DK USER Guide - Maritex

XE232NET
DEVELOPMENT KIT USERS GUIDE
APRIL 2007
1

XE232NET User Guide
This document provides general instructions on using the Xecom XE232NET development kit. This guide
is intended to quickly start the user in their evaluation of the XE232NET, Serial to Ethernet Bridge, and
assumes some familiarity with the RS232 serial interface and Ethernet communications.
XE232NET Development Kit Contents
The XE232NET development kit includes all of the hardware needed to connect the XE232NET module to
the computer and local area network. Below is a list of the materials included in the Development Kit.
• Xecom universal development board
• Xecom XE232NET-1 serial to Ethernet bridge module
• 3.3 volt DC power adapter
• DB9 to DB9 RS232 cable, six foot long
• RJ45 to RJ45 LAN cable, 6 foot long
NOTE: The LAN cable provided in the Development Kit is not a crossover cable. To make a connection
System Requirements
without going through an Ethernet server a crossover cable must be used.
The procedures in this document result in communications across the local area network between one
computer connected to the network through a traditional network card and a second computer* connected
to the network through an RS232 serial port and the XE232NET serial to Ethernet bridge. The procedures
utilize software applications available in the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Below is a list of the
system requirements.
NOTE: These procedures could be run on a single computer; however, it is a more convincing
demonstration with separate systems controlling the network and serial interfaces.
PC1 Requirements
• RS232 Serial Port
• Microsoft HyperTerminal
PC2 Requirements
• Microsoft Command Prompt
• Microsoft Telnet Client
2

Network Requirements
The user needs access to an Ethernet network supporting 10Base-T communications. A computer and the
XE232NET development board need to connect to the Local Area Network. These procedures assume that
the network utilizes a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) enabled server. The DHCP server
automatically assigns the required address information to the Ethernet bridge. The DHCP server eliminates
the need to manually load the IP (Internet Protocol) Address, Network Mask, Network Gateway, and DNS
(Domain Name Server) IP address into the XE232NET. If the available server does not support DHCP you
will need to contact the network administrator to obtain the correct network settings.
Hardware Hook-Up
The XE232NET-DK supplies a complete Ethernet bridge with the XE232NET module mounted onto a
development board. The development board includes connectors for power, the RS232 serial interface and
Local Area Network. Before testing can begin these three connections need to be made: The RS232 cable
must be connected to the serial port on the computer and to the DB9 connector on the development board.
The XE232NET development board must also be connected to the local area network through the on board
RJ45 connector. The power connection is made with the supplied DC power adapter.
HyperTerminal
HyperTerminal is a terminal emulation program incorporated into Microsoft Windows. It allows the user
to communicate with a device connected to the computer’s serial port. To access HyperTerminal:
• Click on the “start” button on the bottom left of the Windows screen.
• From the “start” menu select “All Programs.”
• From the Program menu, slide the cursor to “accessories” under accessories select “communications”
• Click on “HyperTerminal” to open the application.
Once HyperTerminal is open, the “Connection Description” box will appear. Enter a file name such as
“Xecom” to identify the connection set up for the XE232NET. Select the first icon on the far left and click
on “OK”. The next box that appears will permit you to select the serial port to be used for communications
with the XE232NET module; you need to select the serial port connected to the XE232NET development
board and press “OK.”
3

After selecting the serial port you will be asked to set the serial port parameters. Initially you will need to
configure HyperTerminal with the default parameters of the XE232NET as shown below:
• Data rate equal to 19,200 bps,
• Eight (8) data bits,
• No parity
• One (1) stop bit.
Later, if you wish, you can alter the configuration of the XE232NET using the AT commands and adjust the
HyperTerminal settings accordingly.
Confirming the RS232 to XE232NET Connection
Before proceeding further, check the serial connection to the XE232NET adapter. Enter the command
AT from HyperTerminal. The “OK” response should be returned to indicate that the
connection to the XE232NET is active. If you do not receive this response, there is likely a problem in the
physical connection to the computer’s serial port or a HyperTerminal configuration problem. Do not proceed
until communications between the computer and Ethernet adapter have been established.
XE232NET network setting can be checked with the command AT&V. The XE232NET
will respond with a complete list of the AT commands and registers (see folowing page) and their current
status. Pay particular attention to the value of S101, IP Address. If the IP Address shown is 0, the network
connection is missing or the network server is not a DHCP server. Check your network connection and
contact your net administrator to confirm that the network does employ a DHCP server.
4

We recommend loading in a User Name into register S105 of the XE232NET before proceeding further.
The Ethernet Bridge can be addressed by either its IP Address or by the User Name. We recommend the
taking advantage of the User Name which is generally easier to remember. The User Name is limited to 8
ASCII characters; all characters are upper case.
Utilizing Command Prompt
Now that the serial side of the XE232NET is connected and configured properly, the Ethernet connection
can be explored. For direct access to the Local Area Network you need to activate the Windows Telnet
client in the second computer. This is done by from the Command Prompt screen.
• Click on the “start” button on the lower left of the Windows screen
• Select “All Programs”
• Move the cursor to “Accessories” and then “Command Prompt.”
• Click on Command Prompt to activate the Command Prompt screen.
Ping Command
The first exercise to verify the Ethernet connection is the Ping command. The Ping Command causes the
computer to send an ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) echo request package to the targeted address.
The addressed node responds with its address information and the estimated round trip time for the message.
This procedure uses the Ping Command to verify the XE232NET Ethernet Connection.
The Ping command is executed from the Command Prompt screen. The command format is “ping
name”. Either the IP Address or User Name of the XE232NET may be used as the name
in the Ping Command. If the Ping Command is successful, you will receive a response that includes both
the IP address of the XE232NET and the estimated round trip time of the message. If there a problem in
encountered with the target address, the network will respond with a “host not found” message. Receipt of
the host not found message indicates a problem with the local area network connection to the XE232NET.
If this happens confirm that the address.User Name used in the Ping Command is correct and check all
physical network connections.
5

Telnet Communications
With the status of the Ethernet link confirmed by the Ping Command, you can communicate across the local
area network using the Telenet client. Activate Telenet from the Command Prompt screen by entering the
command “Telenet”. The “Microsoft Telnet>” prompt will be issued by the computer.
The command “Telnet Address,” where address is the IP address or User Name of the XE232NET, can then
be entered to connect the Telnet Client operating on computer number two to HyperTerminal on computer
number one through the XE232NET module. Characters entered in HyperTerminal will now be displayed
on the Command Prompt screen of the second computer; likewise characters entered from the Command
Prompt screen will be displayed on HyperTerminal. You could also retrieve a file and transmit it from
HyperTerminal to the Command Prompt screen. The ability to transfer data between these two applications
shows that the network connection is working.
Have Questions?
Contact Xecom Technical Support
Telephone: 408-942-2210
Email: Tech@xecom.com
6