Host Serial Interfaces¶

The XPort EDGE Embedded Ethernet Gateway provides a UART port to enable communication with a connected host microcontroller or another system.

UART¶

The gateway provides one UART interface for asynchronous serial communication with the microcontroller. The UART is used for device control, data communication, and debug logging.

The UART interface maps to Line 1 on the gateway. It supports asynchronous data rate up to 4 Mbps, odd/even parity, 1 and 2 stop bits, software flow control (Xon/Xoff), and hardware flow control (RTS, CTS).

In order to set up the UART serial interface, configure the Line 1 settings.

In Web Manager, go to Line > Line 1 > Configuration.

For CLI, see Config Line Level.

For XML, see configgroup Line.

Line Configuration Settings¶

The following table describes the Web Manager Line configuration settings.

Links to the equivalent settings for the CLI and XML reference are listed below.

CLI settings: See Config Line Level

XML settings: See configgroup Line

Settings	Description
Name	Name or short description for the line, if desired. By default, there is no name specified. A name that contains white space must be surrounded by quotations.
Interface	Serial Interface. Choices are: RS232, RS485 Half Duplex, and RS485 Full Duplex.
State	Operational state of the Line. Can be Enabled or Disabled. The default is an Enabled.
Protocol	Operational protocol for the Line. Choices are: - Command Line - ConsoleFlow Interface - Modem Emulation - Monitor - Mux - None - Trouble Log - Tunnel See Line Operating Modes
Baud Rate	Baud Rate (bits per second) of the Line. The default is 9600. Any standard speed between 1200 and 4000000 may be selected. You may also select a custom baud rate and enter any value between 1200 and 4000000.
Parity	Parity of the line. The default is None. Note: Serial lines do not support the following Data Bit/Parity combinations: - 7 Data Bits with No Parity and 1 Stop Bit - 8 Data Bits with 2 Stop Bits.
Data Bits	Number of data bits for the Line. The default is 8. Note: Serial lines do not support the following Data Bit/Parity combinations: - 7 Data Bits with No Parity and 1 Stop Bit - 8 Data Bits with 2 Stop Bits.
Stop Bits	Number of stop bits for the Line. The default is 1.
Flow Control	Flow control for the Line. Choices: None, Hardware, Software. The default is None. Hardware flow control is only supported on Line 1.
Xon Char	When Flow Control is set to Software, Xon Character prefix must be set in one of three ways: Prefix decimal with a backslash (\17) Prefix hexadecimal with 0x (0x11) Prefix control character with (Q)
Xoff Char	When Flow Control is set to Software, Xoff Character prefix must be set in one of three ways: Prefix decimal with backslash (\19) Prefix hexadecimal with 0x (0x13) Prefix control character with (S)
Gap Timer	Gap timer is the delay in milliseconds to pass from the last character received, before the driver forwards the received serial bytes. By default, the delay is four character periods at the current baud rate (minimum 1 msec). Gap Timer range is 1 to 5000 milliseconds.
Threshold	Number of threshold bytes which need to be received in order for the driver to forward received characters. Default value is 56 bytes.
Push	If defined, the driver will forward received characters after the Push sequence of characters is received. An example would be <J>

Virtual Line Interface¶

The virtual line interface sets up a virtual port on the Line 1 serial port. You can configure 2 virtual lines, 1 and 2, and define the protocol and other line settings.

Mux provides commands for sending and receiving data on multiple network connections. Mux offers simultaneous access to virtual lines and each virtual line may operate in any of the gateway's line protocols.

Use the serial terminal to open a virtual connection with Mux commands. The virtual connection establishes the configured Line protocol on the virtual port.

To send and receive data on the configured virtual line:

1. Set the Line 1 protocol to Mux.
2. Configure Line Virtual_1 or Virtual_2 to the desired protocol. For example, this could be Tunnel.
3. Configure any other necessary settings for the protocol assigned to the virtual line. For example, configure ConsoleFlow settings, etc.
4. Use the serial terminal to open a virtual connection. The virtual connection establishes the configured Line protocol on the virtual port. See Mux Reference for details on Mux commands to create a virtual connection.

Virtual Line Configuration Settings¶

The following table describes the Web Manager Line configuration settings.

Links to the equivalent settings for the CLI and XML reference are listed below.

CLI settings: See Config Line Level

XML settings: See configgroup Line

Virtual Line Setting	Description
Name	Name or short description for the line, if desired. By default, there is no name specified. A name that contains white space must be surrounded by quotations. May contain up to 25 characters.
State	Operational state of the serial line. Enabled or Disabled. The default is Enabled.
Protocol	Operational protocol for the Line. Choices are: - Command Line - ConsoleFlow Interface - Modem Emulation - Monitor - Mux - None - Trouble Log - Tunnel. See Line Operating Modes.
Gap Timer	Gap Timer is the delay in milliseconds to pass from the last character received, before the driver forwards the received serial bytes. By default, the delay is four character periods at the current baud rate (minimum 1 msec). Gap Timer range is 1 to 5000 milliseconds.
Threshold	Number of threshold bytes which need to be received in order for the driver to forward received characters. Default value is 56 bytes.
Push	If defined, the driver will forward received characters after the Push sequence of characters is received. An example would be <J>

Line Printer Daemon (LPD)¶

Line Printer Daemon (LPD) is not included in the default firmware. To use LPD, use the SDK to create a project including the lpd module. See the Optional Features chapter of the XPort EDGE SDK User Guide for more information.

