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One method of connecting to a device and communicating with it is via a TCP/IP connection. Often Port servers are used closer to the devices in the field to convert the TCP/IP communications to Serial for connectivity over Ethernet networks. A TCP/IP link may extend from the machine running ACM all the way to the field device, or it may cover part of the distance and then get converted to a serial connection using hardware such as a port server, terminal server or radio.
TCP/IP ports use socket connections to communicate with field devices. When using TCP Listen, socket connections are opened when polling is required and closed when it is complete. The connection to the end device is not kept open when polling is not required. This port type is a good selection when a communication link to a remote device must be shared between multiple applications. It is also a good selection when the polling frequency is relatively slow. To handle cases where field devices can originate the communication, the TCP Listen module can be configured to listen for incoming socket connections. When incoming socket connection requests are detected, the module will accept the connection and perform any necessary communication with the field device.
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The common attributes for all port are covered in Common Port Configuration.
Port Tab
Connection Type
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