National Instruments cFP-1808 Ethernet/Serial Backplane

The National Instruments cFP-1808 (Part Number: 779463-01) is an 8-Slot, Ethernet/Serial Backplane designed for Compact FieldPoint. This model connects an RS232 Serial Port or a high-speed Ethernet based network to a Compact FieldPoint I/O module–the I/O modules have a maximum power rating of 9 W. With this model, the user can utilize a broad range of third-party protocols such as Modbus TCP, Modbus ASCII, OPC, Modbus RTU, OPC, Optomux, and National Instruments event-driven Serial/Ethernet protocols as well. The device has a maximum cabling distance of 100m/segment.

For serial connectivity, the NI cFP-1808 comes featured with a dedicated RS-232 port that can be used to access configuration and I/O for FieldPoint I/O modules over a serial link. Using the NI-FieldPoint driver and National Instruments Measurement and Automation Explorer (aka MAX) tool, users can perform module configuration and IP address assignments according to their requirements. The user can deploy the cFP 1808 in various configurations since it can be mounted in a standard 19 inch rack or on a panel.

This Ethernet/Serial Backplane connects directly to Ethernet networks, auto selecting either 10 or 100 Mb/s communication rates. It comes equipped with a standard RJ-45 connector that is used in communication with 10BaseT and 100BaseTX networks through a TCP/IP based protocol. Thus, this model maintains full compatibility with the networks existing already. On standard TCP/IP network protocols, this Compact FieldPoint Backplane brings numerous enhancements, including publisher-subscriber networking that allows for the subscription of a single or multiple client PCs to I/O data streaming from Compact FieldPoint banks. The instrument has an operating temperature of – 40 to 70 °C, and a storage temperature of –55 to 85 °C.

The NI cFP-1808 is fully compatible with programmable automation controllers running on Ethernet, real-time embedded controllers running on Compact FieldPoint, and Microsoft Windows based personal computers running LabVIEW. The NI CFP-1808 is operates primarily on the National Instruments FieldPoint Software. It is also compatible with a variety of other software packages such as LabVIEW Real-Time Module, Measurement Studio, VI Logger, and LabWindows. The device has a weight of 3 lbs., and the dimensions: 9.68 x 5.00 in.