Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL QUESTIONS
10) WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM DISTANCE THE CONVERTERS CAN COMMUNICATE WITH REMOTE DEVICES?
Answer: The RS232 standard does not specify a maximum distance, however, cable capacitance limits the maximum cable length for reliable operation to 50 feet (15m). Depending on the power available from your RS232 port, most of our RS232 to RS422/RS485 converters can communicate up to 4000 feet (1200 m) using copper wire cable on the RS422/RS485 network. The CON-422/485-EE4 and CON-422/485-EE9 will communicate up to 6000 feet (1600 m). Note that for optimal performance, RS422/RS485 networks should use 120 Ohm cable, and when the data rates of 19,200 baud or above, or if the cable distance exceeds 660 feet (200m), 120 Ohm termination resistors should be used at each cable end. Our Fiber Optic converters can communicate at distances up to 12.4 miles (20 km) using single mode fiber optic cable. Maximum distance is affected by the baud rate being used. Our data sheets include tables annotating the specific device’s maximum data rates and distances.
