A serial server connects RS232/RS485/RS422 serial devices to a TCP/IP network, enabling serial data networking and remote access.

RS485 is differential, supports multi-drop bus, long distance (up to 1200m) and strong noise immunity; RS232 is single-ended, point-to-point, short-distance, often for debugging.

Connect U485 to the device’s RS485 side; pair from a phone over Bluetooth and send/receive serial data via the companion app — no cable, no driver.

A serial server focuses on serial networking and transparent transmission; a gateway also does protocol parsing (Modbus/OPC UA/MQTT), edge computing and cloud uplift — more capable.

Serial devices use a serial server or USB/Bluetooth-to-485; multi-protocol/cloud scenarios add an edge gateway; intelligent analytics adds AI edge hardware.

The main difference between serial servers (such as SS200) and DTUs (such as G-Lite) lies in their functions and application scenarios. Serial servers are mainly used to connect serial devices to Ethernet for remote monitoring and control, suitable for industrial automation control scenarios. DTUs, on the other hand, are data transmission units that usually have serial, Ethernet, and wireless communication interfaces for remote data collection and transmission, suitable for IoT and remote monitoring scenarios. The SS200 supports dual RS485/RS232 to Ethernet conversion, with a working temperature range of -40~75°C, while the G-Lite supports multi-protocol collection, edge computing, and 4G/WiFi communication.

A single-port serial server typically does not support directly connecting multiple external 485 devices. Serial servers are designed to connect a single serial device to a network, such as connecting sensors or controllers via an RS485 interface. If you need to connect multiple 485 devices, you may need to use a multi-port serial server like the SS200, which supports connecting multiple RS485 devices simultaneously. The SS200 features 2 RS485/RS232 serial ports, capable of meeting the needs of connecting multiple external 485 devices.

A USB485 with isolation feature is indeed more suitable for industrial applications. Firstly, the U485 industrial-grade USB/Bluetooth to RS485/422 converter uses opto-isolation of 2.5KV, effectively preventing electromagnetic interference and electrical noise, enhancing the equipment's anti-interference capability. Secondly, it supports a maximum baud rate of 3Mbps, meeting the industrial data transmission speed requirements. In addition, U485 complies with the ESD 15KV protection standard, improving the reliability of the equipment in harsh environments.