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Eliminate Risk of Contention and Data Corruption in RS-485 Communications

Do you know that the RS-485 hardware you're using could be putting you at risk of data corruption and communication errors?

The EIA RS-485 specification does not stipulate the method for controlling the driver, therefore a number of options have evolved. Some methods have significant risk of data contention and corruption because of the time required for a device to relinquish control of the RS-485 network once communication is complete.

This Sealevel white paper evaluates the most common RS-driver control methods:

• Application Program Control - under windows environment
• One-Shot - uses a circuit to activate the enable/deactivate signal
• Enable Driven When Data Present - hardware approach connecting
  transmitter data line to transmitter enable pin
• Automatic Driver Control - software automatically recognizes commands
  to transmit/disable
• Automatic Hardware Enable - latest innovation using hardware circuitry on
  the board to control the RS-485 communications