User Manual

RemoteCOM (C20 - C25)

Introduction

RemoteCOM (C20 - C25)

RemoteCOM is a complete hardware and software solution for creating remote communication ports. The software part can be uploaded to any of the Redisage C20 - C25 Ethernet Converters. It provides a communication between a LAN host and a device equipped with RS232/RS485 serial interfaces. A dedicated app makes it easy and fast to configure and deploy. There is a possibility to create virtual COM ports with the Redisage Configurator to minimize number of cables.

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Hardware

RemoteCOM (C20 - C25)

RemoteCOM can be installed on any device from the Redisage C20 - C25 Ethernet Converters family.

Features

Features

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Ethernet converter to RS232/RS485

ESD protection for the RS485 data line

Power supply: +12 to +30 VDC

Transmission speed up to 115200 bps

Tx, Rx and power LED indicators

RS485 embedded termination 120 ohm

Operating temperatures: -40°C to +75°C

DIN rail mounting

Dimensions: 90x56.4x22.5 mm

3 years warranty

Customization of OEM is welcomed

Frame ground FG

Electronic circuits are constantly prone to electrostatic discharge ESD. Redisage Electronics modules feature a design for the frame ground terminal block FG. The frame ground provides a path for bypassing ESD, which provides enhanced static protection ESD abilities and ensures the module is more reliable. Connecting FG terminal block to the earth ground will bypass the ESD disturbances outside the device so will provide a better level of protection against ESD.

Frame Ground FG connection reference drawing is provided below.

If earth ground is not available FG can be left floating or it can be connected with the power supply GND.

Specifications

Redisage PN

C20

C21

C22

C23

C24

C25

Ports

RS232

2x

-

-

4x

-

2x

RS485

-

1x

-

-

4x

2x

RS232/RS485

-

-

2x

-

-

-

Microcontroller

ESP32

STM32F4

WiFi

N/A

Power

Voltage

12-30 VDC

Power

< 1 W

Frame ground connection

yes

Baud rate

up to 115200 bps

LED indicators

communication Tx, Rx and power

RS485 termination

120 ohm manually enabled

Connector

RS232/RS485

8-pin terminal block max. 2.5 mm2 wire

Power

3-pin terminal block max. 2.5 mm2 wire

Ethernet

RJ45

Transmission
distance

RS485

max. 1,200 m at 9.6 kbps; max. 400 m at 115.2 kbps
(Belden 9841 2P twisted-pair cable, if different cables are used,
the transmission distance may change)

RS232

max. 15 m at 115.2 kbps

Mounting and enclosure

DIN rail, plastic PA - UL 94 V0, black/green

Temperatures

-40°C to +75°C operating and storage

Humidity

10 - 90% RH, non-condensing

ESD protection

±4 kV contact discharge / ±8 kV air discharge

Certification 

CE, RoHS

LED indicators

Converters C20 - C22

Converters C23 - C25

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LED indicator

Color

Function

LED indicator

Color

Function

PW

Blue

Power

PW

Blue

Power

ETH

Green

Network activity

ETH

Green

Network activity

ST

Orange

Console mode

CN

Yellow

Console mode

Red

Service mode

COM

Green

RS232/RS485 activity

 

SR

Red

Service mode

ER

Yellow

Error

Pin assignments

C20

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C21

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C22

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C23

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C24

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C25

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In the C22 converter user should use only RS232 or only RS485 interface of one port as they occupy the same internal bus of the device.

Configuration by the Web Page

RemoteCOM (C20 - C25)

This page presents capabilities of the Ethernet Converters configuration. First of all, make sure that converter is connected to power supply and to the LAN using a patch cord. If the device has no static IP set up, it will be necessary to obtain its IP address in the local network. User interface is mostly similar for all converters but some subpages might be different for several models depending on amount of interfaces. In order to avoid issues, click on a “Help” button in the top right corner on every page.

Login

To access the web page open the browser, type device’s IP address of the converter (default is 192.168.100.100). Then log in using user’s personal credentials. If it is a first configuration or the converter had a factory reset, use default login details (login: admin, password: admin123).

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The configuration is available only if devices are connected to the same Local Area Network as the computer used for it.

Status page

After a successful login, there should be an insight to important information such as: port status, service and ports which are in use and other details about the connection.

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Changing username or password

After clicking “Edit User” under the user icon, it is possible to change the username or the password.

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If login details were forgotten, it would be necessary to do a factory reset via a USB/UART converter and a serial console.

Ports page

This page allows to configure the device’s ports. There is a toggle switch next to the “Port” label by which it is possible to turn ON/OFF any particular ports.

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Item

Description

Service

RemoteCOM

The RemoteCOM option lets to attach the port to a computer running the Redisage Configurator as if it would be physically present in the computer.

TCP Socket

TCP/UDP Socket exposes this port as a regular network socket - connect to this socket with own software and write/read data to send/receive data over the serial port without any additional software or serial port handling.

UDP Socket

Port

The service number - the device has an “IP Address” by which it is identified and a couple of services running on it. It's required to tell the device which service should be in use by entering this device's IP address and the port number in the RemoteCOM client or user’s software.