Modbus¶

Modbus is not included in the default firmware. To use Modbus, use the SDK to create a project including the modbus module. See the Optional Features chapter of the XPort EDGE SDK User Guide for more information.

For CLI, see Status Modbus level and Config Modbus level.

For XML, see configgroup Modbus.

Line Operating Modes¶

Host microcontrollers communicate with the embedded gateway through one or more of the interfaces described earlier. The gateway offers various operating modes that can be applied to these interfaces depending on the device's command and control requirements as well as the data communications requirement.

In order to bind one of the following operating modes to a particular interface, set the "line protocol" within the Line interface configuration as defined below:

• Command Line
• ConsoleFlow Interface
• Modem Emulation
• Monitor
• Mux
• None
• Trouble Log
• Tunnel

TruPort Serial (Tunnel)¶

Serial over IP tunneling, also referred to as "serial to Ethernet," allows a serial device to communicate over a network, without being aware of the devices that establish the network connection between them.

TruPort Serial is an essential gateway application that allows a serial device connected through UART to communicate over the network transparently with one or more remote serial device or networked applications.

It is most suitable when the connected serial device software cannot be modified to add command and control logic for data communication.

By offering various knobs that control session connect, disconnect, and data framing, TruPort Serial offers a diverse set of network protocol connections and reliable data communications to enable transparent pass-through of hundreds of proprietary serial and standard fieldbus protocols across many industries.

In order to select this operating mode, set the "line protocol" for the selected interface to "Tunnel."

In Web Manager, go to Line > Line 1 > Configuration.

For CLI, see Config Line Level.

For XML, see configgroup Line.

Configuring Tunnel Connections¶

TruPort Serial supports the following tunnel connections:

• TCP client
• TCP server
• TCP with AES
• TCP with TLS/SSL
• UDP client
• UDP server
• UDP with AES

The following configuration options are available:

• Make a local connection
• Accept a network connection
• Configure disconnect settings
• Configure the packing mode
• View tunnel status
• View tunnel serial line status

Connection Control¶

Accept (Server mode)

Accept mode defines how the gateway reacts to incoming connections from a client over the network.

In Accept mode, the gateway listens (waits) for incoming connections from the network. A remote node on the network initiates the connection.

Serial data can still be received while waiting for a network connection, up to the serial buffer limit.

Connect (Client mode)

Connect mode defines how the gateway makes a client connection to a remote node on the network.

Disconnect mode

Disconnect mode specifies the optional conditions for disconnecting any connection that may be established. If any of these conditions are selected but do not occur and the network disconnects from the device, a Connect Mode connection will attempt to reconnect. However, if none of these conditions are selected, a closure from the network is perceived as a disconnect.

Data Framing Control¶

Data from the serial Line is queued and sent in segments, when either the timeout or byte threshold is reached or the send character is read on the serial line.

Data framing control, also called Packing mode, applies to both Accept and Connect modes.

Status and Statistics¶

Tunnel statistics display information about each individual connection and an aggregate status of all tunnel connections.

Configuring Tunnel Connect (Client Connection) in TCP Mode¶

This tutorial describes how to configure a TCP tunnel in Connect (Client) mode and make a connection.

You will need:

• An XPort EDGE Embedded Ethernet Gateway
• A TCP server or listener tool (e.g. BT NetTools)

Follow these steps:

1. Configure the TCP server to listen on a specific port.

2. Set Line 1 protocol to Tunnel.

3. Configure Tunnel 1 Connect. Set Mode to Always.

4. Configure Host 1. Set Address to the IP address of the TCP server and Port to the port the TCP server is listening on. Save your settings and reboot the XPort EDGE Embedded Ethernet Gateway.

5. View Tunnel 1 Status to confirm the tunnel is up and see information about active connections.

6. Type characters into serial terminals connected to the serial port of the gateway and the TCP server. The characters are echoed back on the other terminal.

Configuring Tunnel Connect (Client Connection) in TLS Mode¶

You may want to create a secure connection using TLS. You'll need to first create a TLS credential. See TLS Credentials for more details. This tutorial describes how to configure a TLS tunnel in Connect (Client) mode and make a connection.

You will need:

• An XPort EDGE Embedded Ethernet Gateway with TLS credential configured
• A TLS server configured with corresponding TLS credential

Follow these steps:

1. Configure the TLS server to listen on a specific port.

2. Set Line 1 protocol to Tunnel.

3. Configure Tunnel 1 Connect. Set Mode to Always.

4. Configure Host 1. Set Address to the IP address of the TLS server and Port to the port the TLS server is listening on. Set Protocol to TLS and Credential to the name of the TLS credential.

