Features
- Suitable for all 1/8 DIN Laureate DPMs, counters, timers & remote displays
- USB Type-B connector for plug-and-play connection to a PC USB port
- Allows multiple meters to be connected to a PC via a hub
- Data rates selectable up to 9600 baud
- Powered by instrument
- Isolated from meter and power grounds
Certificates of Compliance
The Laureate P/N LUSB USB serial communication board allows a Laureate 1/8 DIN digital panel meter, counter or timer to be interfaced to a PC with an available USB port. Connection to a PC allows programming via Laurel's free Windows-based Instrument Setup Software, or to output readings to a PC for display and datalogging. Connecting the USB board to a PC will cause the PC to download the required driver.
A single USB meter is normally connected to a host computer via an off-the-shelf USB cable with A and B connectors like Laurel's cable CBL05. The line can be up to 5.0 m (16.4 ft) long according to the USB standard. The PC driver software will assign a COM port address to the connected device, which is then treated like an RS232 device.
Multiple USB meters can also be connected to the host computer by using powered hubs, which can branch the original USB line from the computer into multiple lines. Theoretical limits are up to four hubs in series for five tiers of lines, a maximum line length of 5 m per tier (up to 25 m total), and up to 127 devices including the hubs. The PC driver software will assign a unique COM port address (out of an available 256 addresses) to each connected device, which then needs to be addressed as a single device via its unique COM port.Multiple meters can also be digitally addressed using alternative interface boards: Ethernet board, Ethernet-to-RS485 converter board, USB-to-RS485 converter board, RS485 board with dual RJ11 connectors, and RS485 board with dual RJ45 connectors. A USB board is recommended if the objective is to interface a single meter to a PC with an available USB port.
Laurel's free XLOG2 datalogging software allows virtual meters to be displayed on a computer screen and to be data logged to disk with no need to write custom software.
Two serial protocols are user selectable for custom software: Modbus RTU and Custom ASCII. For detailed information on our protocols, please see our communication user manuals.
- The Modbus RTU protocol is an international standard and allows Laureates to share the same RS485 data line with non-Laurel devices. It supports up to 247 digital addresses. Modbus RTU works in a master-slave (or query-response) mode, and its use requires an external Modbus master, which is typically a PC.
- Laurel's Custom ASCII protocol is the simpler of the two protocols and uses ASCII strings. It supports up to 31 digital addresses and is recommended if the only devices to be addressed are Laureate meters. It can be set to a command mode under control of an external master, or to a continuous streaming mode where data is output at specified intervals at rates up to 60 per second.
Installation
The Laureate LUSB USB 2.0 board provides a USB Type-B connector for plug-and-play connection to the USB port of a PC. It is ideal for use with a PC to program a Laureate meter using Laurel's free Instrument Setup Software. The required USB cable is readily available in computer stores and also from Laurel as cable CBL05.
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| USB Type-B connector | USB cable, P/N CBL05 |
Laurel Software Requiring a Communications Board
- Instrument Setup Software runs on a PC and provides a Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI) as an alternative to programming the meter from the front panel. This software can be downloaded from this website at no charge. Its use requires a serial communications board in the meter, but following setup that board can be removed if desired. Compatible with Modbus or Laurel ASCII protocol.
- Custom Curve Linearizing Software is compatible with the Extended option version of all Laureates. Not applicable to temperature. Custom curve linearization can provide exceptional accuracy from low cost transducers and extend their working range on the high and low ends. This software can be downloaded from this website at no charge. Meter setup requires a serial communications board in the meter and the Laurel ASCII protocol, but following setup that board can be removed if desired and any protocol can be used.
- Data Logging Software turns a PC into a data logging system. The RS232 board allows data logging with a single meter. Use of RS485 boards allows data logging with up to 31 Laureate instruments. Data can be logged from selected meters into an ASCII file, which can then be imported into MS Excel. Data can also be displayed on the computer screen in the form of up to 64 actual or virtual panel meters in 4 groups (or screens) of up to 16 meters each. Compatible with Laurel ASCII protocol only.
