NetBurner Community Forum

Hi,
It is my first time working with something like the SBL2e family.
I have been reading documentation on it for the last 2 hours and now I am overwhelmed...
There is too much information for a beginner like me.
So I hope, more advanced people will be able to help me.

I want to add Ethernet capability to my product.
I have a 8-bit MCU with 1 UART, 1 SPI and 1 I2C to communicate.

I want the users of my product to be able to enter an IP address in any browser and see what is going on inside the product.
To see a chart of the last reading for instance or enter basic parameters.
I would like also to manage the Modbus TCP/IP protocol over the SBL2e.

A workmate of mine has some experiences with the SBL2E-100IR module.
But he is using it with the Virtual COM-Port, so he is using the Ethernet only to send/receive his serial data... he is not doing things like HTTP or Modbus (the TCP/IP version of the Modbus, he could do Modbus RTU if he wants of course).
So I am not sure if the SBL2e family can fulfill my needs... My reading make me think that is possible... but can use the SBL2E-100IR module or I have to go with the SBL2ECHIP-236IR...

In summary :

• The module will have to listen on port 80 for web connections.

• The module will have to store the web pages.

• My MCU will send/receive data from/to those pages.

• If the module receive a connection from port 502 (Modbus) it can send the packet directly to the MCU.

• I would prefer to use I2C or SPI to communicate with the module because I would like to keep the UART to have a RS-485 for the user (Modbus RTU).

So does the SBL2e is the right family for me?
If yes can I use the SBL2E-100IR module?
If no, do you know which product can be the best fit for my needs?

Thank you very much for your time.

Hi,
The SBL2e has 2 UARTs. I don't know if you can use the default app to have both UARTS communicating with your custom protocol or if one of them is dedicated to debug&monitoring only, but I think that the easiest solution for the system you described is having your microcontroller communicating via one UART, and have the other SBL2e's UART for the MODBUS on 485. I think that the worst case is that you should build a custom app to remove the serial debugging (the SBL2e is supposed to be debugged via TCP iirc).

I can only tell from the documentation, I cannot get 4 of my 5 SB2e to do the basic stuff...

The SBL2E is VERY memory constrained.
If you have not done a bunch of programming in a memory constrained environment the learning curve is going to be steep.
This would be a much better project on the SBE70LC.

I personally wrote the factory app for the SBl2E.
Your project might just be barely possible it would take me several months on the SBl2E,
and a few days on any other of our platforms.
Unless the volumes are in the 100K range you will never cover your engineering costs
with the parts cost savings on the SBl2E. You also limit yourself by not ever being able to do HTTPS/TLS, or IPV6.
These are a requirement for many customers in the industrial space.

Paul