Post submitted by  Paul Puttick 

  of  Tethco Technologies

 www.tethco.com

This post explains how to configure a Micrologix 1000 serial port to a Modbus serial slave, to a Modbus TCP/IP.

Materials

Micrologix 1100

Moxa MGate MB-3180

Cable

Male 8 pin mini-din to Micrologix.  Female DB9 to Moxa Mgate serial Connection.  Using RS-232.

Pinout:

Male 8 pin Mini-Din                    Female DB9

                2—————GND—————5

                4<<<<RxD<<<<<<TxD<<<<<<3

                7>>>>TxD>>>>>>RxD>>>>>>2

                6—————CTS—————- 8

                3—————RTS—————- 7

Micrologix Serial Port Configuration

Select Channel Configuration, then Channel 0.  Driver = Modbus RTU Slave.  Node Address = 1(can be any unique address from 1-247) Baud Rate = 9600.  Parity = Odd.

Protocol Control using no Handshaking.  InterChar. Timeout = 2ms.  Pre Transmit Delay = 2ms.

Configure the desired Modbus data tables.   Enter a number for the desired data Files in the fields for Coils(00001), Contacts(10000), Input Registers(30001), Holding Registers(40001).  For example, I used 50 for Holding Registers field.  Data file N50 is created automatically.  Select N50 enter a description and adjust the data file elements to suit.  N50:0 = Modbus register 40001.

Moxa Mgate MB-3180 Configuration

Install MGate Manager using the provided CD.  Initially the MGate has a default IP.  Configure the LAN on your computer to be in the same subnet as the MGate default IP.  Connect to the device, open MGate Manager, then select Broadcast search.  Highlight the device, select “Configuration”. 

Under the mode tab select RTU Slave Mode.

Select the Serial tab.  Configure Port 1 as Follows:  Baud Rate = 9600, Flow Control = None, Party = Odd, FIFO = Disable, Start Bit = 1, Interface = RS232.

Select the Modbus tab.  Initial Delay = 2ms.  Modbus TCP Exception = Disabled.  Port 1 Response Time-Out = 1000ms. 

You can use the Auto Detection button to test your connection.  If you see a response on the Node Address 1 then connection is ok. 

Testing

To test I used some free demo software.  Modscan32.   To connect select Connection.  Connect Using – Remote Modbus TCP Server.  Enter the IP of the Moxa MGate.  Select Protocol Selection pushbutton.  Transmission Mode = RTU.  Slave Response Timeout = 1000ms.  Delay Between Polls = 2ms.  Select Ok.  Device ID = 1(needs to match PLC Node address).   

Modscan32 is a Windows shareware program designed to act as a Modbus Master.  It is a simple way to read or write data to the connected slave device using RTU or ASCII.  The weblink below is a 30 day evaluation.  Data collection will cease at approximately 3 1/2 minutes after receiving the first valid slave response. 

  ModScan32.zip (851K)

Updated to Version 7.B01
(Feb 27, 2009)

At Manufacturers Automation Inc., we are dedicated to customer service and want to make your experience with Moxa a pleasant one. 

Shedding Light on Pixel Sharing

The facts behind the figures

35mm, 20mm, 16mm - every manufacturer of LED digital color displays loves to pitch their “pitch” when it comes to their products, and the race is on as to who can be the next to offer the smallest number. Strictly speaking, pitch is the distance between the clusters of red, green, and blue LEDs that make up a single pixel in a sign. The tighter the pitch (i.e., the smaller the number), the greater the resolution and image quality in a board.  But the “pitch” that some companies offer actually utilizes a technique called pixel sharing to achieve the pitch in a “virtual” manner. Before you buy your LED display product, you should first understand more about pixel sharing and determine if this approach will work for your application.

Figure 1   Physical pixels

Figure 2   “Shared Pixels”  (circled in yellow) 

Figure 3   Boards that use shared pixel technology also switch between lines of LEDs, generating additional rows of virtual pixels as shown in blue.