Electrical Specifications
| LUSB USB Board Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Data rates | 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 bps |
| Connector | USB Type-B receptable |
| Line length, max | 5 m |
| Standards compliance | Universal Serial Bus Spec Revision 2.0, Full Speed |
| Isolation | 250V rms working, 2.3 kV rms per 1 min test |
| ESD Protection | 15 kV per IEC 1000-4-2 |
| EMI Immunity | 10 V/m per IEC 1000-4-3 |
| EFT Protection | 2 kV per IEC 1000-4-4 |
| Short Circuit Protection | Continuous |
| Power to USB Board | Via USB connector |
| Selectable Protocols | Modbus RTU, Custom ASCII. |
Protocol Specifications (protocols reside on Main Board)
| Modbus RTU Protocol | |
|---|---|
| Standards Compliance | Modbus over Serial Line Specification V1.0 (2002) |
| Protocol Type | Master-slave, query-response command mode |
| Data Streaming Mode | Not supported by Modbus specification |
| Data Formats (selectable) | 1. No parity, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits |
| 2. Odd parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit | |
| 3. Even parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit | |
| Main Board Revision Level | Level 5 or above |
| Custom ASCII Protocol | |
| Standards Compliance | Laurel proprietary protocol |
| Data Format | No parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit |
| Protocol Type | Text string based command mode or continuous data streaming mode |
| Data Streaming Mode | User selectable for up to 60 readings/sec |
| Main Board Revision Level | Any |
Laureate USB Interface Frequently Asked Technical Questions
USB is an easy-to-use interface for communications between a Laureate meter or counter with a PC. It is typically use for datalogging and for use of Laurel’s Windows-based Instrument Setup (IS) software, which runs on a PC.
USB is easier than RS232 to interface to modern PCs, since these have multiple USB ports but no RS232 port. A Laureate meter with a USB board can be interfaced to a PC using a readily available commercial USB cable, while a Laureate meter with an RS232 board requires the combination of two special cables. Please see our cables web page for details. However, do use RS232 if that is required for interface to other system components, not just to a PC.
Yes, a USB board (P/N LUSB) can simply be plugged into the middle backplane slot without any soldering. Its presence is automatically sensed by the meter’s computer board, which enables USB communications it and brings up the appropriate setup menu items.
You can easily do so. One reason to transfer a USB board from meter to meter is to program multiple meters in the same way using Laurel’s Instrument Setup (IS) software. That software runs on a PC and requires a communications board in the meter. Program a first meter manually, save its setup file on disk of a PC using IS software, and then download that setup file into multiple other meters or back into the same meter when needed.
Use a common USB cable with a square USB Type A connector on the meter end and a flat USB type B connector on the PC end. Laurel sells a 1.8 meter (6 foot) version of this cable as CBL05.
The USB interface is easy to use but is not plug-and-play. It contains an FTDI chip which converts the USB signal to a serial data signal. To set up communications with a PC, you need to specify the Com port and baud rate as fir RS232. Use Device Manager under Control Panel to find the Com port associated with the FTDI chip. Set the baud rate to 9600. Windows recognizes the FTDI converter chip and automatically brings up the required driver for it.
Laureate USB communications, along with Laureate RS232 and RS485 communications, support Laurel’s Custom ASCII protocol and the Modbus RTU protocol. The Custom ASCII protocol includes a command mode and a streaming data mode, where meter data can be output at up to 60 readings per second. The Modbus RTU protocol works in a query-response command mode only.
The easiest way to log data onto a PC via USB is to use Laurel’s free XLOG2 datalogging software, which is described in our web page at https://www.laurels.com/datalogging-software.php and user manual at https://www.laurels.com/downloadfiles/datalogging-manual.pdf. That software is limited to about 2 readings/second. To log time-stamped analog data with millisecond resolution to a PC at rates up to 60 readings/second, use a terminal emulator program like KiTTY
While the USB 2.0 specification is up to 480 Mbps, the recommended error-free USB data rate for Laureate meters and counters is 9600 baud. With analog input meters and transmitters, readings can be transmitted at the maximum analog-to-digital conversion rate of 60/second.
The USB 2.0 specification limits the length of a cable between USB 2.0 devices to 5 meters (16.4 feet). If you need serial communications over longer distances, use RS232 for up to 15 meters (about 50 feet) or RS485 for up to 1200 meters (about 4000 feet).