Connection Timeout [s]

The time specifying how often (every how many seconds) the "keep alive" packet will be sent to check if the client is still connected. Value 0 means that the connection is kept permanently without any timeout.

Inactivity Time [ms]

The maximum allowed time in milliseconds during which there is no data transfer. When connection is inactive for the time longer or equal to the entered value, then it will be closed. Value 0 means there is no measure of the inactivity time at all.

Encryption

Determine how the data is protected 'in flight' over a network. It is available only with the RemoteCOM service. Once enabled, it is necessary to set the password.

Password

Protect the communication between the device and various clients - keep it secret! Same settings have to appear in clients - without the correct passwords, a client will not be able to connect at all.

Termination

Enable/disable termination on the RS line.

Baud Rate

Determine the port's transmission speed over the data channel.

Data Bits

Determine the number of data bits in the port's message frame.

Parity

Enable/disable parity check in the port's message frame.

Stop Bits

Determine the number of stop bits in the port's message frame.

Notes

These notes are for information only - feel free to write down anything related to this port (device it connects to, etc.). They're also shown in the Configurator during the device discovery - in the other words, they're public.

Changing port’s service closes all sockets connected to the ports.

In the UDP mode, port number 15051 is reserved for UDP broadcast service.

Network page

In this section, network settings can be changed according to target LAN parameters.

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Item

Description

Configuration Method

Enable/disable the DHCP server. If the DHCP server is disabled, the IP address of the device has to be set manually.

IP Address

IP address of the device.

Netmask

Netmask associated with the IP address.

Gateway

Gateway address currently used by the device.

MAC Settings

Allow setting the default MAC address or typing it manually.

MAC Address

Allow changing the physical address of the device.

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Item

Description

HTTP Port

Determine the port of the control panel.

Telnet Port

Allow connection with the device via Telnet.

Broadcasts

Notify RemoteCOM clients in the same network about this device's existence. With this enabled, the Configurator will automatically set most of the settings correctly after picking the correct port.

Hostname

Label that is assigned to the device.

DNS Address 1 (Primary)

Primary Domain Name System used by the device.

DNS Address 2

Domain Name System used by the device.

It is possible to obtain a dynamic IP address. Just switch configuration method from static IP to DHCP (automatic). This process may cause some issues with identifying converters in LAN unless there is an access to the device which is responsible for allocating IP addresses.

Keep in mind that in case of changed IP address user needs to type a new IP in the address bar and log in again.

Device page

On the device page there are tools used to a firmware update, a factory reset and a device reboot.

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Item

Description

Firmware Update

Update firmware.

Factory Reset

Restore default ports settings and default network configuration.

Reboot

Reboot the device.

Firmware update

The device firmware update must not be interrupted. Update the device only if experiencing issues, being instructed to do so by our support or requiring the latest features/bugfixes. Failure during the update may 'brick' the device and make it unusable.

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Use the wire-city-esp32.fir file for a firmware update.

Factory reset

To restore default settings, press the “Factory Reset” button. After that, user will be asked to type “RESET”. Then it will take a few seconds to reload the web page and restart the device.

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Info page

This page contains basic information about the device.

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Configuration by the Telnet Console‎

RemoteCOM (C20 - C25)

The device can be also configured via the Telnet Console. Firstly, make sure that converter is connected to the power supply and to the LAN using a patch cord. Knowledge of the device’s IP address (default is 192.168.100.100) and Telnet port number (default is 23) is necessary to establish a connection.

Use command below in a terminal window to connect to the device:

telnet <ip_address> <port_number>

If the connection is successful there will be a login prompt visible. Log in using user’s personal credentials or the default login details (login: admin, password: admin123). If login is successful, it will be possible to start typing configuration commands.

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The configuration is available only if devices are connected to the same Local Area Network as the computer used for it.

List of all commands

Command

Description

help

Print the help.

conn

Print active TCP connections.

eth_mac

Print or change MAC address.

exit

Close current CLI session.

http_port

Print or change default http port.

ipconfig

Print or change the network configuration.

net_stat

Print lwIP statistics.

ping

Check internet connection with the desired host.

restart

Restart the system.

reboot

Same as restart.

sys_heap_usage

Print current heap usage.

telnet_port

Print or change default telnet port.

uart

Print or change uart configuration.

uart_service

Print or change uart_service configuration.

user

Print or change user configuration.

Ports configuration commands

In terms of ports configuration it is possible to change parameters like: service, baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits and so on. UART commands are provided below.

Network settings

The following commands might be helpful to change network settings according to target LAN parameters. 

Changing username or password

To change username or password, use user command. Available commands:

Additional notes

After some time of inactivity, session will be disconnected automatically.

In order to avoid issues like connecting to the host, type “help” to get more information.

To get more details about every particular command, append “help” after each commands (example: "ipconfig help").

Factory reset is not available from the Telnet Console level.

Configuration by the Serial Console‎

RemoteCOM (C20 - C25)

Another way to configure the device is via a serial console. In case of the C20 - C22 Ethernet Converters an additional USB/UART converter is needed.

