B and B signs for COM port redirection software

A Digi product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 24, 2005

B and B Electronics has licensed the Digi RealPort COM port redirection patent (US patent number 6,047,319) entitled "Network terminal server with full API implementation".

B and B Electronics has licensed the Digi RealPort COM port redirection patent (US patent number 6,047,319) entitled "Network terminal server with full API implementation".

The patent allows the company to develop its COM port redirection software for use in its device server product line.

COM port redirection enables remote network-attached serial devices to function in exactly the same way, and use the same application software, as if they were directly connected to a PC or server.

"A patent licence is required of most companies developing, using or planning to develop COM port redirection technology", said Larry Kraft, Vice President of America's Sales and Global Marketing, Digi International.

"As the leader in device networking, Digi has a strong and growing portfolio of intellectual property".

The patent licence to develop COM port redirection technology consists of a one-time fee and a volume scaleable per port royalty fee.

For companies that want to get to market fast, Digi also offers two RealPort development kits for the NetOS environment.

The first option allows licensees to use any RealPort driver that Digi provides.

The second option enables manufacturers to work with Digi to privately brand the drivers.

To save manufacturers substantial time and expense, all Microsoft WHQL certification and electronic signature are performed and maintained by Digi.

Digi's patented RealPort technology easily allows virtually any computer application that uses COM port or TTY communications to connect securely to a serial device across an IP network.

Requiring minimal network overhead, the low latency RealPort technology allows users to locate serial devices anywhere on an IP network without having to change application programs that are expecting locally host-connected COM or TTY ports.

This creates an easy migration path for moving serial devices to fully Ethernet-enabled devices with no application changes required.