The easy way to make a PC talk RS485
An
Amalgamated Instrument product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Dec 7, 2001
RS232 serial data transmission has serious limitations, but Amalgamated Instrument Co has made it very easy to use RS485 communications instead with the PC485 and PC422 serial converters
Some limitations of RS232 serial data transmission are the maximum transmission distance of approximately 15m and the fact that it is single "point-to-point".
A way to overcome these limitations is to use RS485 communications and Amalgamated Instrument Co has made it very easy with the PC485 and PC422 serial converters.
These neat little devices plug into an existing serial connector in IBM PC compatible PCs and convert the RS232 protocol to RS485 (in the case of the PC485) or a choice of RS485 or RS422 (in the case of the PC422).
The adapters are about the size of 2 standard D shell 25 pin plugs and fit neatly out of sight.
With the RS485 communications, transmission distances of up to 1200 metres and multipoint communication is possible.
Many devices can be connected in a "daisy-chain" fashion.
Each device is assigned an address and the PCs can interrogate each of them.
The converters were originally designed to allow the downloading of data from multiple AIC instruments but the PC485 and PC422 have proved very effective in many applications where more flexible communications is required.
AIC also manufacture mains powered and DIN rail mounted RS232 to RS485/RS422 converters.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact Amalgamated Instrument
Related Stories
- Kyland Ethernet switches meet emission standards
- Shortlink transceiver offers wireless integration
- Sixnet unveils industrial-managed Ethernet switch
- Acromag power supplies available in nine models
- B and B supplies serial servers for seabed mapping
Browse by category
-
Capital Equipment (3,501)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (536)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,127)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (474)
- Production line blowers and fans (73)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (967)
- Consultancy and Services (920)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,112)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (813)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (189)
- Control and Instrumentation (2)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (296)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (203)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,199)
- Plantwide control (1,350)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (574)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (390)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,432)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (2)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,290)
- Industrial Motors (501)
- Linear Drives and Motors (120)
- Precision Motors and Gears (429)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,088)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,290)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (580)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (714)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (647)
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (3)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (374)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (720)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (429)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (823)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,337)
- 2D CAD software (202)
- 3D CAD software (1,183)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (578)
- Data, document management software (322)
- Electrical design software (166)
- Engineering Design Software (17)
- FEA and structural analysis software (376)
- File conversion software, data capture (358)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (339)
- Materials design and moulding design software (152)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (325)
- PLM and collaboration software (660)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (269)
- Publishing and documentation software (234)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (206)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (950)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,202)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Conferences (436)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (849)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (575)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (365)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (636)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Seminars (415)
- Engineering Training Courses (457)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (180)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (285)
- Health and Safety Legislation (403)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (115)
- Machine Building (4,610)
-
Materials and Processing (3,022)
- Materials and components (2,260)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials processing and testing (291)
- Rapid Prototyping (466)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,632)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (488)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (505)
- Data loggers (425)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (642)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (757)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (448)
- Materials testing equipment (431)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (158)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (518)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,259)
-
Powertrain Design (3,703)
- Bearings (977)
- Chains and belts (333)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,474)
- Hydraulic Components (474)
- Lubricants (441)
- Powertrain Design (3)
-
Sensors (7,255)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (447)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (640)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (289)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (158)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (537)
- Linear Position Sensors (412)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (726)
- Pressure sensors (635)
- Proximity Sensors (711)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (560)
- Sensors (10)
- Temperature sensors (621)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,406)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (2,031)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,716)
