Communication Device Manager

NI Vision Builder

Communication Device Manager

Use the Communication Device Manager to define Modbus and/or Ethernet devices. Select Tools»Communication Device Manager to launch the Communication Device Manager.

How to Use

  1. Click New Device to open the New Communication Device dialog box.
  2. Set the parameters in the New Communication Device dialog box. Refer to New Communication Device for instructions about setting these parameters.
  3. Click OK to close the New Communication Device dialog box.
  4. If you want to communicate with a Modbus master device, set the Vision Builder AI Modbus Slave Address for the machine.
  5. If the status of the server you want to run is stopped, click Start Server to start running the corresponding server on the machine.
  6. Click OK.

Control Descriptions

The following controls are available on the Communication Device Manager dialog box.

Control Name Description
Devices Displays information about currently configured communication devices. The following information is displayed for each device:
  • Name—Name of the communication device connected to your system.
  • Protocol—Physical layer used by the device to communicate. Vision Builder AI supports Modbus serial, Modbus TCP, and TCP/IP protocols.
  • Parameters—COM port used for communication with a serial device, or IP address and TCP/IP listening port for an TCP/IP device.
  • Type—Whether the device you are defining is a master or slave. Currently, Vision Builder AI supports only Modbus master devices and both master and slave TCP/IP devices.
New Device Launches a dialog box in which you set the parameters for a new communication device.
Edit Launches a dialog box in which you can edit parameters of the selected communication device.
Delete Deletes the selected communication device.
Start/Stop Server Starts and stops the Modbus or TCP server.
Vision Builder AI Modbus Slave Address The slave ID when you use Vision Builder AI as a Modbus slave device.