TOP Server I/O Servers Add Major Features and New I/O Server
New Suite Adds On the Fly Configuration Changes, Redundancy Support, New Drivers, and Bundles for AB and Omron to Offer Even More Value

Charlotte, NC November 10, 2001: Software Toolbox today announced a wide range of upgrades to their TOP Server I/O server product line, continuing to build the value that the TOP Server product brings to users seeking to integrate information from the shop floor throughout the enterprise. 

New functionality includes:

• On-the-fly communications configuration (more information) - This new feature lets you select network adapters, communications ports, baud rate, parity, stop bits, device ID or IP, timeout settings, and retry settings on the fly from your client application. One of the most powerful things enabled by this new feature is redundancy - your client can tell the I/O server to switch network cards, com ports, or device ID's on the same network when the target device has failed by simply writing to a single tag. These new system level tags are available for all drivers in the TOP Server family. Existing users may download the current demo and install it to upgrade their licenses.
   
• AB DF1 Half Duplex Support - For users of AB PLCs that want to communicate with them via radio modems, the AB DF1 Half-Duplex protocol is the best choice available -- until now, user's choices for communicating to AB PLCs this way were limited -- with this driver, users can quickly and easily communicate to AB PLCs on DF1 protocol via radio modems. More info
   
• Increased value in the AB Suite - Now when you purchase our TOP Server AB Communications Suite (item 41233150), the serial # and unlock code we give you will also unlock our AB DF1 TOP Server driver, meaning you get now 3 drivers for one low price. So now with one order, you can get software to talk to your AB PLCs via DF1 serial or Ethernet connections.
   
• Omron FINS Serial and FINS Ethernet Drivers - we now offer Omron FINS Serial and FINS Ethernet capabilities for connecting to a wide variety of Omron C200, C500, C1000, C2000, CV, CVM, and CS family PLCs. We also support the FINS Gateway which lets you get to Sysmac Link and Sysmac Net access. More Information
   
• Omron Suite - We are now offering all 4 of the Omron Drivers in the TOP server family as a single "Suite" of drivers for the price of one driver. You get Omron Hostlink Serial, Omron FINS Serial, Omron FINS Ethernet, and Omron Temperature controller drivers in one package. More Information
   
• ThermoWestronics Drivers - Connect to SV100 and SV180 Data Acquisition systems using TCP/IP Ethernet with the new ThermoWestronics SV100/180 driver and to SV100, SV180, SM100, 1200/1600/3000 models with the ThermoWestronics Serial driver. Like the Omron product line these items are sold as a "suite" so you get both drivers for one low price. Both drivers support the Automation Tag Database Generation capabilities in the TOP server - we read the tag database from the hardware and configure the driver automatically for you - a huge engineering time savings. More Information
   
• IOtech PointScan 100 Ethernet I/O Driver - This new member of our growing line of Ethernet Based I/O drivers adds support for the IOtech PointScan 100 modules and PointScan 200 modules when connected through a PointScan 100 module. More Information
   
• Enhanced Simulator Driver - The Simulator Driver has been enhanced to support Ramp, Random, Sine wave, and User definable tags. Each type can have a user defined rate of change, lower and upper limits. Of particular power is the User Definable type -- you can tell the tag to display a sequence of values one after the other in an order that you define - great for simulating a basic sequence of events in the PLC. The Simulator Driver is included free with every license of TOP Server.