Apex PC Solutions Inc ViewPoint ® S Y S T E M User Guide
ViewPoint User Guide © 1998 Apex PC Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. Third Edition March 1998 Printed in the United States of America Part Number 053-0072-00 The information in this guide is subject to change without notice. Apex PC Solutions shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein; nor is it liable for incidental or consequential damages resulting from the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
Technical Support You can contact Apex PC Solutions Technical Support at: 800 861-5858 Monday through Friday between 7 am and 6 pm Pacific Time 888 346-4564 Weekdays between 6 pm and 7 am Pacific Time and 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday service@apexpc.com Please provide the following information to Apex PC Technical Support: Unit model number and serial number. Make and model of keyboard and mouse attached to the unit. Make and model of computers used. Name and version of operating systems used.
Communications Regulation Information ENGLISH FRANÇAIS Federal Communications Notice (Class A Equipment) Observation des normes—Classe A Cet appariel numérique respecte les limites de bruits radioélectriques applicables aux appariels numérique de Classe A prescrites dans la norme sur le matériel brouilleur: “Appariels Numérique,” NMB-003 édictée par le ministre des Communications.
Limited Warranty No Liability For Consequential Damages Apex PC Solutions warrants that the ViewPoint System (Product) will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one year from the date of receipt. Any implied warranty on the Product is limited to one year.
C ONTENTS FEATURES 9 The ViewPoint System Offers Flexibility in Controlling Your Network 9 INSTALLATION 11 Installation Checklist 11 Identifying Components 12 Planning the System Layout 14 Connecting the User Pod to the Console 16 Connecting the User Pod to the Core 17 Connecting the System Pod to Your Computer 18 Connecting the System Pod to the Core 19 Connecting the Administration Terminal 20 Turning On the System 21 Connecting Computers While the System is Running 22 OPERATION
Optimizing Video Quality for the User Pod 38 Changing Menu Attributes 40 Changing Status Flag Attributes 42 Displaying Firmware Version and Settings 44 Resetting the Mouse and Keyboard 45 ADMINISTRATION TOOLS 47 ViewPoint Enables System Administrators to Monitor and Control Connections 47 Displaying All Connections 48 Selecting Switch Connection Modes 49 Optimizing Video Quality for the System Pod 50 Assigning Specific Device Types 52 Assigning Unique Names to Computers 53 APPENDICES
T ABLES AND F IGURES Core Card and Port Diagram 12 Basic Components of the ViewPoint System 13 Example of a ViewPoint System 15 Keyboard Conventions for Navigating OSCAR 23 Effects of Settings on Security Configuration 37 Video Compensation Settings for the User Pod 39 Effects of Settings on Screen Appearance 41 Values and Effect on Flag Appearance 43 Connection Settings in Display Matrix Screen 48 Video Compensation Settings for the System Pod 51 8
1 FEATURES of ViewPoint S Y S T E M THE V IEWP OINT S YSTEM OFFERS F LEXIBILITY IN CONTROLLING Y OUR N ETWORK Allows network administrators at a local console to pass keyboard and mouse commands to as many as 32 remote computers. • Accommodates Apex OutLook Concentrators to expand your control to as many as 256 remote computers. Multiple ViewPoints expand your control to as many as 1024 computers. Incorporates new boards in the core to meet future needs.
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2 INSTALLATION AND SETUP for ViewPoint S Y S T E M I NSTALLATION C HECKLIST ● ViewPoint components (quantity of each depends on your system needs) ❑ user pods ❑ system pods ● Interconnecting cables* (not included in kit) ❑ two male Cat5 cables for each user pod to core ❑ two male Cat5 cables for each system pod to core ❑ keyboard, video, and mouse interconnecting cables to each computer ❑ keyboard, monitor, and mouse cables to each user pod ● Your computers, monitors, keyboards, mice ● Your admin
2 Installation and Setup Identifying Components I DENTIFYING C OMPONENTS The User Pod The Core Each user console, consisting of a keyboard, mouse, and monitor, connects to a user pod. The user pod encodes mouse and keyboard data then transmits it, via the Cat5 cables, to the output cards in the core, and on to the selected system pod. OSCAR (On-Screen Configuration and Activity Reporting), which is used to operate the ViewPoint system, is accessed at the user pod.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M T he Administration Terminal internal input and output cards that provide the connection between user pods and system pods. Its master card provides the connection to the administration terminal. The administration terminal connects to the core. From the terminal the system administrator monitors and controls ViewPoint connections.