5. Save your settings and reboot the gateway.

6. View Tunnel 1 Status to confirm the tunnel is up and see information about active connections.

7. Type characters into serial terminals connected to the serial port of the gateway and the TLS server. The characters are echoed back on the other terminal.

Configuring Tunnel Accept (Server Connection) in TCP Mode¶

This tutorial describes how to configure a TCP tunnel in Accept (Server) mode.

You will need:

• An XPort EDGE Embedded Ethernet Gateway
• A client device or terminal emulator capable of TCP connections (e.g. Tera Term, PuTTY)

Follow these steps:

1. Set Line 1 protocol to Tunnel.

2. Configure Tunnel 1 Accept. Set Mode to Always, set Local Port to the local listening port, and set Protocol to TCP. Save your settings.

3. View Tunnel 1 Status to confirm the tunnel is up. Status is Waiting.

4. Use the client device or a terminal emulator (e.g. Tera Term, PuTTY) to make a TCP/IP connection to the IP address of the desired connected interface with the listen port.

5. View Tunnel 1 Status to confirm the tunnel is up and see information about active connections.

6. Type characters into serial terminals connected to the serial port of the gateway and the TCP server. The characters are echoed back on the other terminal.

Configuring Tunnel Accept (Server Connection) in TLS Mode¶

As with the client connection, you can create a secure connection using TLS or TCP AES. You'll need to first create a TLS credential. See TLS Credentials for more details. This tutorial describes how to configure a TLS tunnel in Accept (Server) mode.

You will need:

• An XPort EDGE Embedded Ethernet Gateway with TLS credential configured
• A TLS-capable client configured with corresponding TLS credential

Follow these steps:

1. Set Line 1 protocol to Tunnel.

2. Configure Tunnel 1 Accept. Set Mode to Always and set Local Port to the local listening port. Set Protocol to TLS and enter the TLS credential name. Save your settings.

3. View Tunnel 1 Status to confirm the tunnel is up. Status is Waiting.

4. Use a TLS-capable client to make a TCP/IP connection to the IP address of the desired connected interface with the listen port.

5. View Tunnel 1 Status to confirm the tunnel is up and see information about active connections.

6. Type characters into serial terminals connected to the serial port of the gateway and the TLS server. The characters are echoed back on the other terminal.

Tunnel Configuration Settings¶

The following tables describe the Web Manager Tunnel configuration settings.

Links to the equivalent settings for the CLI and XML reference are listed before each table.

For details on how to use the CLI interface, see Configuration and Setup.

For details on how to use the XML interface, see Configuration and Setup.

Tunnel Line Settings¶

The tunnel line settings that are displayed are derived from the serial Line interface.

CLI settings: See Config Tunnel Line Level

XML settings: See configgroup Tunnel Line

Settings	Description
Line	Line Settings information here is display only. Go to the serial line interface to modify the settings.
Protocol	Protocol information here is display only. Go to the serial line interface to modify the settings.
DTR	Select the DTR conditions in which Data Terminal Ready (DTR) control signal on the Serial Line is asserted. Choices: Asserted while connected (Causes DTR to be asserted whenever either a connect or an accept mode tunnel connection is active), Continuously asserted, and Unasserted.

Tunnel Packing Settings¶

CLI settings: See Config Tunnel Packing Level

XML settings: See configgroup Tunnel Packing

Settings	Description
Mode	Configure the Tunnel Packing Mode. Choices are: Disable (data not packed), Timeout (data sent after timeout occurs), and Send Character (data sent when the Send Character is read on the Serial Line).
Timeout	Set the timeout value, in milliseconds, after the first character is received on the serial line, before data is sent on the network. Valid range is 1 to 30000 milliseconds. Default is 1000. This configuration option becomes available when Timeout is the selected Mode.
Threshold	Set the threshold (byte count). If the received serial data reaches this threshold, then the data will be sent on the network. Valid range is 100 to 1450 bytes. Default is 512. This configuration option becomes available when Timeout or Send Character is the selected Mode.
Send Character	Enter Control Characters in any of the following forms: J, 0xA (hexadecimal), and \10 (decimal). If used, the Send Character is a single printable character or a control character that, when read on the Serial Line, forces the queued data to be sent on the network immediately. This configuration option becomes available when Send Character is the selected Mode.
Flush Send Character	Click to enable or disable. This configuration option becomes available when Send Character is the selected Mode.
Trailing Character	Enter Control Characters in any of the following forms: Q, 0x11 (hexadecimal), and \17 (decimal). If used, the Trailing Character is a single printable character or a control character that is injected into the outgoing data stream right after the Send Character. Disable the Trailing Character by blanking the field (setting it to ). The trailing character configuration option becomes available when Send Character is the selected Mode.

