B&B Electronics Zlinx 485 User manual

Manual Documentation Number: Zlinx485m-1808
www.bb-elec.com
www.bb-europe.com
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Manual Documentation Number: Zlinx485m-1808
www.bb-elec.com
www.bb-europe.com
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B&B Electronics Mfg. Co. Inc.
707 Dayton Road
Ottawa, IL 61350 USA
Phone [phone] -- General Fax [phone]
Website: www.bb-elec.com
Sales e-mail: [email protected] -- Fax [phone]
Technical Support e-mail: [email protected] -- Fax [phone]
European Headquarters
B&B Electronics Ltd.
Westlink Commercial Park
Oranmore, Co. Galway, Ireland
Phone [phone] -- Fax [phone]
Website: www.bb-europe.com
Sales e-mail: [email protected]
Technical Support e-mail: [email protected]
Revision – Original – April 2008
©2008 B&B Electronics Mfg Co Inc No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information
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B&B Electronics Mfg Co Inc shall not be liable for incidental or consequential damages resulting from the
furnishing, performance, or use of this manual.
All brand names used in this manual are the registered trademarks of their respective owners. The use of trademarks or other designations in this
publication is for reference purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by the trademark holder.

Introduction
Manual Documentation Number: Zlinx485m-1808
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................2
About this Manual......................................................................................................2
Support .......................................................................................................................2
Zlinx Product Family..................................................................................................2
Features......................................................................................................................3
Package Checklist......................................................................................................3
Chapter 2: Hardware....................................................................................................3
Zlinx 485 Modules ......................................................................................................3
Indicators, Connectors and Accessories.................................................................6
I/O Options and Characteristics..............................................................................11
Zlinx 485 Modes of Operation .................................................................................18
Connecting the Hardware........................................................................................19
Chapter 3: Getting Started..........................................................................................21
Zlinx 485 Installation................................................................................................21
Computer System Requirements............................................................................21
Installing Zlinx 485 Software...................................................................................21
Connecting Zlinx 485 to a PC..................................................................................22
Starting Zlinx 485 Manager......................................................................................22
Chapter 4: Configuration & Operation......................................................................26
Configuring Zlinx 485...............................................................................................26
Peer-to-Peer Mode Settings ....................................................................................28
Updating Zlinx 485 Firmware ..................................................................................33
Chapter 5: Modbus Help............................................................................................35
Modbus ASCII/RTU Basics......................................................................................35
Hints and Tips ..........................................................................................................36
Appendix A: Product Specifications ........................................................................37
Appendix B: Dimensional Diagrams.........................................................................40
Appendix C: Serial Connections...............................................................................41
Appendix D: Modbus I/O Assignments ....................................................................44
Appendix E: Zlinx 485 Models and Features ...........................................................47
Appendix F: Zlinx 485 Troubleshooting....................................................................48
Appendix G: Terms and Definitions ..........................................................................49

Introduction
Manual Documentation Number: Zlinx485m-1808
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Ch ha ap pt te er r 1 1: : I In nt tr ro od du uc ct ti io on n
Thank you for purchasing a Zlinx 485 product! This product has been manufactured
to the highest standards of quality and performance to ensure your complete satisfaction.
About this Manual
This manual has been created to assist you in installing, configuring and using your Zlinx
485 Base module. Please read it carefully and follow the instructions to achieve best
results.
Support
For additional information on this and other B&B products, and for technical support, call
815.433.5100 option 3, or access the B&B Electronics website at www.bb-elec.com.
Zlinx Product Family
Zlinx 485 Base modules provide easy-to-use, cost-effective peer-to-peer or Modbus
solutions.
Figure 1. A Zlinx ZZ-NX485 Module

Introduction
Manual Documentation Number: Zlinx485m-1808
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The Zlinx 485 family of products features a selection of operational modes,
communications modes, Modbus and I/O combinations. The system is scalable making it
easy to start with a few I/O points and build a system with the required I/O-Modbus mix.
Features
•Choice of number and type of digital and analog I/O
•Supports RS-232 and RS-422/485 lines
•Sourcing or sinking digital outputs available
•Configurable NPN (Sinking) and PNP (Sourcing) digital inputs
•Flexible and scalable by adding expansion modules
•MODBUS and Peer-to-Peer communications modes
•Small, economical and configurable
•Tolerates a wide operating temperature range
•Choice of a range of DC power sources
•Power, Data and Bus LED’s
•Removable screw terminal blocks for power supply and I/O-Modbus connections
•Zlinx 485 Manager configuration software
•DIN rail mountable
Package Checklist
Zlinx 485 Base modules are shipped with the following items included:
9Zlinx 485 Base module
9A printed version of the Zlinx 485 Quick Start guide
9CD-ROM disc with
-Zlinx 485 Manager configuration software
-Zlinx 485 Firmware Updater
-This manual in PDF format
-A quick start guide in PDF format
96 foot RJ45 male to serial (DB9 female) adapter cable
Expansion modules are shipped with the following items included:
9Zlinx 485 Expansion module
9A printed version of the Zlinx 485 Quick Start guide

