Mini-VersaTRAK mIPm / mIPm+ supports a flexible suite of communications options in support of your open systems:

Ethernet Port

The Ethernet port on a Mini-VersaTRAK mIPm / mIPm+ will auto detect and respond to both SIXNET "I/O for Windows" protocol and Open Modbus (Modbus/TCP) protocol. Messages from multiple computers can be received simultaneously in a mix of these two protocols. Many TCP/IP sessions and any number of UDP connections can exist at the same time. This Ethernet port also has the ability to send SIXNET and Modbus /TCP and /UDP commands to other SIXNET stations and Modbus devices.

RS232 Ports

Each RS232 port on a Mini-VersaTRAK mIPm / mIPm+ can be connected to a cell phone, radio, modem and just about any RS232 device required by your applications. An RS232 port can serve as either a slave (receive I/O commands) or master (send I/O commands). Each port can be configured for SIXNET "I/O for Windows" protocol, Modbus RTU (master or slave) protocol or Modbus ASCII (master or slave) protocol. (Please note that RS232 communications requires a single choice of mode and protocol. This choice is made in configuration software supplied with your Mini-VersaTRAK mIPm / mIPm+.)

RS485 Port

The RS485 port(s) on a Mini-VersaTRAK mIPm / mIPm+ can serve as either a slave (receive I/O commands) or master (send I/O commands). The RS485 port can be configured for SIXNET "I/O for Windows" protocol, Modbus RTU (master or slave) protocol or Modbus ASCII (master or slave) protocol. (Please note that RS485 communications requires a single choice of mode and protocol. This choice is made in configuration software supplied with your Mini-VersaTRAK mIPm / mIPm+.)

SIXNET Passthru Mode

When a Mini-VersaTRAK mIPm / mIPm+ receives a SIXNET Universal Protocol message over Ethernet or a serial port, addressed to a station other than itself, it can pass this message to one of its serial ports for retransmission to other devices connected to this "passthru" port. The response from the remote device is retransmitted in the proper format over the serial port to the originating master station. Please note that "I/O for Windows" communications will enable you to use many advanced SIXNET features, such as on-the-fly configuration changes, directly through the Mini-VersaTRAK mIPm / mIPm+.

Selecting "I/O for Windows" protocol or Modbus Protocol

Generally, "I/O for Windows" is the preferred protocol for SIXNET systems. In most cases it results in higher system performance and gives you the many benefits designed into SIXNET products, such as addressing I/O directly by tag name. Systems using "I/O for Windows" communications can be configured on-line (while live) and can be addressed by multiple masters simultaneously.

Modbus is a single master protocol (although Ethernet can extend this capability in some situations). Modbus is recommended when the SIXNET I/O will share a communications channel with existing Modbus devices or when the software in your master station can only talk Modbus protocol. This is generally the case with non-Windows legacy systems and Windows software with limited suites of supported I/O drivers.