the most dificult part would be getting software to create the Virtual Serial port on the PC. I've seen the Com0Com project which allows ypu to use com2tcp but this solution seems a bit long winded.

Cheers

Martin

Title: Re: Using uTasker to create a serial to Ethernet conveter
Post by: mhoneywill on August 27, 2009, 12:08:38 AM

Hi,

I've done a bit of research and there is some interesting software drivers out there, so this may not be as far fetched as I first thought. It would be a good string to add to uTaskers already big Bow.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COM_port_redirector#Freeware_solutions

http://www.eterlogic.com/Products.VSPE.html

I'll do some more investigation, the lantronix drivers look interesting, they seem to use this standard http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2217.html

Cheers

Martin

Title: Re: Using uTasker to create a serial to Ethernet conveter
Post by: mark on August 27, 2009, 11:40:16 AM

Hi Martin

The following device is a serial/Ethernet converter based on the uTasker V1.2 SW:
http://www.xmodus.ch/sm_lan.html

The device is used mainly together with Telnet but I believe that, with the right virtual COM port driver on the PC, it also works as a transparent serial port extension. RFC2217 was not used but rather the setup was controlled via web browser. Unfortunately I was never involved with the virtual COM port part and so have no experience.

Regards

Mark

Title: Re: Using uTasker to create a serial to Ethernet conveter
Post by: jezc on September 01, 2009, 10:37:11 PM

Hi Martin,

Did you get a chance to follow this up yet?

We're looking to enhance our products by providing serial to Ethernet interfaces (as the majority of serial over USB products don't appear to properly support all the hand-shaking signals for modem operation) and so would be most interested if there's an efficient way to do this with uTasker.

We've seen several commercial modules that can offer this facility but their price has been too high for our customers so we're looking to develop our own solution.

If there's someone out there who already has a solution for this, is there any chance to get in touch to discuss it further?

Cheers,
    Jez