Tunnel Accept Settings¶

CLI settings: See Config Tunnel Accept Level

XML settings: See configgroup Tunnel Accept

Settings	Description
Mode	Method used to start a tunnel in Accept mode. Choices: Disable: do not accept an incoming connection. Always: accept an incoming connection (default). Any Character: start waiting for an incoming connection when any character is read on the serial line. Start Character: start waiting for an incoming connection when the start character for the selected tunnel is read on the serial line. Modem Control Asserted: start when the modem control pin is asserted on the serial line.
Local Port	Port number for use as the network local port. The default local port for TCP on Line 1 is 10001.
Multiple Connections	Enabled: allow up to four incoming and four outgoing connections. Disabled: allow up to one incoming and two outgoing connections. Disabled by default.
Protocol	Protocol type for use with Accept Mode. The options are: TCP TCP AES TLS
Credential	Name of the credential associated with the selected protocol. The credential type can be AES or TLS and you configure it before setting up the accept connection. For more details, see AES Credentials or TLS Credentials.
Start Character	Start character that will enable the tunnel to listen for a network connection. The start character may be designated as a single printable character or as a control character. Control characters may be input in any of the following forms: J or 0xA (hexadecimal) or \10 (decimal) This configuration option becomes available when Start Character is the selected Mode.
Flush Start Character	Enabled: prevents forwarding of a start character from the Line into the network. Disabled: the flush start character allows forwarding of a start character from the line into the network. This configuration option becomes available when Start Character is the selected Mode.
Flush Line	Whether the serial line data buffer is flushed upon a new network connection. Choices are: Enabled: serial data buffer is flushed on network connection Disabled: serial data buffer is not flushed on network connection (default)
Block Line	Whether Block Line is enabled for debugging purposes. Choices are: Enabled: if enabled, incoming characters from the serial line will not be forwarded to the network. Instead, they will be buffered and will eventually flow off the serial line if hardware or software flow control is configured. Disabled: this is the default setting; incoming characters from the Serial Line are sent into the network. Any buffered characters are sent first.
Block Network	Whether Block Network is enabled for debugging purposes. Choices are: Enabled: if enabled, incoming characters from the network will not be forwarded to the Serial Line. Instead, they will be buffered and will eventually flow off the network side. Disabled: this is the default setting; incoming characters from the network are sent on the Serial Line. Any buffered characters are sent first.
Password	Password can be up to 31 characters in length and must contain only alphanumeric characters and punctuation. When set, clients must send the correct password string to the unit within 30 seconds from opening network connection in order to enable data transmission. The password sent to the unit must be terminated with one of the following: 0A (Line Feed) 00 (Null) 0D 0A (Carriage Return/Line Feed) 0D 00 (Carriage Return/Null) If Prompt for Password is set to Enabled and a password is provided, the user will be prompted for the password upon connection.

Tunnel Connect Settings¶

CLI settings: See Config Tunnel Connect Level

XML settings: See configgroup Tunnel Connect

Settings	Description
Mode	Method to start the Connect Tunnel: Disable: never started. Always: always started Any Character: started when any character is detected on the Serial Line Start Character: started when the Start Character is detected on the Serial Line. Modem Control Asserted: started when the modem control pin is asserted on the serial line.
Local Port	View and if desired, override the default Local Value values. Local port default values: Tunnel 1 is 10001 and Tunnel 2 is 10002. Blank the display field to restore to default random setting.
Host (Edit button)	Lists the information related to connecting to a host. Click Edit beside a particular host to view details. Address: IP address of the remote host. If Protocol is UDP and you want to listen rather than connect, set Address to the interface to eth0. Port: the port on the remote host. Can be UDP or TCP port. If Protocol is UDP and you want to listen rather than connect, set to <None>. Default is <None>. Protocol: May be TCP, TCP AES, TLS, UDP. Default is TCP. Initial Send: string up to 32 characters. If present, the initial string is sent out before any other data when the connection is established. Click Submit to save. Up to 2 hosts can be established.
Connections	Select the type of connection. Sequential: connections for tunneling will begin from host 1 and proceed in sequence until a connection is accepted. Simultaneous: all hosts accepting connections will be connected. Round-Robin: the tunnel connection attempts to start with the host after whichever host had previously connected.
Reconnect Time	Enter the reconnection time, which specifies how long the gateway will wait in seconds before trying to reconnect to the remote host after a failed attempt or closed connection. Blank the display field to restore the default.
Flush Line	Select to enable or disable the flush line at the time a connection is established with the network. Enabled: buffered characters from the serial line will be discarded when a connection is established. Disabled: any characters received on the serial line will be buffered and sent after a connection is established.
Block Line	Select to enable or disable the block line, which is used for debugging purposes. Enabled: incoming characters from the serial line will not be forwarded to the network but will be buffered and will eventually flow off the serial line, if hardware or software flow control is configured. Disabled: incoming characters from the serial line are sent to the network. Any buffered characters are sent first. This is the “normal” setting.
Block Network	Select to enable or disable the block network, which is used for debugging purposes. Enabled: incoming characters from the network will not be forwarded to the serial line but will be buffered and eventually flow off the network side. Disabled: incoming characters from the network are sent on into the serial line. Any buffered characters are sent first. This is the “normal” setting.