Hardware
Manual Documentation Number: Zlinx485m-1808
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Ch ha ap pt te er r 2 2: : H Ha ar rd dw wa ar re e
Zlinx 485 encompasses a growing family of products including Modbus, Peer-to-Peer,
base modules, expansion modules, configuration software and accessories. All modules
are built into similar enclosures featuring male local bus plugs and female local bus
receptacles on the sides, which allow modules to connect together. Modules are DIN rail
mountable and feature removable screw terminal blocks.
Zlinx 485 Modules
Zlinx 485 systems consist of base modules and expansion modules. Expansion modules
are configured using a base module, which also has programming capabilities. The base
module is connected to a PC that is running the Zlinx 485 Manager software. Zlinx 485
systems can operate in Modbus or Peer-to-Peer modes. In Modbus mode a Zlinx 485
system exchanges Modbus messages with a Modbus capable base module. In Peer-to-
peer mode two Zlinx 485 systems are linked in a slave-master connection to provide
dependable, direct serial communications.
Figure 2. Front View of Zlinx 485 Base and Expansion Modules

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Base Modules
Each Zlinx 485 system is built around a base module. Base modules provide Modbus,
digital and/or analog I/O and communicate with other Zlinx nodes.
Figure 3. A Typical Base Module
Several different combinations of digital inputs (DI), digital outputs (DO), analog inputs
(AI) and analog outputs (AO) are available. For example, the ZZ-NA-485 Base module
features a combination of two AI’s, two AO’s, two DI’s and two DO’s in a package.
Expansion Modules
Up to six expansion modules can be plugged into the base module to add more I/O
capabilities in any combination needed. For example, the ZZ-8DO-T Expansion module
provides eight additional digital outputs; the ZZ-2AI2AO provides two analog inputs and
two analog outputs.
Refer to Appendix E for a list of Zlinx 485 models and features.
Expansion modules connect to base modules by plugging the modules together, engaging
the local bus connectors located on the sides of the boxes. Male plugs on expansion
modules plug into female connectors on the side of the base module or other expansion
modules, resulting in a horizontal “stack” with the base module on the left and expansion
modules extending to the right.

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Figure 4. Base and Expansion Modules Connected Together
Programming the Base Module using the RS232 connector
The base module has a programming feature that can be used to configure that base
module as well as expansion modules. The base module connects to the PC for
configuration. Connect a PC through the serial port (COM1 to 16) using the provided
RJ45 male to serial (DB9 female) cable.
Note: A standard RJ45 to serial (DB9) cable will not work, use only the one supplied
Figure 5. Connecting a PC and Base

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Indicators, Connectors and Accessories
LED Indicators
Zlinx 485 Base modules have three LED indicators: a Power LED, a Data LED and a
Local Bus Data LED.
Expansion modules have two LED’s: a Power LED and a Local Bus Data LED
Power LED
The Power LED illuminates (red) immediately on power up indicating that DC power is
present on the power supply terminals.
Data LED
The Data LED blinks (green) when data is being transmitted or received, either to an
expansion module or another base module. When the LED is off no data is being
transmitted or received.
Bus LED
The Bus LED blinks (green) when data is being transmitted or received on the local bus
connection. When the LED is off no data is being transmitted or received.
Note: If communications is not established within a preset number of retries (default is 10) the Data
and Bus LED’s blink alternately to indicate a loss of communications.
Connectors
Zlinx 485 Base and Expansion modules feature connectors for connecting field I/O
wiring and plugging together Zlinx 485 modules (local bus). In addition, Zlinx 485 Base
modules include connectors for connecting a power supply and an RJ45 connecter to
connect to the PC using the supplied RJ45 to serial cable.

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Figure 6. Power Supply Connector
The Power Supply connector (base modules only) is a two-position removable terminal
block located on the top of the unit. Terminal spacing is 3.5 mm. The terminal block
accepts solid and stranded wires from 28 AWG to 16 AWG. Please check polarity
marking in Figure 8.
Refer to the following section for information on Power Supply Requirements.
Expansion modules receive power from the base module via the local bus connector.
Local Bus Connectors
Local Bus connectors are included on all base and expansion modules. These connectors
are dual row, 14 pin (2 mm spacing) connectors. Base modules have only a female
connector. Expansion modules have male connectors on one side and female connectors
on the other. Modules are plugged together to supply power and facilitate communication
between modules.
When adding an Expansion module to a Base module the male connector on the expansion
module plugs into the female connector on the base module. The second expansion module plugs
into the first, and so on, up to a maximum of six expansion modules.

