Vireserial

Vireserial is a software utility designed to emulate a serial port over a TCP/IP network. It allows applications that are written to communicate via a traditional serial port (RS-232, for example) to instead send and receive data across a network connection. This is particularly useful for connecting to devices that are physically distant or for integrating serial-based hardware into a network infrastructure.

The primary function of Vireserial is to act as a bridge. On one end, it can listen for incoming TCP connections, and when a client connects, it creates a virtual serial port. Data sent by the client over the TCP connection is then made available to the application on the host system as if it were coming from a physical serial port. Conversely, data written by the application to the virtual serial port is transmitted over the TCP connection to the client.

Vireserial can be configured to operate in several modes. It can act as a server, waiting for clients to connect, or as a client, initiating a connection to a remote Vireserial server. This flexibility allows for various network topologies, from simple point-to-point connections to more complex setups involving multiple devices. The software typically runs on Windows and Linux operating systems. Its implementation can be particularly beneficial in industrial automation, remote device management, and testing environments where legacy serial communication protocols need to be modernized for network accessibility.