csmstr - Omega Engineering

CONFIGURING COMMUNICATIONS
SERIAL PORT USAGE
CONFIGURING COMMUNICATIONS
The next step is to configure the communications ports of the Master module to indicate
which protocols you want to use, and which remote devices you want to access. These
operations are performed from the Communications window, which is opened by selecting
the first icon of the Crimson main screen.
As can be seen, the Communications window lists the unit’s available ports in the form of a
tree structure. Master modules have three primary serial ports, with the option to add a further
two ports in the form of an expansion card. They also provide a single Ethernet port that is
capable of running four communications protocols simultaneously.
SERIAL PORT USAGE
When deciding which of the Master’s serial ports to use for communications, note that the
unit’s programming port may be used as an additional communications port, but it will
obviously not be available for download if it is so employed. This is not an issue if the USB
port is used for such purposes, and it is highly recommended that you use this method of
download if you want to connect serial devices via the programming port.
SELECTING A PROTOCOL
To select a protocol for a particular port, click on that port’s icon in the left-hand pane of the
Communications window, and press the Edit button next to the Driver field in the right-hand
pane. The following dialog box will appear…
Select the appropriate manufacturer and driver, and press the OK button to close the dialog
box. The port will then be configured to use the appropriate protocol, and a single device icon
will be created in the left-hand pane. If you are configuring a serial port, the various Port
Settings fields (Baud Rate, Data Bits, Stop Bits and Parity) will be set to values appropriate to
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