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Figure 7. Local Bus Connector Location
RS-422/485 and I/O connectors for base and expansion modules are removable (plug in)
screw terminal blocks located on the front and top of the unit. Terminal spacing is 3.5
mm. Depending on the specific model, the number of terminals may vary. The maximum
is 16 terminals (two 8-terminal blocks) for I/O, with an additional 5 terminals for RS-
422/485 on the base module.
The Serial Port Connector on the Zlinx 485 is an RJ45 female connector (configured as
a DCE) device supporting RS-232 serial communications including TD (Pin 3 on the
DB9 end), RD (Pin 2) and GND (Pin 5) signal lines. If the Modbus device you are
connecting to the Zlinx Base Module is configured as a DTE device you will use a
straight-through serial cable. If the Modbus device is configured as a DCE device, use a
null modem cable or adapter.
Refer to Appendix C for connection pin-outs.
RS-422/485 Connector
The RS-422/485 connector on the Zlinx Base module is a five position removable
terminal block with screw downs. The connector provides screw connections for:
•Terminal 1 – TDA(-)
•Terminal 2 – TDB(+)
•Terminal 3 – RDA(-)
•Terminal 4 – RDB(+)
•Terminal 5 – GND

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Figure 8. Zlinx 485 Base Module RS-422/485 Connector
RS-422/485 Four-Wire Mode
When the Zlinx Base module is configured to operate in RS-422/485 four-wire mode the
receive terminals are connected to the transmit terminals of the Modbus device it is
communicating with. Its transmit terminals are connected to the receive terminals of the
Modbus device it is communicating with.
Figure 9. RS-422/485 Four-Wire Connection
RS-422/485 Two-Wire Mode
When the Zlinx Base module is configured to operate in RS-485 two-wire mode (RS-
422/485 switch in the right position) the two-wire RS-485 two-wire communications
cable pair is connected to Terminals TDB and TDA. The communications cable
ground/shield is connected to GND.

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Figure 10. RS-485 Two-Wire Connection
No jumpers are required to bridge the transmit and receive lines in two-wire mode.
RS-232 Connection
Connect to RS-232 using the RJ45 jack on the front Base module, using the supplied
RJ45 male to serial (DB9 female) cable. Note: RTS is reserved for use by the
configuration software only. Asserting RTS during normal operation will result in a
communication failure. Disable RTS if your hardware supports it.
Note: A standard RJ45 to serial (DB9) cable will not work, use only the one supplied
Power Supply Requirements
Zlinx 485 systems can be powered from 10 to 30 VDC power sources. No supply is
included since the power rating of the supply will depend on the total power requirements
of all modules used in the system.
Appendix A contains a listing of power requirements for all Zlinx 485 modules.
Mounting Hardware
Zlinx 485 modules can be DIN rail mounted. The DIN mounting clip and spring is
included on each module.

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Figure 11. DIN Clip with Spring on a Zlinx 485 Module
I/O Options and Characteristics
I/O Options
The Zlinx 485 family of products features a variety of input and output options. Base and
expansion module options include:
•2 analog inputs, 2 analog outputs, 2 digital inputs and 2 digital outputs (sourcing or
sinking driver)
•4 digital inputs and 4 digital outputs (sourcing or sinking driver)
•8 digital inputs
•8 digital outputs (sourcing or sinking driver)
o8 relay output model available
•4 analog inputs
oRTD Temperature input module available
•4 analog outputs
•2 analog inputs and 2 analog outputs
(Modules continue to be developed with additional features and options.)
Refer to Appendix E for a list of available models and options.
I/O Types and Characteristics
Digital Inputs
DI’s can detect the presence of contact closures, transistor switches or on/off DC voltage
signals (low or high logic levels). Voltages below 0.8 VDC are interpreted as a low state.
Voltages between 4.0 VDC and 48 VDC are interpreted as a high state.
DI’s are also programmable to be NPN or PNP