Tunnel Disconnect Settings¶

CLI settings: See Config Tunnel Disconnect Level

XML settings: See configgroup Tunnel Disconnect

Settings	Description
Stop Character	Enter the Stop Character which when received on the Serial Line, disconnects the tunnel. The Stop Character may be designated as a single printable character or as a control character. Control characters may be input in any of the following forms: J or 0xA (hexadercimal) or \10 (decimal). Disable the Stop Character by blanking the field to set it to .
Flush Stop Character	May be Enabled or Disabled. When enabled, this prevents forwarding of a stop character from the Line into the network. When disabled, this allows such forwarding.
Modem Control	Select to enable or disable the disconnect when modem control pin is not asserted on the serial line.
Timeout	Enter the number of milliseconds a tunnel may be idle before disconnection. The value of zero disables the idle timeout.
Flush Line	Set whether to flush the Serial Line when the Tunnel is disconnected. Choices are: - Enabled - Disabled (default)

TruPort Socket (Mux)¶

Mux is a line protocol option.

For initial setup and the Mux command reference, see Mux Reference.

TruPort Socket (mux) is a simple command and control interface that provides connected host microcontrollers access to multiple network sockets. It is suitable for use in network co-processor mode where multiple data channels are required with fine-grained control over these data channels.

It supports serial devices connected via UART or USB (CDC-Serial) and the following socket types: UDP, TCP, AES, and TLS.

TruPort Socket accepts multiple inbound connections and initiates multiple outgoing connections and offers the ability to drop into command mode for module configuration and status. Use the Mux commands to control connections, transfer data, and wait for events. You can also access device control through serial commands.

To use Mux:

In Web Manager, go to Line > Line 1 > Configuration.

For CLI, see Config Line Level.

For XML, see configgroup Line.

Steps to use Mux:

1. Connect to the device through the UART serial port.
2. Configure the Line 1 operating mode to Mux.
3. Open a terminal or a PC running a terminal emulator to the serial line.
4. Use Mux commands to connect to the device, send or receive data between the device and remote node, wait for events, and terminate the connection.
5. You may also enter command line to control the device.

Command Line Mode¶

Command Line mode, also referred to as CLI or simply command mode, provides an interface through the UART port that allows you to configure and control the gateway.

Commands are structured in hierarchical levels that enable you to configure the device, read and write to the file system, view status, export and import XML configuration, and view trouble logs, help and documentation.

In order to select this operating mode, set the "line protocol" for the selected interface to "Command Line."

In Web Manager, go to Line.

For CLI, see Config Line Level.

For XML, see configgroup Line.

Using the Command Line Interface

See Configuration and Setup for details on accessing and using the command line interface.

See Command Line Reference for details on the commands and command structure.

Modem Emulation¶

The Modem emulation application allows you to configure the serial port on the gateway to act as a modem. A serial device that was designed for modem access can send and receive data over Local Area Network (LAN) instead of a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).

In order to select this operating mode, set the "line protocol" for the selected interface to "Modem Emulation".

Modem Emulation can be run on Line 1 or Line Virtual_1 or Virtual_2.

To configure the Line operating mode:

In Web Manager, go to Line > Configuration.

For CLI, see Config Line Level.

For XML, see configgroup Line.

Configuring a Modem Emulation Connection¶

You can configure modem emulation mode to initiate or accept a modem connection using modem AT commands incoming from serial Line 1.

To initiate a connection

1. Connect a terminal or PC running a terminal emulation program host to Line 1 of the gateway's serial port.
2. Configure the terminal to the serial settings of the gateway. Use the following settings: 9600 baud, 8-bit, No parity, 1 stop bit, no flow control.
3. Open a terminal emulator to the remote node and set the listen port.
4. Configure the modem emulator settings to connect to the remote node. See Modem Emulation Settings.
5. In the client terminal, enter the AT command to make the connection. For example, type ATD 192.0.2.0:5001 to connect to IP address 192.0.2.0 at port 5001.
6. The connection is started and is in data mode. Type AT? to view the AT command help.

See Modem Emulation AT Commands for a description of the AT commands.

To accept a connection

1. Configure the serial device to dial the IP address of the gateway host.
2. Configure Modem Emulation on the gateway to accept a connection attempt from the network. See Modem Emulation Settings.
3. Configure the Line 1 Protocol setting on the gateway to Modem Emulation mode. See Line Configuration Settings.
4. Test the connection between the client and server using client and server terminal emulators.

See Modem Emulation AT Commands for a description of the AT commands.

About Modem Emulation¶

For commands that can take address information (ATD, ATDT, ATDP), the destination address can be specified by entering the IP Address, or entering the IP Address and port number. The destination can also be specified with a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), and the XPort EDGE Embedded Ethernet Gateway will perform a DNS query to find the IP address of the destination address. For example, <ipaddress>:<port>. The port number cannot be entered on its own.

For ATDT and ATDP commands less than 255 characters, the XPort EDGE replaces the last segment of the IP address with the configured Connect Mode remote station address. It is possible to use the last two segments also, if they are under 255 characters. For example, if the IP address is 100.255.15.5, entering the command ATDT 16.6 results in 100.255.16.6. Use the ATDT 0 or ATDP 0 to switch to the CLI.

