The LinkHub is based on
the Link, designed in cooperation with Dallas Semiconductor Corp., Dallas, Texas, who is the manufacturer of the 1-Wire and iButton devices and various accessories.
LinkHubs are advanced, intelligent, multiport serial port (LinkHubS32K) or ethernet (LinkHubE32K) interfaces for use with Dallas Semiconductor 1-Wire and iButton components. It uses superior digital and analog methods to accomplish more reliable operation on a wide variety of network topologies. It also offers many functions that simplify network communications and some diagnostic tools as well.
The LinkHub has been designed to operate reliably on long and short 1-Wire busses. This is accomplished by a special analog interface design that uses matched impedances and slew rate controls, as well as smart cable pre-charge. In addition, the firmware (programming) is adaptive and makes adjustments for a variety of network parameters automatically.
There are five (5) 1-wire busses (1 internal and 4 external) which are logically or'ed into a single composite 1-wire bus. Software written for the Dallas Semiconductor DS9097U interface will work even though the 1-wire devices are physically on separate busses. Each external bus can be up to 1000 feet long. This yields a logical 1-wire network of 4000 feet with 4 times the network weight of a standard 1-wire bus.
An extended command set allows the four 1-Wire ports can be used independently or together. In addition, if one of the 1-Wire shorts out the remaining channels continue to function normally. When the problem is corrected the channel will reappear and operate normally.
The LinkHub is a powered device, providing +12V and +5V power on the same cable as the 1-wire bus. In addition, local EEPROM storage is provided for user configuration data. The LinkHub is available as three models, differentiated by the amount of EEPROM memory, 32KB, 256KB, and 512KB.
LinkHub ships WITHOUT power supply.
Please note
Software written for the Dallas Semiconductor DS9097U interface will
NOT work. You have to use the functions offered by the LinkHub.
