BECKHOFF DK9322-0809-0002 - Manual (Page 2)

TwinCAT
TwinCAT Supplement “Virtual Serial COM Driver”
Application Note DK9322-0809-0002
EL60x1: COM7
EL60x1: COM6
EL60x1: COM5
Panel PC
COM5
COM6
COM7
EtherCAT Terminals
Fig.  Serial interface in the field
Advantages
The advantage of the combination of TwinCAT Supplement and serial terminal is that Windows applications can access one
or several terminals that are linked via EtherCAT and can therefore be distributed at different points in the field. No separate
wiring of the individual serial interfaces is required. In theory, up to 255 terminals can be integrated, although this is rarely
used in practice. Another advantage is system conformity: the integration costs are reduced since no additional computer
has to be installed for operating a device in the field. The virtual interfaces can be configured conveniently (name, baud rate,
handshake) via TwinCAT in the System Manager. If several networked PCs and interface terminals are distributed in the system,
the TwinCAT System Manager can be used to specify on which PC which interface is available.
Practical applications of the Virtual Serial COM Driver with the EL600: bar code hand scanner
integrated in the field
Software for the third-party device, for example a bar code hand scanner, is installed on the central control system, where data
are to be processed usually. Here the software interface is a standard Windows COM interface. However, the hand scanner is
used at a remote I/O station in the field. Software for the hand scanner cannot be implemented in TwinCAT, and the scanner
data are not processed with TwinCAT. In addition, the software for the third-party device does not know about EtherCAT and
need not be Ethernet- or EtherCAT-capable. Despite this, EtherCAT can be used as transmission medium for the scanner data
(see Fig. 2).
New Automation Technology Beckhoff 2
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