LONG DISTANCE CONNECTIVITY

For short distance wireless connections, the simplest solution is to attach a Serial to Bluetooth adapter to the RAD7's serial port. A Serial to Bluetooth adapter can create a virtual serial port on a nearby computer in much the same way as a serial to USB adapter cable. Therefore connecting to a Bluetooth-enabled RAD7 is as simple as clicking the Scan for RAD7s button in CAPTURE's Main Window.

DURRIDGE offers the Parani SD1000 Serial to Bluetooth Adapter preconfigured for use with the RAD7, making the connection process very straightforward. This adapter has been tested across distances exceeding 40 meters, through walls and trees, and it is known to support 100 meter communication along uninterrupted lines of sight, particularly if the optional Extended Range 3 dBi Dipole Antenna is attached.

Other Bluetooth adapters may be used as well, however any adapter not supplied by DURRIDGE must be manually configured. This involves setting the adapter to operate at the RAD7's specific baud rate (typically 9600 baud). The adapter must also be configured as "discoverable", and any command response behavior must be disabled to avoid flooding the RAD7 with unwanted feedback. The procedure for completing this configuration will vary by adapter.

DURRIDGE provides detailed instructions on using the Parani SD1000 Serial to Bluetooth adapter with the RAD7. Please see the RAD7 Bluetooth Connectivity guide for details.

Figure 1: A RAD7 connected using a Serial to Bluetooth adapter will automatically appear on one of the computer's serial ports.

CAPTURE can communicate with RAD7s and DRYSTIKs that have been connected to a server on a local area network. The "server" may be another computer running CAPTURE, or for added convenience and security the server may be a serial-to-ethernet device server such as a Lantronix xDirect, or a serial-to-wifi device gateway such as the Lantronix SGX 5150. In either case the server to which the RAD7 or DRYSTIK is connected receives commands sent from a computer running CAPTURE, and then immediately relays those commands to the DURRIDGE instrument. When the instrument issues a response, the information is relayed back to the computer running CAPTURE.

Note: most of the information below about the Lantronix xDirect also applies to the Lantronix SGX 5150, however the SGX 5150 uses a different kind of cable to connect to the RAD7, and it does not need to be directly plugged into a router.

Network-based connections are easier to set up if all of the required equipment exists within the same local area network, and there is no security equipment impeding communication between devices. Communicating with a RAD7 or DRYSTIK across the internet is slightly more complicated; this is discussed in the Internet Communications section below.

Figures 2 and 3, below, show how to connect RAD7s to networking hardware. Figure 2 shows a connection involving a relaying computer. Figure 3 shows a connection involving Lantronix xDirect devices. Note that a relaying computer can facilitate both RAD7 and DRYSTIK connections, whereas a Lantronix xDirect can facilitate only RAD7 connections. Multiple DURRIDGE instruments can be connected to a single relaying computer, whereas only one RAD7 can be connected to each Lantronix xDirect device.

Figure 2: Communicating with RAD7s over a wireless local area network using a relaying computer (aka server) to send data between the RAD7s and a client computer.


Figure 3: Communicating with RAD7s over a wireless local area network using Lantronix xDirect Serial to Ethernet Device Servers.

To establish a connection to a RAD7 or DRYSTIK on a local network, first launch CAPTURE on the client computer (which is the computer to which the DURRIDGE instrument is not directly attached).

If the server is a relaying computer, launch CAPTURE on the server as well, and in the Main Window enter the Relay RAD7 Commands or Relay DRYSTIK Commands panel, as shown in Figure 4. Click the Listen button to prepare to receive commands from the client. This will allow any commands received by the server to be passed on to the RAD7 or DRYSTIK. When CAPTURE begins listening for incoming commands, the Listen button will change to Stop.

Figure 4: Relaying RAD7 commands.

If the server is a Lantronix device no configuration is required for it to operate on a local area network, but it is nevertheless advisable to review the instructions provided by the device manufacturer to establish familiarity with the product.

On the client computer, go to CAPTURE's Main Window and click the green Add Device button, and then select either Add RAD7 or Add DRYSTIK from the menu that appears. The Connection Panel will appear as shown in Figures 5 and 6, below.

In the IP Address field, enter the local IP address of the server to which the DURRIDGE instrument is directly connected. (This number will likely be similar to the local IP address of the client computer, however the last few digits will differ.) The Port Selection menu should be set to Automatic if the server to which the RAD7 is connected is another computer running CAPTURE. The Port Selection menu should be set to Manual if the server is a Lantronix device or similar. In the first case, enter the Serial Number of the RAD7 or DRYSTIK. In the second case, enter the server's communication port number. If a Lantronix xDirect is being used, the port number is 10001 by default. Please refer to the manufacturer's documentation to determine the correct port number as necessary.

Figure 5: Connecting to a RAD7 over a network using automatic port selection; the RAD7's serial number must be provided. Automatic port selection is used when the server is a relaying computer running CAPTURE.

Figure 6: Connecting to a RAD7 over a network using manual port selection; the server's port number must be provided. Manual port selection is used when the server is a Lantronix xDirect device or similar.

After the server starts listening for incoming commands, click Connect on the client computer. Once the connection becomes active, operations may be performed in the same manner as if there was a direct serial connection between the client computer and the server to which the DURRIDGE instrument is attached. To end a session, either click the Disconnect button on the client copy of CAPTURE, or (if applicable) click Stop on the server copy of CAPTURE to prevent it from relaying commands.

Communicating with a RAD7 across the internet is similar to communicating with a RAD7 over a local area network. The main difference is that the router at the location of the RAD7 must be configured to forward a specific port to the local IP address of the server. (If the server is a Lantronix xDirect, the port number will typically be 10001.) Please consult your router manual for details on how to configure port forwarding.

Once port forwarding has been set up, open CAPTURE on the client computer, and in the Network connection panel (shown in Figure 6) enter the external (public) IPv4 address of the RAD7's location in the IP Address field. (To determine a location's external IPv4 address, visit https://whatismyipaddress.com.) The Port Selection menu should be set to Manual, and the Port Number field should be set to the port number used by the server (10001 in the case of the Lantronix xDirect). Please refer to the Lantronix documentation to determine the correct port number as necessary.

Note that if multiple RAD7s are connected to a router via multiple Lantronix xDirect devices, each Lantronix device must be configured to use a different port, and the router's port forwarding should be configured accordingly.

Figure 7: Communicating with RAD7s over the internet using Lantronix xDirect Serial to Ethernet Device Servers and a router configured with port forwarding.

If port forwarding is not an option and a computer is available at the location of the RAD7, a long-distance connection can be achieved using remote desktop software such as TeamViewer. With this software one computer can be controlled by another over the Internet. The user can assume control over a remote computer running CAPTURE that is directly attached to a RAD7 or DRYSTIK.

It is also possible to control one computer from another on the same local area network. On a computer running macOS, go to the Sharing panel in System Preferences, and enable Screen Sharing. On a Windows 10 computer, go to System panel in Settings, and choose Remote Desktop. For details, please consult the Apple or Microsoft documentation as necessary.