The NI ENET-232/4 is a 4-port Ethernet interface that bridges RS232 serial devices to standard network infrastructure, enabling remote access and control over LAN or WAN. The device exposes four RS232 ports as native COM ports on host computers, allowing existing serial applications and NI-VISA–based development to interface with remote equipment as if locally connected. Designed for industrial automation, data acquisition, and remote monitoring, the ENET-232/4 eliminates the need for direct serial connections while maintaining full hardware handshake support and DTE signaling.
Technical Specifications
• Serial Ports: 4 × RS232 (DB-9 male connectors)
• Serial Data Rate: 230.4 kbit/s maximum
• Ethernet Interface: 10 Mbit/s (10BaseT) and 100 Mbit/s (100BaseTX) via RJ-45
• Power Consumption: 6.5 W typical, 9 W maximum
• Power Input: 120 VAC or 240 VAC (region-specific models)
• Dimensions: 21.0 × 12.4 × 3.7 cm
• Weight: 394 g
• Construction: Hard plastic housing with metal base plate
• Supported Operating Systems: Windows (NT 4.0, 2000, XP and later) and Linux
– Key Features
• RTS/CTS hardware handshake support on all serial ports
• DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) configuration
• Included NI-SDS (National Instruments Serial Server) driver software
• Transparent Ethernet layer operation
• Standard serial port emulation for legacy application compatibility
– Typical Applications
• Remote monitoring and control of serial-based instruments
• Industrial automation system integration over networked infrastructure
• Data acquisition from distributed RS232 sensors and devices
• Equipment access across WAN or LAN deployments
– Compatibility & Integration
The ENET-232/4 integrates with NI-VISA for application development in C/C++, C#, Visual Basic, LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Measurement Studio, and Lookout. NI-SDS driver software enables existing serial applications to address the remote ports as standard COM ports without code modification.