Once the CLI is terminated by using the CLI exit command, the XPort EDGE reverts back to modem emulation mode.

By default, the +++ characters are not passed through the connection. Turn on this capability using the modem echo pluses command.

Note:

Modem Emulation mode is not the same as serial Tunnel mode. It does not offer the same level of capabilities and does not use the Zero-Host Load mode of operation.

Modem Emulation and Virtual Modem Emulation modes are the same.

Modem Emulation Settings¶

The following table describes the Web Manager Modem Emulation configuration settings.

Links to the equivalent settings for the CLI and XML reference are listed below.

CLI settings: See Config Modem Emulation

XML settings: See configgroup Modem Emulation

Setting	Description
Listen Port	Specify a listen port to accept connections.
Connect Local Port	Specify a Local Port for ATD connections, as desired. This is necessary for the operation while bridging. Blank the value for <Random>.
Echo Pluses	Select to enable or disable echo pluses to be echoed back during “pause +++ pause” escape sequence on the serial line.
Echo Commands	Select to enable or disable echo commands. If enabled (ATE1), characters read on the serial line are echoed while the modem is in modem command mode.
Verbose Response	Select to enable or disable verbose response. If enabled (ATQ0), modem response codes are sent out on the serial line.
Response Type	Select either Text (ATV1) or Numeric (ATV2) representation for the modem response codes sent out on the serial line.
Error Unknown Commands	Select to enable or disable error unknown commands. If enabled (ATU0), ERROR is returned to the serial line for unrecognized AT commands. If disabled (ATU1), OK is returned for unrecognized AT commands.
Incoming Connection	Select how to handle incoming connections via the drop-down menu. Choices: Disabled (ATS0=0): refuses to answer Automatic (ATS0=1): answers immediately Manual (ATS0=2): answers via the ATA command after an incoming RING
Connect String	Specify a customized string to be sent with the CONNECT modem response code to the serial line, if any. May contain up to 30 characters.
Display Remote IP	Select to enable or disable display remote IP. If enabled, the incoming ring sent on the serial line is followed by the IP address of the caller.

Modem Emulation AT Commands¶

Command	Description
AT?	Help. Displays this table.
ATA	Answer incoming call request (if ATS0=2 or greater).
ATD	Connects to the configured Connect Mode address and port.
ATD	<address>:<port> Connects to the specified address and port.
ATD 0	Enters the Command Line Interface (CLI); exit returns to AT commands.
ATDP	Same as ATD.
ATDT	Same as ATD.
ATEn	Switches echo in command mode (n=0: off, n=1: on).
ATH	Disconnects the network session.
ATI	Displays modem information.
ATO	Switches to data mode if connection still exists. Reverse of '+++'.
ATQn	Quiet mode (n=0: enable results code, n=1: disable results code.)
ATS0=n	Accept connection. (n=0: no, n=1: auto, n=2+: via ATA command).
ATUn	Accept unknown commands. (n=0: off, n=1: on).
ATVn	Verbose mode (n=0: numeric result codes, n=1: text result codes.)
ATXn	Command does nothing and returns OK status.
ATZ	Restore active settings from defaults.
AT&F	Reset saved settings in NVR to factory defaults.
AT&V	Display current and saved settings.
AT&W	Save active settings to NVR.
AT&Z	Restore active settings from NVR.
A/	Repeat last command.
+++	Switches to command mode if entered from serial port during connection.

ConsoleFlow Interface¶

The ConsoleFlow Interface line mode provides a command interface to the ConsoleFlow serial API. The serial API can be used to send and receive device commands from the OEM application to ConsoleFlow.

In order to select this operating mode, set the “line protocol” for the selected interface to “ConsoleFlow Interface.”

ConsoleFlow Interface can be run on Line 1 or Line Virtual_1 or Virtual_2.

To configure the Line operating mode:

• In the Web Manager, go to Line > Configuration. Next to Protocol, select “ConsoleFlow Interface.” Click Submit.
• For CLI, see Config Line Level.
• For XML, see configgroup Line.

The ConsoleFlow Device and Line configuration settings are available in the ConsoleFlow group. For details, see ConsoleFlow Client.

None¶

This operating mode allows you to use the Web API.

In order to select this operating mode, set the "line protocol" for the selected interface to "None."

One way to use this operating mode is to set Line 1 to "Mux" and then set Line Virtual_1 or Line Virtual_2 to "None".

In Web Manager, go to Line.

For CLI, see Config Line Level.

For XML, see configgroup Line.

Trouble Log Mode¶

This operating mode allows you to display the trouble log in the terminal window.

In order to select this operating mode, set the "line protocol" for the selected interface to "Trouble Log."

One way to use this operating mode is to set Line 1 to "Mux" and then set Line Virtual_1 or Line Virtual_2 to "Trouble Log".

In Web Manager, go to Line > Configuration.

For CLI, see Config Line Level.

For XML, see configgroup Line.

The trouble log displays an output-only message log.

