RS-232 emulation

In order to use the XnTcp interface with layout control programs that support only communications thru the serial port, you need to install on your computer a TCP Serial Port Redirector program.

The RS-232 emulation has been tested on Windows® XP with TrainController™ from Freiwald Software and with the open source program RocRail, using the following cost free programs:

Program Author License Operating system
com2tcp Vyacheslav Frolov GNU General Public License 64-bit MS Windows®
Windows® 2000
Windows® XP
Windows® Server 2003
HW VSP3 HWgroup Freeware for personal use Windows® 98
Windows® NT
Windows® 2000
Windows® XP
Windows® Vista

Other programs are commercially available, but have not been tested.

On Unix® based systems, the following programs (not tested yet) should provide access to the XnTcp interface through a Pseudo TTY (this solution will unlikely work on Mac OS®/X).

Program Author License Operating system
netfwd Alexey Vatchenko BSD License BSD
socat* Gerhard Rieger GNU General Public License Various
Unix®
flavors

* socat is already included in many Linux® and BSD distributions.
Search the Internet for precompiled versions.

The above programs create a virtual serial port on your computer, connected via TCP/IP to the XnTcp interface. Thru this virtual port, your serial layout control program can connect to the interface.

Instructions

Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation
TrainController™ is a trademark of Freiwald Software
Unix® is a registered trademark of The Open Group
Mac OS® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
XpressNET™ is a trademark of Lenz Electronik, Gmbh