Lantronix WiBox ethernet-serial bridge
From MobileRobots Research and Academic Customer Support
An ethernet serial bridge converts an RS-232 serial connection to a TCP/IP connection available through an 802.11 (wifi) wireless network. The Lantronix WiBox is such a bridge device. It is mounted on a robot, and connected to the robot microcontroller's serial port. It is then configured to join a certain wireless network as a client station (including any required WEP key or other authentication in the configuration) and given an IP address. Software may then connect to a TCP port (by default 8101) at that address and send and receive data to/from the robot over the serial port connection.
The wireless bridge provides two serial ports. The first serial port provides access to the robot microcontroller connection (we configure it to use TCP port 8101, which is ARIA's default when connecting over TCP rather than serial). This includes robot state and odometry, sonar data, bumper data, gripper control, etc. However, it does not transmit other data such as the video signal from a video camera, or connections to devices not integrated with the robot or connected via the robot's auxilliary serial ports, such as laser rangefinders, GPS receivers, and others. You can configure the second serial port (accessed through a seperate TCP port, e.g. 8102) for use with some other serial device if you have one: see the Lantronix manual for details on how to do this.
For a copy of the Lantronix WiBox manual, see http://www.lantronix.com/pdf/WiBox_UG.pdf. More information is also at http://www.lantronix.com/device-networking/external-device-servers/wibox.html.
The Latronix WiBox replaced the EtherWind ethernet-serial bridge, which is no longer offered.
- Replaced
- EtherWind ethernet-serial bridge
Configuration
To enter configuration mode, connect the first serial port to a PC with a terminal emulation program (e.g. HyperTerm or minicom) using a "Null-modem" serial cable (cross over cable). Connect at 9600 baud. Power on the device and connect with the terminal program, and during the connection, hold the x key to enter setup mode.
You will normally need to set the wireless network ESSID, authentication, and device and network IP address. You may need to set other settings also as required by your wireless network. You can also configure the settings for the second serial port. Using a static IP address is recommended unless your DHCP system provides reliable DNS hostname service for dynamically assigned addresses, since you will need to use the address or hostname to connect to the robot with ARIA. (Tip: It is helpful to attach a label to the WiBox with the IP address you choose.) Consult with your network/IT administration to find out what exact settings to use.
See the WiBox manual for details on the WiBox's configuration options.
Redirecting Virtual Serial Ports to TCP Ports
The following tools can be used to create virtual serial ports on a remote computer that redirect data to one of the the WiBox's TCP ports. This lets you use software that requires a serial port and does not support TCP ports.
- Download Redirector for Windows. Instructions: Lantronix Redirector Quick Start Guide
- Download Remserial for Linux
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