Lantronix EDS5008 8-Port Rack-Mount Serial Device Server

Eight serial ports on gigabit Ethernet with redundant AC and DC power

The Lantronix EDS5008 is the 8-port member of the EDS5000 series, a rack-mountable device server that connects serial equipment to 10/100/1000BASE-T or 100/1000 SFP Ethernet at data rates up to 921.6 kbps. Four of its RJ45 serial ports are software selectable between RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485, and four are RS-232 only, with a separate RJ45 console port for local setup. A single combo uplink carries either a copper or an SFP connection, so the same unit can be patched into a copper switch in a control room or into a fibre link between buildings.

The user guide places the series in the next-generation class of Lantronix device servers: a NuMicro MA35DA CPU, 4 Gbit (512 MB) flash and 256 MB of on-board memory, SSL/TLS and SSH security with AES encryption, and cloud or on-premise management through the Percepxion platform. The 1RU aluminium chassis (443 x 175 x 43.6 mm) ships with rack-mount ears for a 19-inch cabinet and rubber feet for desktop use.

Technical specifications

Selecting among the EDS5000 models and accessories

The series has three order codes that differ mainly in serial port count: EDS5008 with 8 ports (4 selectable and 4 RS-232 only), EDS5016 with 16 ports (4 selectable and 12 RS-232 only) and EDS5032 with 32 ports (4 selectable and 28 RS-232 only). All three have one console port, the combo Ethernet uplink and a 100-240 VAC input. Choose EDS5008 when eight devices are enough and rack space is limited; remember that RS-422 and RS-485 are available only on the first four ports.

The guide names two accessories: the 25131 DC power supply and SFP modules from the Lantronix portfolio, and it lists the ACC-500-103-R console port cable. The DC terminal block accepts 24-48 VDC for telecom-style battery plants, and the 3-pin power cable is documented in the cable appendix. For related products see the industrial communications category.

Installation, configuration and operation

Mount the chassis in a 19-inch cabinet with the supplied ears or place it on a bench on its rubber feet; the allowed ambient range is -10 to +60 C, so keep ventilation clear in warm rooms. A one-AC, one-DC arrangement is supported, and both inputs can be primary, which suits sites that want mains plus a battery bus. Connect the uplink to either the copper or the SFP port and connect each serial device through RJ45 serial cables.

Initial setup can be done with Lantronix Provisioning Manager on Windows, the web interface, the command line or XML records. Each serial line is tied to a tunnel: tunnel accept waits for a network client, tunnel connect initiates a connection to a remote host, and TruPort carries RFC 2217 COM port control. Percepxion adds device status, firmware and configuration updates, reboot and reset, telemetry dashboards and remote access. The unit keeps the set time for a brief period during a power loss when it runs on local timing instead of NTP.

Typical applications

Device servers of this class are used to bring serial equipment such as protection relays, flow computers, analysers, gate controllers, UPS units and building automation panels onto an IP network. The guide itself lists ATM machines, display devices, security alarms and access control devices, modems, time and attendance terminals and point-of-sale equipment. When you plan a site, count how many ports must be RS-485 or RS-422, because only ports 1 to 4 support them.

Documents and quotation

The EDS5000 Series Device Server User Guide, which holds the ordering table and specifications, is hosted here for reference. Confirm port count and power inputs against the latest manufacturer data before ordering. Seven Star LLC supplies Lantronix products as an independent supplier in Muscat. Send us the full order code, quantity and target application and we will respond with a quotation.