Neousys MezIO-C180/C181 8-Port RS-232/422/485 Serial MezIO Modules

Serial ports are easy to run out of. An industrial computer usually has a few on its front panel, while a single production line can have weighing scales, barcode readers, drives, meters and an older PLC that all expect RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485. A USB serial adapter for each one adds cables and loose parts to the cabinet. The Neousys MezIO-C180/C181 series puts eight serial ports on one module inside the computer, so the serial wiring leaves the system from one connector and the ports stay part of the build.

Both modules mount inside the host on a high-speed board-to-board connector with three-point mezzanine mounting, using the one MezIO interface each Neousys system provides. Every port runs from 50 bps to 921.6 Kbps with 256-byte TX and RX FIFOs and ESD protection, and mode and termination on the multi-mode ports are configured in the BIOS rather than on the board. RS-232 ports carry the full TxD, RxD, RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR, DCD and GND set; RS-422 uses TxD+, TxD-, RxD+ and RxD-, and RS-485 uses Data+ and Data-. The MezIO-C180/C181 modules support Windows 10 and Linux, and all eight ports share one 68-pin SCSI-II female connector.

The series has two modules, and the difference is the second group of four ports. The MezIO-C180-50 pairs four RS-232/422/485 ports with four RS-232 ports, which suits sites with plenty of older RS-232 equipment such as scales, readers and instruments. The MezIO-C181-50 pairs the same four multi-mode ports with four RS-422/485 ports, for RS-485 meter and drive networks and longer differential links. Both bring all eight ports out on one 68-pin SCSI-II female connector.

We fit the MezIO-C180/C181 module you choose inside the Neousys computer, set the port modes and termination and test the build before it ships. The modules fit the Nuvo-9000, Nuvo-11000, Nuvo-11160GC, Nuvo-9160GC and Nuvo-9166GC series, and the POC-900, POC-700, POC-700-FT and POC-600 compact computers, so the same serial module can follow a project from a cabinet-mounted Nuvo to a compact POC. Typical uses include production lines, test stands, utility metering, kiosks and machine retrofits where existing serial devices have to keep working alongside a new computer.