TCP-IP + RS485 I/O Control Device

What it does

The TCP-IP + RS485 I/O control device is a control board for monitoring and operating equipment in a building or plant room over the network. It does two jobs at once: through its own inputs and outputs it reads or drives contacts, relays and sensor signals on site, and it talks to field devices on an RS485 line, carrying their data onto the network.

This means you can see whether a pump is running, what state a door contact is in or what a measuring device reports without walking to the equipment. When needed, an output can be switched remotely to operate the connected equipment.

How it works

Depending on the model, the device connects over Ethernet, Wi-Fi or GSM and communicates with software or a server via TCP-IP. The general flow is:

1. Reading inputs: Digital inputs wired to the board (contacts, push buttons, alarm outputs and similar) and, where the project calls for it, analogue signals are read at regular intervals.
2. Polling field devices: Devices on the RS485 line are polled in turn, and the returned values are gathered on the board.
3. Sending to the network: The collected status and measurement data is passed over the network to the monitoring software.
4. Control: A command from the software changes the board's outputs, firing a relay or switching a piece of equipment on or off.

RS485 is a widely used physical layer for connecting several devices on a single line over long cable runs and in electrically noisy environments. The device supports Modbus, so it can talk directly to Modbus-compatible measurement and control devices on the RS485 line. Which devices are connected, and with which addressing scheme and polling interval, is configured for each project.

Technology

The board is designed and manufactured by Aypa Otomasyon. The device family comes in three models, depending on the network connection:

• Ethernet model: connects to the wired building network.
• Wi-Fi model: works over a wireless network where running cable is difficult.
• GSM model: sends data over a cellular link at sites with no local network.

There is also a model that reads data from Modbus-enabled electricity meters and energy analysers, bringing energy consumption data into the same software alongside I/O states.

The number of inputs and outputs, input types, supply voltage and the data format on the network side are not offered as fixed catalogue values; they are set according to the system being installed. This lets the same board platform serve different sites with different sets of equipment.

Using TCP-IP on the network side means the device can join an existing network or a cellular connection and work alongside central software. Using RS485 on the field side simplifies wiring: several field devices can share one line instead of each needing its own cable.

Design work follows the processes of our ISO 9001 quality management system (certificate no. Q936647525).

Where it is used

The device is one of the systems installed at Sivas Cumhuriyet Teknokent in 2025. Addressable RF fire detection, boiler automation and server room temperature and humidity monitoring were installed on the same campus.

In general it suits needs such as:

• Monitoring equipment status in plant rooms, boiler rooms or control panels over the network
• Bringing alarm contacts into central software
• Collecting data from measurement and control devices on an RS485 line at a single point
• Switching pumps, fans or valves on and off remotely

To discuss a configuration for your own facility, email bilgi@aypaotomasyon.com or call 0505 059 88 58.