2 Installation and Setup Planning the System Layout P LANNING THE S YSTEM L AYOUT Cable length and location Cable length and video quality Choosing good locations for each component enhances the benefits of the ViewPoint system.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M Example of a ViewPoint System System Pods and Computers Up to 250 Feet Up to 25 Feet Core User Pods and Consoles 15 Administration Terminal Planning the System Layout Up to 600 Feet
2 Installation and Setup CONNECTING THE U SER P OD TO THE C ONSOLE User Pod 1 2 ..... ..... ..... Connecting the User Pod to the Console 3 4 To connect the user pod to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse: l Connect the monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the jacks that show the monitor, keyboard, and mouse symbols on the back panel of the user pod.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M CONNECTING THE U SER P OD TO THE CORE User Pod 1 2 User Port 1 ..... ..... ..... 3 4 User Port 16 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 To connect the Cat5 cables to the user pod: 1 2 Locate the RJ45 jacks on the back panel. To connect the Cat5 cables to the core: Connect one end of the video Cat5 cable to the RJ45 jack with a monitor symbol. 3 Connect one end of the data Cat5 cable to the RJ45 jack with a data symbol. 4 Repeat steps for all user pods.
2 Installation and Setup CONNECTING THE S YSTEM P OD TO Y OUR C OMPUTER System Pod Port A 1 2 Connecting the System Pod to Your Computer 3 4 ..... ..... ..... Computer To connect the system pod to your computer: l Connect the monitor, keyboard, and mouse cables between the computer and the jacks with the monitor, keyboard, and mouse symbols in one of the ports on the system pod. 18 ..... ..... .....
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M CONNECTING THE S YSTEM P OD TO THE C ORE System Pod System Port 1 Port A 1 2 ..... ..... ..... A 3 4 1 To connect the Cat5 cables to the system pod: 1 2 3 4 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 System Port 32 On the back panel of the system pod locate the RJ45 jacks in the same port label where you connected the monitor, keyboard, and mouse cables earlier.
2 Installation and Setup CONNECTING THE A DMINISTRATION T ERMINAL Administrator Terminal Port Connecting the Administration Terminal Core Administration Terminal To connect the administration terminal: 1 2 3 On the master card at the back of the core, connect the female end of the DB9 null modem cable to the administrator terminal port. Connect the other end of the null modem cable to the serial port on the back of your terminal.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M TURNING ON THE S YSTEM To start the system: Startup Behavior and the Status Flag When you turn on the ViewPoint system, it performs the following actions: Displays each pod’s particular identification number on the user console monitor. • Identifies the mouse and keyboard and puts them into default states; the keyboard LEDs illuminate. • Starts up the user pods with no user consoles connected to any computers.
2 Connecting Computers While the System Is Running CONNECTING IS R UNNING Installation and Setup C OMPUTERS WHILE THE SYSTEM You can connect additional computers to the ViewPoint system while it is running. When you turn on a newly connected computer, its system pod recognizes it and you can switch users to the new computer without taking any additional steps. You can also connect a new user console to the system while it is running.
3 OPERATION GUIDE for ViewPoint S Y S T E M You’ll operate the ViewPoint system using OSCAR (On-Screen Configuration and Activity Reporting). Keyboard Conventions for Navigating OSCAR DOES THIS PRINT SCREEN Opens OSCAR Selection screen. F1 Opens OSCAR Help screen. F2 When in OSCAR Selection screen, opens OSCAR Advanced Menus screen. ARROWS Moves highlight to select command feature or setup. + / – Changes the value of the selected option.
3 Operation Guide N AVIGATING WITH OSCAR OSCAR Selection Screen Navigating with OSCAR OSCAR SELECTION Port 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Name COMPUTER COMPUTER COMPUTER COMPUTER COMPUTER COMPUTER COMPUTER COMPUTER F1 Help F2 Advanced 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Basic functions such as selecting computers and checking port/computer status are performed from the OSCAR Selection screen. The OSCAR Selection lists all the ports in the system, the associated computer names, and the status of each port.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M OSCAR Advanced Menus Screen OSCAR ADVANCED MENUS COMMANDS Switch Scan Query Message Version Reset SETUP All commands other than selecting computers are performed from the OSCAR Advanced Menus. The Advanced Menus screen contains two menus. The Commands menu shows the commands that cause an action to take place. The Setup menu shows the commands that have screens to set configurations.
3 Operation Guide I NTERPRETING THE S TATUS F LAG The monitor of the user console displays a small screen, referred to as the status flag, that indicates the connection status of the user console and mode of operation. It can be set to show the connection by port number or by name. When operating the ViewPoint system with OSCAR, the status flag disappears from the display and reappears when the operation is completed.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M S WITCHING TO A COMPUTER The most common ViewPoint operation is switching either a user’s keyboard, mouse, and monitor or just the monitor (video) between computers. Switching disconnects either the keyboard, mouse, and monitor or only the video from one computer and connects them to another.