Virtual Reality

Figure 1 diagram is a common 32mm pixel arrangement that may be represented as a tighter 16mm “virtual” pitch, which is achieved through running software that shares the LEDs in different pixel combination. Figure 2 and 3 show how the LEDs become “shared”, creating new virtual pixels. When the sign is powered on and generates images, these rows of LED pixels fire in staggered rows alternately. The human eye then interpolates this visual data into perceived color.

Table 1 compares the pixel density for this “virtual” 16mm board with a real 20mm board. Although the “virtual” 16 mm board has 22% fewer LEDs, it seems to deliver higher resolution. The initial impression that these figures seem to show is that this type of board can effect a 16mm resolution with 22% fewer LEDs. At first glance, this seems like great news! From the manufacturer’s point of view, this new product has 22% fewer LEDs compared to a true 20mm product and 50% fewer LEDs than a true 16mm product. This means that the product will cost about 50% less to manufacture than a true 16mm product, or 22% less than a true 20mm product. From the end user’s point of view, getting a higher resolution at a lower cost is a simply a terrific bargain.

But is this really the case?

   Table 1: LEDs per square foot

Weighing Your Choices

 
First, consider the overall brightness. How can a product with half the LEDs be as bright as one with twice as many? The answer is that it can only be brighter if the LEDs are driven harder or kept on longer. Over-driving LEDs dramatically reduces product life and quickly deteriorates the color and brightness.

Second, if I have a static picture, how can I have a LED that is shared in 4 pixels operate correctly, or at 4 discrete levels? The answer is you can only if you multiplex this pixel, or share the “on time” of a pixel with its neighbors. Multiplexing further reduces the light available for each of the specific pixels.  So, once more, to achieve a bright image, you will have to resort to overdriving the LEDs again. 

So are there any cases where pixel sharing makes sense? The answer is “yes” of course. If your display is running video , you can get a better picture at a lower cost and a lower weight, but at the cost of a decrease in the overall life of the product. Perhaps you have a video replay board that is only operating for a few hours on a weekend. Maybe brightness isn’t an issue for you. You might want a big sign but are concerned about overall weight. Or you have an extremely tight budget, and think you can live with the drawbacks. Any of these situations might make a strong case for pixel sharing. It’s certainly a decision that seems confusing and contradictory on many levels. 

However, for the end user who wants to make the most economical choice without sacrificing performance, there are alternatives. If the people viewing the board are more than 200′ away, you might consider going to a 20mm or 23mm pitch. Since they contain fewer LEDs than a true 16mm, these displays are cheaper per square foot, lighter, and brighter, and actually yield better static image quality than a 32mm product that utilizes pixel sharing.

Making the Decision

 
Pixel sharing does save on power and weight, but the price you pay is a decrease in content resolution, image crispness, and product longevity. The virtual pixel must share LEDs from its neighbors, flashing at a high frequency so the eye cannot pick up on it.  This works effectivelyfor moving video images, but lends an annoying flicker to static images.

You might ask, “How can I protect myself when considering a product with pixel sharing?” Firstly,  you should run your own content, not the content the manufacturer might suggest. Run this content in an environment that your sign will be in once installed (in direct sunlight, south facing, for example). If the sign looks good in this installation, then this might be a viable choice for your purposes. Most importantly, ask for a warranty that guarantees at least 5 years of an
image quality that has not deteriorated. 

With advances in LED technology in recent years, such as the incorporation of lighter materials and more efficient electronics, products offering “real” 16mm and smaller pitches are beginning to come on the market at lower prices than ever before. As end users become more sophisticated as to the ins and outs of the new generation of LED displays, the “virtual pixel” may well be on its way out. However, the well-informed consumer owes himself -and his business - a basic understanding of the many meanings behind the concept of “pitch”.

The Pitfalls of Pixel Sharing?

