What Do You Get?

2 hours of video instruction
41 lessons
1 downloadable resource
Unlimited access
Certificate of Completion
30 day money back guarantee


How Will This Course Benefit You?

RS-485 is the de facto workhorse of data communications in the field of plant automation. It is very effective in applications with significant electrical interference (noise) requiring a long transmission distance. Thus, the standard is often used in industrial applications. It is as an inexpensive local area network (LAN) connection that allows multiple receivers to connect within a multi drop configuration. RS-485 does not include a communications protocol.

This course delivers the theoretical and practical aspects of RS-485 in a very effective way, so that at the end, you will be able to build, maintain and troubleshoot any RS-485 based network in the plan automation field. The course features a live physical connection between a PLC and a Computer via a USB-to-RS485 converter, an example that is key to effective troubleshooting of RS-485 systems.

After completing this course, you will be able to integrate devices from the same manufacturers and different manufacturers, that are RS-485 compliant, to form a complete seamless network.


In this course, you will:

- Be aware of the two areas of consideration for RS485 communications.
- Understand communication port parameters.
- Understand cabling standards.
- Be able to effective use a USB-to-RS485 converter for connection to a Computer.
- Understand the process of serial data transmission.
- Be able to troubleshoot any RS485 based network in the field of plant automation.


Are there any requirements?

You will need basic knowledge of binary data systems and how computers store and exchange binary data.
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Course curriculum

    1. Introduction & Course Guide

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Accessing Attached Resources

    3. Contacting Your Instructor

    1. The Four Communication Port Parameters

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Synchronous Serial Transmission

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Asynchronous Serial Transmission

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. Baud Rate

      FREE PREVIEW

    5. The Serial Data Frame

    6. Data Bits

    7. Start and Stop Bits

    8. Parity

    9. An Example Real World Serial Data Stream

    1. What we are going to do in this Section

    2. An Overview of the Direct Logic DL05 PLC

    3. The Physical Hardware Setup

    4. Configuration of the DL09 PLC Port #2 Parameters

    5. Introduction to Terminal Applications

    6. Downloading and Installing the Terminal Application

    7. Programming the PLC to send Serial Data

    8. Viewing the Serial Data from the PLC

    9. The Effect of Mismatched Baud Rate

    10. The Effect of Mismatched Stop Bits, Data Bits and Parity

    1. What we are going to do in this Section

    2. A look at the actual USB-to-RS485 Converter that will be used

    3. A look at the actual MT-102 Remote Terminal Unit that will be used

    4. A Schematic of the Computer to RTU Connection

    5. A look at the actual Computer to RTU Connection on the Workbench

    6. Configuration of the Communication Port Parameters on the MT-102 RTU

    7. Identification of Modbus Unit ID and relevant Memory Blocks

    8. RS485 Communication using Modscan32

    9. Effect of Mismatched Port Parameters on Communication

    10. Effect of Interchanged Signal Wires on Communication

    1. RS485 Interconnection - Daisy Chain

    2. Full Duplex vs. Half Duplex

    3. Single-Ended vs. Differential Data Transmission

    4. RS485 Device Receiver and Transmitter Components

    5. RS485 Voltages for Binary Representation

    6. Understanding Tri-State

    7. The Significance of Signal-to-Noise Ratio

    8. Unshielded and Shielded Twisted Pair Cabling (UTP/STP)

    9. Twisted Pair Noise Rejection

About this course

  • $5.00
  • 41 lessons
  • 2 hours of video content