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Digital Outputs
Digital outputs send on/off signals (low or high logic levels) to drive external devices
such as indicators, relay coils or the inputs of other equipment such as PLC’s, SCADA,
etc. Modules with digital outputs are available with sourcing or sinking drivers.
Sourcing (PNP transistor) drivers provide up to 240 mA per output at output voltages up
to 30 VDC to connected loads.
Sinking (NPN transistor) drivers can sink up to 40 mA per output at voltages up to 48
VDC.
Analog Inputs
Analog inputs accept voltage, current signals, or RTD temperature signals. When
configured as voltage inputs the full range is 0 to 10 VDC. When configured as current
inputs the full range is 0 to 20 mA and the input resistance is 240 ohms. When
configured as RTD input the allowable sensor types are PT100, PT1000 for CU10.
Analog Outputs
Analog outputs produce voltage or current output signals. When configured as voltage
outputs the full range is 0 to 10 VDC at 1 mA maximum. When configured as current
outputs the full range is 0 to 20 mA with a maximum load resistance of 375 Ωat 20 mA
and 10 VDC supply voltage.
0 to 20 mA AI’s and AO’s accommodate standard 4 to 20 mA instrumentation current loop signals.
I/O Wiring
DI Wiring
DI is programmable to be either NPN or PNP. The following diagram shows typical
connection wiring for various digital inputs:

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Figure 12. Typical Digital Input Wiring for Various Input Devices
(ZZ-4DID0-DCT Expansion Module)
Note: No external power supply wiring is required for Expansion modules
DO Wiring
The following diagram shows typical connection wiring for modules featuring sourcing
(PNP) drivers:
Figure 13. Typical Digital Output Wiring for Sourcing Outputs
(ZZ-4DID0-DCT Expansion Module)
The following diagram shows typical connection wiring for modules featuring sinking
(NPN) drivers:

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Figure 14. Typical Digital Output Wiring for Sinking Outputs
(ZZ-4DID0-DCT1 Expansion Module)
AI Wiring
The following diagram shows typical connection wiring for analog inputs:
Figure 15. Typical Analog Input Wiring (ZZ9D-NA-MR Base Module)
AO Wiring
The following diagram shows typical connection wiring for analog outputs:

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Figure 16. Typical Analog Output Wiring (ZZ9D-NA-MR Base Module)
RTD Wiring
The following diagram shows typical connection wiring for RTD inputs.
Figure 17. Typical RTD Input Wiring

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Figure 18.
Relay Wiring
The following diagram shows typical connection wiring for Relay outputs.
Figure 19. Typical Relay Output Wiring
Modbus Mode Configuration
The Zlinx 485 Base module can be configured to operate in Modbus Mode. In Modbus mode
messages are sent across the physical layer (wiring configuration) from the Zlinx 485 base to the
Modbus network.
To use Modbus mode successfully, an understanding of the Zlinx 485 memory map
assignments is necessary.
Modbus function codes supported:
Function 1: Read DO Status
Function 2: Read DI’s
Function 3: Read AO Status
Function 4: Read AI’s
Function 5: Write Single DO’s
Function 6: Write to Single AO
Function 15: Write to Multiple DO’s
Messages sent between Zlinx 485 and a Modbus node use Modbus memory addresses to
specify what type of information is being sent and where it is stored. In the Modbus
addressing scheme each type of I/O (DO, DI, AI and AO) is stored in a different section
of the memory.

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I/O Type Modbus Memory
Address
DO 00001 to 00112
DI 10001 to 10112
AI 30001 to 30112
AO 40001 to 40112
Figure 20. I/O Memory Areas Table
Within these sections, addresses are reserved for all Zlinx 485 modules that may be used.
Module Memory Range
Base x0001 to x0016
Expansion 1 x0017 to x0032
Expansion 2 x0033 to x0048
Expansion 3 x0049 to x0064
Expansion 4 x0065 to x0080
Expansion 5 x0081 to x0096
Expansion 6 x0097 to x0112
Figure 21. Module I/O Addressing Table
The following examples show how the addressing works:
Example 1: To turn on the second digital output (DO2) on the Base Module, the Modbus
Base Module sends a message placing a logic 1 in memory location 00002.
Example 2: To cause expansion module 3 to output a specified voltage on AO1, the
Modbus Base Module sends a message to set the register at Modbus address 40049 to the
appropriate value.
A list of all Modbus address assignments for all Zlinx 485 points is shown in Appendix
D. Several important points about this list should be noted:
•Some addresses are listed but not implemented in current versions of Zlinx 485
hardware.
•Some addresses are reserved for internal Zlinx 485 use.
•Some addresses are reserved for future use.
•40000 series addresses store Analog Output data AND Frequency Counter data when
Digital Inputs are configured for Frequency Counter operation. For each module, the
first eight memory locations are assigned to AO data and the next four locations are
assigned to Frequency Counter data.
•If a Modbus device communicating with Zlinx 485 tries to send to or receive from a
memory address not implemented by the hardware in use, the Zlinx 485 replies with
an exception response.
•Users cannot span across two memory maps, i.e. from 34 to 50.