3 Operation Guide To switch any user to a selected computer: 1 OSCAR ADVANCED MENUS Switching any User to a Selected Computer COMMANDS Switch Scan Query Message Version Reset SETUP ■ Note If you press the wrong number (Computer is highlighted by default), enter the number of the desired computer.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M To switch video only: From the Commands menu in the Advanced Menus screen (Switch is highlighted by default), press the number key that corresponds to the port number of the computer to which you wish to switch; the Switch Console to Computer screen appears with the computer port highlighted. 2 Move the highlight down to Console and use the + or – keys to scroll through the available user consoles until the desired user console number is displayed.
3 Operation Guide D ISCONNECTING A NY USER OSCAR ADVANCED MENUS COMMANDS Switch Scan Query Message Version Reset SETUP To disconnect the currently selected computer: l From the Commands menu in the Advanced Menus screen (Switch is highlighted by default), press ENTER.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M QUERYING P OD STATUS You can check the connection status of any user pod or system pod in the ViewPoint system. This may be useful when you want “full” connection (control of keyboard and mouse) to a computer and need to determine if another user is already connected.
3 Operation Guide S CANNING THE COMPUTERS When placed in the scan mode, the specified user console automatically switches from computer to computer in a selected scan sequence, and in watch mode. You can scan the entire system sequentially or designate a custom scan pattern by specifying computers and durations.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M To create a custom scan pattern: 1 In the Advanced Menus screen, press the RIGHT ARROW key to move the highlight to the Setup menu. 2 Use the DOWN ARROW key to move the highlight to Scan and press ENTER; the Pattern Setup screen appears with the first port position or computer name highlighted. OSCAR ADVANCED MENUS COMMANDS SETUP Scan OSCAR Flag Security In the Scan Pattern Setup screen shown, the order-by-port mode is selected.
3 Operation Guide To remove a computer from the scan list: 1 In the Scan Pattern Setup screen, move the highlight to the port number of the computer to be removed from the scan list —or— if your computers are listed by name, to the name of the computer. 2 Press the RIGHT ARROW key to highlight the Sec column. 3 Type 0 for the number of seconds. Pressing DELETE while in the Scan Pattern Setup screen deletes the highlighted computer and all entries below it. 4 Press ENTER.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M S ENDING A U SER MESSAGE You can send a brief text message to any other user consoles for display on their monitors. This feature may be useful when another user has a “full” connection to the computer you want to switch to, and you need to request that the current user relinquish control.
3 Operation Guide E STABLISHING S ECURITY Advanced computer applications should usually be protected against unauthorized users. ViewPoint’s security features enable you to lock the keyboard and monitor, requiring you to type a password before resuming operation. You can also set a time delay before the system is locked. Establishing Security You must always provide a password to access the fields in the Security Configuration screen.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M Effects of Settings on Security Configuration PASSWORD Enter current password to activate other fields. NEW PASSWORD Type new password. REPEAT NEW Retype new password to confirm. TIME DELAY Set a value from 0 to 254 minutes. MODE Not selectable in ViewPoint. TEST Immediately activates security screen.
3 Operation Guide O PTIMIZING V IDEO Q UALITY FOR THE U SER P OD Optimizing Video Quality for the User Pod If your cable lengths are more than 25 feet, you can optimize the video quality for the user pod. Interconnecting system cables of less than 25 feet require no compensation adjustments. The cable length entry will maximize video performance in most cases.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M Video Compensation Settings for the User Pod STATUS RELATIVE NUMBER ADJUSTMENT DC ON/OFF XXX DC gain ELF ON/OFF XXX Extremely low frequency VLF ON/OFF XXX Very low frequency Vid Hi C ON/OFF XXX Video high frequency – Coarse Vid Hi F ON/OFF XXX Video high frequency – Fine Vid MF ON/OFF XXX Video mid frequency Vid LF ON/OFF XXX Video low frequency ■ Note If changes to settings makes video unreadable, press ESCAPE to return to previous set
3 Operation Guide CHANGING MENU A TTRIBUTES It is not necessary to change any of the default settings before using ViewPoint; however, you can set several options to suit your preferences or specific application. For example, you may want to change the position, color, and other display attributes of the OSCAR screens. See the table, Effects of Settings on Screen Appearance, for available menu attributes.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M Effects of Settings on Screen Appearance SELECT THIS SETTING CHOOSE VALUES Size of screen RESOLUTION Select either 320, 480, or 640; the lower the value, the larger the size. Size of text HEIGHT Higher values display larger sized text.