• Reduced product life

• Color deterioration

• Poor static image quality

• Flickering images

• Quick obsolescence

At Manufacturers Automation Inc., we are dedicated to customer service and want to make your experience with Adaptive led displays a pleasant one. 

Consult the Small Business Administration weblink when considering purchasing an electronic message center.  

http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/start/pickalocation/signage/text/emcfaq.html

WHY ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CENTERS?

Grow your business?  In this economy?

Right now, growth is probably the last thing on your mind. Survival is the new business strategy. But rather than cut back and trim down, why not take this as an opportunity to re-prioritize  –especially when it comes to your advertising budget?

Traditional media like print and broadcast are shrinking in influence, and rising in cost. Instead of paying over and over for an ad that might or might not be noticed or heard, you may want to consider the power of electronic message centers – an on-premise advertising solution that you pay for once, but lasts for years!

According to a study by the Small Business Administration, EMCs have been reported to generate a 15% to 150% increase in sales.

What does this really mean? Consider a modest business that might bring in 1,000 per day in revenue.  Add in the minimal 15% increase in sales that an EMC has been shown to deliver, imagine the results: an extra $150 per day, $1,050 a week, $54,600 a year. What other investment can you think of that covers its cost in just one year?

Instant Marketing

Versatility is what gives EMCs the winning edge. Adaptive’s intuitive Ooh!Media software makes it easy for you to quickly change your message to capitalize on sudden opportunities (”Snow is on the Way - Gas up Now!”), or schedule promotions around times of the day or holidays.  

No more waiting for the next paper to come out, or for a banner to come back from the printer: this is instantaneous communication!

Reach today’s on-the-go buyer!

Do you know how many people drive by your business every day? If you’re on a major street or visible from the highway, that could be tens of thousands, and every one is a potential customer. 

Adaptive is the answer

When it comes to electronic message centers, Adaptive knows the technology like no one else. Our business is to get people into your business, and for over 30 years, that’s been our focus. 

 © 2009 Adaptive Micro Systems   Printed in the U.S.A.  3/09  Form No. 9700-2011

At Manufacturers Automation Inc., we are dedicated to customer service and want to make your experience with Adaptive led displays a pleasant one. 

Consult the Small Business Administration weblink when considering purchasing an electronic message center.  

http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/start/pickalocation/signage/text/emcfaq.html

Big Screen Solutions

Dynamic outdoor systems integrating full video playback into scoreboard and concert displays are now within reach for a whole new level of users, thanks to Adaptive Micro Systems’ affordable line of full color LED displays.

All of Adaptive Micro Systems’ Excite and MEDIA Master products are capable of support ing live video and video replay. In fact, our displays provide the most cost effective large format solutions available on the market today.

Engineered for reliability andenergy efficiency, Adaptive LED displays will work in all applications, ranging from live-feed video screens at concerts and special events to more complex situations such as broadcasting instant replays in sports stadiums. When integrated into several types of configuration solutions, our displays can easily handle complex setups involving multiple combinations of various inputs and split screen displays from several video sources.

Suggested Configurations

• This configuration represents a fully capable system that is also very affordable. If you have a video console, a DVR, a DVD, and a camera or cameras, all you need to do is to add a low cost interface to a standard Adaptive video-capable display. This is the type of system used in today’s most modern high school and college football stadiums.

• Working with a tight budget? This diagram shows the lowest cost configuration. With only a PC, a camera or cable connection, and a simple low cost interface box, you can show live video and instant video replay. With this setup, you have almost all of the capabilities of major league sports stadiums — for little more than the cost of the Adaptive display!

• Have a more ambitious project in mind? This diagram outlines a configuration that can compete head to head with video replay systems that cost tens of millions of dollars. If you are wondering how you can win large scale, fixed priced stadium jobs, integrating an Adaptive LED display into a video setup can be the key to a lucrative and exciting new income stream.