Other methods you can use to view the trouble log for the gateway include the following:

In Web Manager, enter /tlog after the IP address in the browser address bar. For example:

172.20.197.102/tlog

where 172.20.197.102 is the IP address of the gateway connected to the network.

In the CLI, run tlog from the root level.

Monitor¶

The Monitor feature queries and captures desired information during an XPort EDGE serial port to serial device connection. Monitoring lets you keep track of the information of connected devices while providing opportunity to make configuration changes during the monitoring.

To use the Monitor feature, you must first select the Monitor operating mode and then configure the monitoring rules and parameters.

To set the "line protocol" for the selected interface to "Monitor:"

• In Web Manager, go to Line.
• For CLI, see Config Line Level.
• For XML, see configgroup Line.

Monitor Configuration¶

Monitor configuration is a multi-step procedure.

In Web Manager, go to Monitor. Configure the monitoring of a connected serial device through a sequence of five pages via the Monitor Explorer Steps in Web Manager. You can also go to a specific Monitor Explorer configuration page to make specific changes. The device monitoring status can be viewed through Monitor Status page.

For CLI, see Config Monitor level.

For XML, see:

• configgroup Monitor Initialization
• configgroup Monitor Control
• configgroup Monitor Poll
• configgroup Monitor Filter
• configgroup Monitor Data

Configuring Monitor through Web Manager Explorer¶

Monitor configuration of a connected serial device is organized through a sequence of pages via Explorer via Web Manager. Each page is dedicated to a specific step.

Monitor Explorer Steps in Web Manager¶

The Web Manager user interface organizes the monitor commands in common with CLI and XML, through a series of Monitor Explorer steps.

• Step 1: Setup Initiation
• Step 2: Setup Commands
• Step 3: Define Filters
• Step 4: Pick Data
• Step 5: Confirm and submit changes

Initialization¶

Upon gateway power-up, the state of the external serial device is not known. Monitor will send one or more messages to bring the serial device into a known state.

1. Explore your serial device and determine your strategy for bringing it to the desired starting state.
2. Connect your serial device to your gateway.
3. Set serial line speed, flow control, and character options through Line Configuration Settings on both the gateway and the connecting device so they are compatible. On the gateway, select Monitor under Line Protocol.
4. Setup monitor initiation and monitor commands at Setup Monitor Initialization and Monitor Control. Non-printable characters are placed in the Command within square brackets. The Enter key on your PC is an ASCII Carriage Return, code 0x0d.

Polling¶

1. Periodically your XPort EDGE will send commands to query information from your serial device.
2. Explore your serial device and determine your strategy for eliciting all of the desired data with the fewest message Commands.
3. Use Monitor Explorer or directly configure settings in Monitor Poll Configuration. For each message Command, determine an appropriate Timeout and possibly shorten it via a Length and/or End Character.
4. Testing is rapid and simplified using Web Manager Monitor Explorer. You can see the serial device response right in your browser window.

Sample Configuration¶

• Use a single show command to elicit the EDS2100 device status.
• In Monitor Poll Configuration, set Message 1 Command to show[0x0d].
• Testing with this, notice that the default Timeout of 100 milliseconds is too fast and Monitor sometimes polls before all the data comes out. To address this, set Timeout to 200 milliseconds for stable operation.

Filtering¶

The response to each poll will be sliced up according to your filter rules. The objective is to simply slice enough so you can subsequently point to the data fields you want to mine.

Note the raw data in the grey box above; it reflects what was received from the serial device. Uptime in the top right region is the target for the example.

STEP 1 - STRATEGY¶

Carefully examine the form of the response you receive from a particular poll. Look for cues in the response to locate your desired information. Consider if the form of the response might have variations depending on the serial device state.

STEP 2 - SETUP¶

Configure Monitor Filter Configuration. Rules are performed sequentially, but note that you can point each Rule to either the raw source (0) or a result of a previous rule (R.f). Each rule (R) slices the raw input into multiple fields (f), so with a dot between them (R.f) you are selecting a particular sliced result from a Rule.

STEP 3 - TEST¶

Testing is rapid and simplified if using Web Manager Monitor Explorer. You can see the response data sliced into pieces right in your browser window.

Sample Configuration¶

First slice the response into lines, point to the one containing Uptime, then slice between the caption and the time value. Setup as follows:

• Observe the Carriage Return / Line Feed sequence in the raw source.
• Rule 1 points to the raw source (Source 0), Mode = Delimiters, Delimiter 1 Binary String = [0x0d 0x0a]. Delimiter 1 Binary String = [0x0d 0x0a].
• Observe that Uptime is in the sixth field.
• Rule 2 dices that field (Source 1.6) further, to split the caption from the value. the value.
• Observe that a colon (:) separates the caption from the data, but the data also contains colons. Data also contains colons.
• Rule 2 Mode - Delimiters, Delimiter 1 Binary String = " :" (a space followed by a colon). Use the space so it will match the transition from caption to value, but not match within the Uptime value itself.

Testing with this, confirm that the desired data is contained in a single field.