Procedure to enter serial console mode on C20 - C22
Procedure to enter serial console mode on C23 - C25

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List of all commands

Command

Description

help

Print the help.

conn

Print active TCP connections.

eth_mac

Print or change MAC address.

exit

Close current CLI session.

http_port

Print or change default http port.

ipconfig

Print or change the network configuration.

net_stat

Print lwIP statistics.

ping

Check internet connection with the desired host.

restart

Restart the system.

reboot

Same as restart.

sys_heap_usage

Print current heap usage.

telnet_port

Print or change default telnet port.

uart

Print or change uart configuration.

uart_service

Print or change uart_service configuration.

user

Print or change user configuration.

Ports configuration commands

In terms of ports configuration it is possible to change parameters like: service, baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits and so on. UART commands are provided below.

Network settings

The following commands might be helpful to change network settings according to target LAN parameters. 

Changing username or password

To change username or password, use user command. Available commands:

Service mode

Procedure to enter service mode for C20 - C22 converters

Procedure to enter service mode for C23 - C25 converters

List of commands in the service mode

Command

Description

help

Print the help.

credits

Print current credits value for this device.

dev_ident

Print the device identification value.

restart

Restart the system.

serial_num

Print the serial number of this device.

version

Display the bootloader version.

xmodem

Download image to the internal flash using xmodem.

defaults

Reset application variables to defaults.

ipconfig

Print or change the network configuration.

flash_read

Read bytes from flash memory.

md

Read bytes from memory address.

In the service mode, the “ipconfig” command can only show a last static IP address.

Factory reset

To restore default settings, type “defaults”. After that, user will be asked to type “default network” to reset the network settings as well. Then user will be informed if the process is successful.

Additional notes

In order to avoid issues like connecting to host, type “help” to get more information.

To get more details about every particular command, append “help” after each commands (example: "ipconfig help").

Redisage Configurator‎

RemoteCOM (C20 - C25)

Redisage Configurator is an app used to emulate connection between converter and a PC as if its RS232/RS485 ports would be connected directly to the COM port. The advantage of that functionality is lack of additional cables. Transmission can be tested over Ethernet. First connect the device to a local network using the Ethernet port and power it up. During the configuration process set “Service” to the RemoteCOM option on the “Ports” page.

While changing port service from RemoteCOM to TCP/UDP Socket make sure to disable RemoteCOM virtual port in the Redisage Configurator first.

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Redisage VSP Driver

In order for Redisage Configurator to work properly, it is necessary to install the Redisage VSP Driver. It can be done with RedisageVSPDriver.Installer available for Windows.

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Redisage Configurator

When the device is configured open the Redisage Configurator app.

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Use the “Add Device” button to set up a new connection with a device. On the right side there should be a list of available devices visible. Choose one of them or specify a custom COM port number, an IP address and a service port number.

While specifying a custom virtual COM make sure to use the same IP address and service port as set earlier in the port configuration.

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In order to establish a connection with a desired device use the “Enable” button. To end the connection use the “Disable” button. Service IP/hostname, service port and password can be modified at any time. There are also available 2 options of the encryption methods (none (disabled) or strong (AES-GCM 128-bit, Argon2)) and 5 options of the connection timeout (brief, short, fair, modest or lengthy). Changes have to be saved with “Save Changes” button.

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There is also the “Settings” tab at the top of the window from where the Logging Directory or the Device Manager can be opened.

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If everything is connected properly there should be a new COM port available in the Device Manager. It is also possible to check it, for example, on the web page.

If any change is made to the port configuration, make sure to apply it with the “Save Changes” button.

Troubleshooting

If a discovered device cannot be added, check if it hadn’t been added before with a different COM port / service port. In that case, delete previous configuration from the Redisage Configurator.

If that won’t work, check if the port service was configured correctly for the RemoteCOM Service.

FAQ

RemoteCOM (C20 - C25)

How to obtain an IP address of the device?

The default static IP address of the device is 192.168.100.100. However, if the DHCP option is set, it will be necessary to obtain the IP address from a local network. First of all, connect the device to the local network (for example via a network switch). The easiest way to find the IP address of the device is via the Serial Console. After a successful login use “ipconfig” command to print all the information about the Ethernet connection. The IP address should be shown there.

How to recover an access to the device after the password was lost?

The only option to reset the user’s password is to do a hard reset via the service mode in the Service Console. To restore default settings, including login and password, type “defaults” in the terminal. Now the default credentials are:

I cannot set up the virtual COM through the Redisage Configurator app. What should I do?

If in the Redisage Configurator a discovered device cannot be added, check if it hadn’t been added before with a different COM port / service port. In that case, delete previous configuration from the Redisage Configurator. If that won’t work, check if the port service was configured correctly for the RemoteCOM Service.

How to check if the device is configured correctly?

The device’s status can be checked on the “Status” page of the configuration website. If a connection with the device is established, there should be a corresponded label visible (“Server is starting…”, “Waiting for connection” or “Client connected!”).