Serial-connected drivers use a specific serial port on the host (JACE) platform. For example, the Modbus serial driver (ModbusAsyncNetwork) requires association with a specific COMn port on the JACE, which you do from the property sheet of this network component (Figure 141).

Only one network can be assigned to any one serial port (COMn) of the host JACE platform. That driver network essentially “owns” that communications port.

Slots under the “Serial Port Config” (SerialHelper) must be set to match the communications parameters of other devices on the attached network. Note that in this ModbusAsync example, you also select either the Modbus ASCII or Modbus RTU protocol (the driver supports either one, which you set according to the type of networked Modbus devices).

Often, serial-connected drivers support “legacy type” device networks. In this case, the “serial tunneling” feature may be useful to run vendor-specific legacy Windows applications to do device configuration and maintenance (all from an IP station connection). See Serial tunneling.