Some devices might use a variable number of lines to display status depending on the device state. If so, slicing first by lines will not consistently point to the desired data. Instead, consider a different strategy:

• Rule 1 can use Mode = Delimiters, but set the Delimiter 1 Binary String = caption.
• Its field 2 contains all of the response following the caption.
• Use Rule 2 or more to further slice 1.2 (Rule 1 field 2) in order to separate the value from anything following the caption and from the rest of the response.

Data Mining¶

You have already sliced the raw data multiple ways using the Filter Steps. Now select the data to be mined.

STEP 1 - STRATEGY¶

You can have multiple Poll messages, and different Filter Steps will generally apply to each, but some Filter Steps may be shared. Here is where you put it all together. The neat thing is that all the slicing of the raw data is virtual, so all of your Filter Rules overlay raw data from each response, but you need only care about some of them on a particular Poll message.

STEP 2 - SETUP¶

Use Monitor Explorer or directly configure settings in Monitor Data Configuration. Each Selector picks out a distinct data item you wish to subsequently present. The Selector Name will be presented as the caption for your data. Selector Response is a Message number; it selects the response from that Message. Selector Reference is a Rule number, dot, and a field number; it selects the desired data field.

Bottom line, you have placed a stake in the ground naming a result, identifying which poll response it comes from, and which field to pick up.

STEP 3 - TEST¶

Testing is rapid and simplified using Monitor Explorer. You can see the selected field contents right in your browser window.

Sample Configuration¶

• We'll name our result "Up time". It goes in Monitor Data Configuration under "Name"
• We only used one Poll message, so "Response" is just "1"
• Our desired data is from Rule 2, field 2. So "Reference" is "2.2"

Presenting¶

STEP 1 - STRATEGY¶

Here you consider your options for sharing the data you have mined. For human users, a Web page presentation is simplest. For machine-to-machine communication, XML might be best. Command Line could be used for either.

STEP 2 - SETUP¶

Your data is automatically available under Status on the Web Manager, XML, and CLI. Advanced Web customization can be done with HTML and JavaScript files dropped into the XPort EDGE.

STEP 3 - TEST¶

With the Web Manager, view all of your data under Monitor Status.

In the Command Line Interface (CLI), first type status to enter the status menu level, then type monitor for the Monitor menu level. From there, type show for the data.

In the XML status dump, find statusgroup name = Monitor, then statusitem name = data instance = <the name you gave your data>, and value contains the data received.

Sample Configuration¶

In Web Manager, select the Monitor tab at the left of the display, the select Status at the top of the display. Our "Up time" and the present value appear there.

• Visiting the Command Line Interface, we type status, then monitor, then show. We see Up time presented there.
• For XML we start at the root Command Line Interface, type xml, then xsr dump monitor. We see a statusitem name = data, instance = Up time, with value containing the present data.

Setup Monitor Initialization and Monitor Control¶

Initialization Command	Description
Initial Delay <value>	Set the initial delay time in milliseconds before the monitor starts processing the initialization message.
Message <instance>	Edit a specific message instance; this is where a command is entered: - Command: enter the Command in binary format (printable characters or binary string). - End Character: Indicate as a single printable End Character or as a control character. Control characters may be input as <control>J, 0xA (hexadecimal) or /10 (decimal). - Length: Set the Length of the response. Maximum response length is 2048 bytes. - Timeout: Set the Timeout to receive response. Minimum timeout length is 100 milliseconds.

Define Monitor Filters¶

Filter Command

Description

Rule <instance>

Edit the specific rule instance: - Source: Indicate the input Source of the filter. For example, if the source of this filter is the second trunk of data created by filter 1, the source should be set to 1.2. A Source of 0 indicates the raw response. - Mode: Select filter Mode (All, Delimiters or Binary). - Delimiter <Number> Binary String: Enter the filter breaks input up to 8 trunks separated by binary string. Each trunk will not contain the delimiters. This field appears when Delimiter Mode is selected in Web Manager. - Start Index: Set to indicate when delimiters filter start breaking input into trunks, if the Delimiter Mode is selected. - Offset: Set the size of the first trunk of data created by the binary filter, if selected. - Length: Set the length of the second trunk of data created by the binary filter, if selected. The third trunk of data created by the binary filter will contain the rest of the input.

Pick Monitor Data¶

Pick Data Command	Description
Selector <instance>	Click the Edit link to edit a specific selector: - Name: Define the data Name as it will display. - Response: Set the Response instance source of data. Response instance corresponds to poll or control message instance. - Reference: Select the Reference output of the monitor filter. For instance, if data should select the second trunk of data created by filter 1, the reference must be set to 1.2. A Reference of 0 indicates the raw response.
Display	In Web Manager Explorer, select the desired live response of the monitoring configuration being established to view at any time. Filter rule options appear according to your progress establishing commands and rules. Changes in what is displayed can be useful during the configuration of monitor settings. Choose either: Responses 1-4 or Filter Rules 1-4 or All Filter Rulers
Data (checkbox)	In Web Manager Explorer, check the Data checkbox to enable the Display feature anytime. Uncheck checkbox to disable Display.