Difference Between Industrial Serial Port Server and Industrial Switch

Serial port server: The serial port server can make your serial port equipment connect network, convert serial port to network function, can convert RS-232/485/422 serial port into TCP/IP network interface, realize RS-232/485/422 serial port and the data of the TCP/IP network interface is transparently transmitted in both directions.The serial device can immediately have the TCP/IP network interface function, connect the network for data communication, and expand the communication distance of the serial device.

Industrial Switches are also called industrial Ethernet switches, which are Ethernet switch devices used in the field of industrial control. Due to the network standards used, they have good openness, wide application and low price, and use the transparent and unified TCP/IP protocol.  Ethernet has become the main communication standard in the field of industrial control.

Both industrial serial port servers and industrial switches are networked transmission devices, but their appearance, functions and usage are very different.

The main difference between industrial serial port server and industrial switch

The industrial serial port server can control other serial and network-connected devices, and can access the system console of network devices to monitor and control their functions.The serial device networking server is like a microcomputer with CPU, real-time operating system and TCP/IP protocol, which is convenient to transmit data between serial ports and network devices.You can use your computer to access, manage and configure remote devices from anywhere in the world over the Internet.

Industrial switches can control PCs and servers and can only switch between connected network devices.

Different functions

The function of the industrial serial port server is to realize the networking equipment from serial port to Ethernet, which can transmit data between the Ethernet local area network and the serial port (COM port) of the computer or device.The main purpose is to allow serial devices such as printers, scanners or climate control systems to be used in a network without relying on a computer's serial port for connection.This way, any serial device can be connected to the network and accessed from anywhere, including the internet.

Industrial switches are also called industrial Ethernet switches, which are suitable for server control in the same room or around the world. Its main function is to expand network signal equipment, and it is an Ethernet switching device for industrial control.Because the network standard is adopted, it is open, widely used and cheap.It uses transparent and unified TCP/IP protocol.

Different scope of use

The industrial serial port server device is connected to the serial port corresponding to the serial port server RS232/485/422 for communication, and the data information is transmitted to the remote server.Serial server is widely used in access control/attendance, medical applications, remote monitoring, computer room management and substation management.The industrial serial server can support the virtual serial port protocol, so that you do not need to change the original PC software, provide the transparent data conversion function between the serial port and the Ethernet port, support DHCP and DNS, and is a full-duplex serial port server without packet loss.RS232/485/422 three-in-one serial port, RS232, RS485, RS485/422, RS232/485 and other serial port combination products.In addition, there are multi-serial ports and serial port servers that can be developed twice, which can satisfy all-round applications.

Industrial switches are similar to industrial routers. The main network port is connected to the LAN port, and other network ports are connected to other corresponding terminal devices.Industrial switches are widely used in terms of industrial applications, they are mainly used in: coal mine safety, rail transit, factory automation, water treatment systems, urban security, etc.

Industrial serial port servers and industrial switches can also be used in combination.The managed switch comes with a serial cable for ethernet switch management.First plug one end of the serial cable into the serial port on the back of the switch, and the other end into the serial port of a common computer.Then turn on the switch and computer power.In both Windows 98 and Windows 2000, the "HyperTerminal" program is provided.Open the "Super Terminal", after setting the connection parameters, you can interact with the ethernet switch through the serial cable.After the serial terminal equipment is networked through the serial server, multiple serial servers can be connected to the industrial switch to transmit data from multiple terminals to the remote server.