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Maritime IT & Satellite Connectivity

Serial-to-Ethernet & Moxa Solutions

We connect RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 equipment to IP networks, so instruments and machinery that do not speak IP become reachable and monitorable remotely. We use Moxa NPort device servers and industrial switches, preserving the timing each protocol requires and keeping industrial traffic on its own VLAN.

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Who it is for

  • Vessels with bridge and engine room instruments on serial ports
  • Industrial sites running older production equipment
  • Survey and ROV systems with serial data output
  • Telemetry installations that need centralised measurement collection

When we are NOT the right choice

  • If the instrument protocol is undocumented and the manufacturer is unreachable
  • If the application reading the data must itself be modified
  • If no controlled interruption is permitted for testing

PROCESS

The process

Indicative times from signature of the proposal, subject to hardware availability. Every project is shaped to the size and the needs of the client.

  1. 01Instrument and protocol inventory

    We record each instrument, its serial interface, its communication parameters, and the application currently reading it.Time: 2-5 working daysDeliverable: Table of instruments, ports and parameters

  2. 02Interconnection design

    We define where device servers go, how traffic is routed, and how the application will see the port as if it were local.Time: Alongside the studyDeliverable: Topology with device server positions

  3. 03Controlled testing

    We test instrument by instrument, because serial protocols are timing sensitive and one general setting does not cover every machine.Time: Before final installationDeliverable: Verified communication per instrument

  4. 04Installation and network integration

    We install the device servers and industrial switches and place industrial traffic on its own VLAN.Time: 1-3 days depending on port countDeliverable: Working interconnection on a dedicated VLAN

  5. 05Handover with documentation

    We hand over a table mapping each instrument to its port and parameters, so future expansion does not require the same investigation again.Time: On completionDeliverable: Port mapping and parameter table

What is included

  • Inventory of instruments, interfaces and parameters
  • Interconnection topology design
  • Installation of serial-to-Ethernet device servers
  • Industrial switching suited to the environment
  • Industrial traffic separated onto its own VLAN
  • Port mapping and configuration documentation

What is not included

  • Repair or replacement of the instruments themselves
  • Development or modification of the application reading the data
  • Third party software licences
  • Industrial or marine equipment certification by a third party

Technology and equipment

  • Moxa NPort
  • Moxa industrial switches
  • RS-232 / RS-422 / RS-485
  • Modbus RTU
  • MikroTik RouterOS
  • VLAN segmentation

From practice

Serial equipment is not a thing of the past. On vessels and industrial sites it is the norm: bridge instruments, meters, scales and production machinery that have run reliably for decades and will not be replaced because they do not speak IP.

The technical risk is not in the device server. It is in the timing: every instrument has its own parameters and its own tolerance for delay. That is why the testing phase runs instrument by instrument rather than once for the whole installation.

Prerequisites

  • Access to the instruments and their communication parameters
  • Manufacturer documentation for the protocols in use
  • A testing window allowing controlled interruption
  • Power supply at device server positions

Cost

Quoted per serial port to be connected, plus industrial network equipment. The inventory and testing phase is quoted separately, because that is where the real technical risk of the project sits.

We do not publish a price list. Every proposal follows a site survey and separates hardware from labour.

What moves the cost

  • Number of serial ports and instruments
  • Variety of protocols and how well documented they are
  • Environmental conditions and industrial equipment requirements
  • Whether work happens on board or in a live production area

Frequently asked questions

How do I connect legacy RS-485 equipment to an IP network?

With a serial-to-Ethernet device server, which presents the serial port on the network so the application sees it as local. The critical part is not the hardware, it is the correct parameters and protocol timing.

Will I have to replace my instruments?

No. The entire point is to keep existing equipment in service, because replacing bridge or production instrumentation is vastly more expensive than interfacing it.

Why is industrial network equipment necessary?

Because these points sit in engine rooms and production areas, with vibration, temperature and electrical noise. Office grade equipment fails there, and that failure stops production.

Can this feed a telemetry system?

Yes. Once the data reaches the IP network it can be collected centrally and generate alerts, whether the source is a vessel or a production floor.

Related services

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NEXT STEP

Discuss interfacing your equipment

Tell us what instruments you have and what they talk to today. We start with an inventory of ports, protocols and parameters.

Request a site survey+30 210 598 9588

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