© 2008 Printed in the U.S.A.  10/08    Form No. 97009008
Adaptive and Alpha are registered trademarks of Adaptive Micro Systems LLC. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

At Manufacturers Automation Inc., we are dedicated to customer service and want to make your experience with Adaptive led displays a pleasant one. 

       Product Required

• 1033-1113                Adaptive Serial Clock
• NPort 5150               Moxa Serial Device Server
• 71220204                 Indoor RS485 Communication Wire and DB9(f) Connector      
• 43310602LF              Modular Network Adapter    
• 1088-8636                1 Ft. RS-485 Cable with 2 RJ11s & Ferrite              

1033-1113 Adaptive Serial Clock

       Windows XP Setup for Configuring the Moxa NPort 5150

• Change the properties of the Local Area Connection. 
• Go to Start, Settings, and then Network Connections. 
• Select Local Area Connection and then Properties. 
• Scroll down the list and select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). 
• Select Use the following IP address and enter an IP address that is similar to the Moxa NPort 5150, except for the last two digits.
• Connect an Ethernet crossover cable from the PC to the Moxa NPort 5150.
• Apply power to the Moxa NPort 5150.

       Moxa Configuration Software

• Install the NPort Administration Suite   
• http://www.moxa.com/support/download.aspx?d_id=1317                
• Select the Configuration tab, under the Function heading.
• Select the Search tab and the configuration information will appear.  The factory default IP address is  192.168.127.254
• Select COM Mapping tab, under the Function heading.
• Select the Add tab and the information for the Moxa NPort 5150 will appear.
• Select From List, click on the box next to the information and select OK.
• The Com Port can be changed by double clicking on the information tab.  Choose Com 4 for this example.
• Click the Apply tab and a window will appear Do you want to apply the changes. Select Yes.    

       Adaptive EtherTime Software 

• Install the weblink below. 
• http://www.manuauto.com/support/adaptive/adaptive-software-downloads/
• The Adaptive Ethertime software syncs the serial clocks to the time on the PC.

At Manufacturers Automation Inc., we are dedicated to customer service and want to make your experience with Adaptive led displays and Moxa serial device servers, a pleasant one. 

©  Copyright 2009, Manufacturers Automation Inc., www.manuauto.com

Adaptive LED Displays are among the best on the planet today and would like more detailed information on LED Displays.

There are a couple of ways to have more information and I would suggest if you are interested in LED Displays that you either contact us for details or take a look at the below information in PDF format.

by Brent Raynor – www.manuauto.com 

1-port RS-232/422/485 serial device server        

         Moxa NPort DE-311 

• Set all dip switches to the off position
• Connect an ethernet cross-over cable and power connector (9-30VDC, 400mA).
• Plug the power adapter into a 120VAC receptacle.
• Install the Moxa NPort Management Suite software –> http://www.moxa.com/support/download.aspx?d_id=1292

         Windows XP Setup

• Change the properties of the Local Area Connection. 
• Go to Start, Settings, and then Network Connections. 
• Select Local Area Connection and then Properties. 
• Scroll down the list and select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).  If IP information is  shown under Use the following IP address, make sure to write it down before proceeding.
• Select Use the following IP address and enter an IP address that is similar to the Moxa DE-311, except for the last two digits.

        Moxa NPort Management Suite

• The first step is to configure the ethernet side of the Moxa NPort DE-311. 
• Open the Configurator program. 
• Go to Locate Server, then Broadcast Search.  The IP address will appear in the Configurator window and is highlighted with a blue line.  Double click with the mouse or right click to Modify Configuration. 

• Select the Network Settings tab and check the boxes that require change.  Information next to those boxes can now be modified.

• Select the OP Mode tab and check the box Change OP_Mode.  Use the pull-down arrow to select TCP Server mode.  Select the More Settings tab and change to the TCP Port to Port 3001  (Adaptive Microsystems).  Click OK. 

