DS-to-DS Link
This job is selected by choosing create a link between two Device Servers from the list of available jobs .
When performing this job the Connection Wizard configures two Device Servers of your choice to communicate with each other. This effectively creates a "virtual serial cable" that interconnects the serial ports of these two Device Servers. Not only the serial data, but also the state of the RTS, CTS, DTR, and DSR signals can be seamlessly transmitted across this virtual cable!
There are two possible applications for the DS-to-DS link:
| • | To interconnect two non-PC devices (shown on the diagram above). |
| • | To interconnect a serial device with a non-Windows PC software. Tibbo Virtual Serial Portscan only work under Windows so if you have a case where you need to network-enable a system involving a non-Windows software (i.e. DOS, etc.) you can do this by using a second DS located on the PC side. |
In this case the software still communicates through a real COM port, but the DS on the PC side connects this COM to the network. This is effectively the same kind of "virtual serial cable" connection. Device Servers do not know (nor care) what kind of serial devices are communicating through them.
To setup the DS-to-DS link through the Wizard you need to use a Windows PC the Wizard will run on (shown on both diagrams as "configuration" PC). Once the link is created this PC is no longer needed as it is not directly participating in the data link.
One limitation that the Wizard applies to the DS-to-DS link is that at least one of the Device Servers in the link must reside on the same network segment* as the configuration PC. The other DS may be located anywhere (be local or remote).
* I.e. there must be no routers (firewalls, etc.) between the configuration PC and the DS.