Design and Application of LAN Interface Communication Module

Abstract

This paper presents three methods of design and development of an instrument with LAN interface. And the method of designing a communication module of Ethernet interface is adopted. Using this module, it is economical and efficient to change a traditional instrument into a network instrument without changing the hardware of the instrument. The communication module is designed on an ARM9 (S3C2410) platform. By transplanting embedded Linux OS in the platform, developing applications of Ethernet interface and standards RS-232 interface communication in Linux, the transformation of RS-232 port to LAN port is realized successfully in the module. For verifying the feasibility of this method, a signal generator is translated into a network signal generator by connecting with the module through serial port in the interior of the instrument. A virtual signal generator is also developed by LabVIEW on computer, and it can control the signal generator remotely though Ethernet.