Smart-Net Daisy-Chain Network
Smart-Net networking capabilities are built into every Smart Works product and provide many
advantages over other networking technologies. You can daisy-chain a mixture of Smart Works
products together with a simple two-conductor network and manage them all from a directly connected
computer with a USB Port Adapter, Serial Port Adapter, or remotely from a single IP
address by adding a Smart-Net Gateway.
Each device has a unique ID that identifies it on the network and a user configurable ID. You can
add a new device to your Smart-Net network by simply plugging it into an available network connection
of a device already connected to the network. The host software will recognize the new device
automatically.
In comparison devices that require an IP address for each device require considerable
effort and planning when deploying. Not only do you need to pull an additional network drop
from your switch or hub to physically attach each device to your network, but you also have
to make sure it is properly configured with an available IP address to communicate
on your network.
The Smart-Net Gateway provides many useful services. The Smart-Net Gateway provides
connectivity to groups of Smart Works products remotely across your network. The
Smart-Net Gateway has a web interface for setup and configuration. The Gateway can
be configured to use a static IP address or acquire an IP address via DHCP. The
Gateway automatically detects any connected Smart Works devices and provides a list.
You can configure the Gateway to automatically read each device at a specified
reading interval and upload the reading data to a remote FTP Server as plain text
files at a specified upload interval. Using this approach the Gateway will automatically
discover new devices as they are added to your Smart-Net Network, read them, and
upload the data for analysis.
The Smart-Net Gateway also supports real-time reading of devices using XML-RPC API’s
(see user manual). The Smart-Net Gateway can also be configured to email alerts
to an email address.
Smart-Net Components
|