• Select the Serial Settings tab and check the box Change Serial Port Settings.  This permits changes to the serial settings.  9600,8,N,1, Flow Control: None, UART FIFO: Enable.

  

•  Click OK and the Set Configuration window will show that information downloading to the Moxa NPort DE-311.  Click on the Close tab.

•  The next step is to configure the serial com port of the Moxa DE-311.   Open the COM Port Mapping and select Real Com Installer.  The program will will search for the connected NPort DE-311 and it will appear in the window. Double click with the mouse on the port settings information bar and the port properties window will appear.  The com port can be changed and then click OK.

• As you exit the Real Com Installer program, the software will give you an opportunity to save the settings.  Restart your computer.

HyperTerminal Loopback Test

         Test the RS-232 communication port

• Jumper pins 2 to 3on the Moxa NPort DE-311 DB9 com port.
• Pin 2 -> TXD       Pin 3 -> RXD  
• In Windows XP, go to start, programs, accessories, communications, and select HyperTerminal.
• Type a name for this project.                                               



• Select the com port that was assigned in Real Com Installer.                                            



• Com port settings are 9600, 8, N, 1, None.  Click OK.                                           



• Type a message and it will appear on the HyperTerminal screen. This confirms the RS-232 communication port works accordingly. Test this procedure by removing the jumper.  As you type, the characters will not appear on the HyperTerminal screen.     

      Test the RS-422/485 communication port

• Jumper pins 2 to 3 and 1 to 4 on the Moxa NPort DE-311 DB9 com port using two paperclips.
• Pin 2 -> RXD+(B)       Pin 3 -> TXD+(B) 
• Pin 1 -> RXD-(A)        Pin 4 -> TXD-(A) 
• Repeat the HyperTerminal Loopback Test.

               At Manufacturers Automation Inc., we are dedicated to customer service and want to make your experience with Moxa a pleasant one.

         © Copyright 2009, Manufacturers Automation Inc., www.manuauto.com

Manufactures Automation has been involved with distributor advisory councils over the years and is now involved the Moxa Distributor Advisory Council.

What does that mean for you, our customer?

That you can depend upon us to service all your Industrial Wireless, Network, Device Connectivity and Embedded Computer requirements.

You can have information at your fingertips by just contact us for detailed information on all of Moxa Products.

Plus as a respected distributor of Moxa products you will receive the best in quality service.

The Power of Linking to Related Web Sites.

Traffic to your web site means profits.

How can you get traffic to your web site?

There are quite a number different ways to achieve your goal of traffic to your site. Some are free and some you have to pay for. Today I am going to discuss only two which are both free.

The first is to receive traffic is to have a site that has relevant information on it. Content is King. Have information on your site that is in association with what you do or what you are interested in will get the search engines interested in your site.

Second you need to exchange links with websites that have the same theme or topics as you do and this is where we can help you out. Link exchanging is important since it will help the PR (Page Rank) in Google who is the supreme ruler of search engines today.

As a service to our customers we have set up a link exchange for you and if possible could you please link back to http://www.manuauto.com. Not only are inbound links valuable but also outbound links are valuable also since they do help you rank with search engines.

If we all work together your site and ours will grow by having traffic.

Note: We do reserve the right to refuse a link for any reason.

Top Distributor Awards for 2008

Hello Everyone:

Just a short note to show appreciation to our clients for helping us win top distributor awards for Moxa Industrial Networking Products and Adaptive LED Displays.

As a distibutor of high quality LED Signs and Industrial Networking products we are proud to announce that we have received two coveted awards from top manufacturers.

Moxa Top Distributor Award for 2008 which we have won two years in a row.

Adaptive LED Displays we have been Awarded Top Distributor for 2008 and have won this award for three years in a row.

We appreciate our clients who have helped us achieve this great honor and are looking forward to servicing you in the coming years.

Sincerely,

Brent Raynor