3 Operation Guide CHANGING STATUS F LAG ATTRIBUTES The status flag indicates the name or port number of the currently selected computer. You can choose to display the status flag at all times, for a few seconds after switching, or not at all. You can also change the color of the status flag and its location on the screen. The table, Values and Effect on Flag Appearance, describes the available menu attributes.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M Values and Effect on Flag Appearance TO CHANGE THIS SELECT THIS SETTING CHOOSE EFFECT Timing, size, and indications of flag ENABLED FLAG OFF Flag does not appear. ABBR Flag indications are abbreviated; flag is smaller. LONG Flag indications are not abbreviated; flag is larger. LONG TIMED Looks like LONG and displays 5 seconds. Location of flag ROW 0 – 12 values position flag vertically on screen. COLUMN 0 – 25 values position flag horizontally on screen.
3 Operation Guide D ISPLAYING F IRMWARE V ERSION AND SETTINGS OSCAR ADVANCED MENUS Displaying Firmware Version and Settings COMMANDS Switch Scan Query Message Version Reset VERSION Firmware Hardware Dip Switch Port X SETUP To display firmware version and settings: X.X.X.X 56 X F Computer Keyboard ENABLED Rate X LEDs X Mode X Mouse DISABLED Rate X Res X Type Type X To facilitate system troubleshooting and support, you can display the firmware version and settings information.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M RESETTING THE MOUSE AND K EYBOARD OSCAR ADVANCED MENUS COMMANDS Switch Scan Query Message Version Reset Resetting the mouse and keyboard attempts to restore the correct settings for the selected computer. SETUP To reset the mouse and keyboard values: 1 From the Commands menu in the Advanced Menus, use the DOWN ARROW key to move the highlight to Reset. 2 Press ENTER.
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4 ADMINISTRATION TOOLS for ViewPoint S Y S T E M V IEWP OINT E NABLES S YSTEM ADMINISTRATORS TO M ONITOR AND C ONTROL CONNECTIONS Display computer/console connections • • Adjust video quality for the system pods Control switch connection mode Display and modifiy device types and system names Create names for each user and/or computer for ease of tracking ■ Note In order to use the administration functions, you need to set up an administration terminal.
4 Administration Tools D ISPLAYING A LL CONNECTIONS The Display Matrix screen shows all 16 by 32 switch connections. It shows if a console has keyboard control, the switch connection mode, and computer/console connections. From this screen you can access the Display System screen. Displaying All Connections To display all switch connections: Connections \ Computer Console \ 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 . . 16 F. . . . . . . . . . W . . . . . . . F. . . .
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M S ELECTING S WITCH CONNECTION MODES There are two switch connection modes. Both allow immediate connections if the requested computer is not in use. How they respond to a request is what makes them different: • Preemptive switching (Default mode) User’s request disconnects current user’s connection to selected computer. • Cooperative switching User’s request is denied if another user is already connected to the selected computer.
4 Administration Tools O PTIMIZING V IDEO Q UALITY FOR THE S YSTEM P OD Optimizing Video Quality for the System Pod If your cable lengths are more than 25 feet, you can optimize the video quality for the system pod. Interconnecting system cables of less than 25 feet require no compensation adjustments. The cable length entry will maximize video performance in most cases.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M Video Compensation Settings for the System Pod RELATIVE NUMBER ADJUSTMENT DAC0 XXX Video high frequency–Coarse DAC1 XXX Video high frequency–Fine DAC2 XXX Video mid frequency DAC3 XXX Video low frequency ■ Note If changes to settings makes video unreadable, press ESCAPE to return to previous settings.
4 Administration Tools A SSIGNING SPECIFIC D EVICE T YPES Assigning Specific Device Types When you have a tiered configuration, that is, if your system includes one or more external devices such as an Apex OutLook or another ViewPoint, you must make the ViewPoint core aware of these external devices by assigning a specific device type. You designate the device types in the Display Systems screen. The possible device types are 4 port, 8 port, 10 port, or 32 port.
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M ASSIGNING U NIQUE N AMES TO C OMPUTERS You may find it easier to identify the computers in a system by name, rather than by port number. You can assign unique names to computers in the Display Systems screen. Computer names are listed by number, 1 through 32, until you make changes. Each screen shows 16 entries, and you can scroll or page down to see the next page.
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APPENDICES for ViewPoint S Y S T E M A S PECIFICATIONS Dimensions User Pod Voltage Temperature DEPTH 9.00 in (22.86 cm) WIDTH 12.75 in (32.39 cm) WEIGHT 5 lbs (2.3 kg) HEIGHT 1.71 in (4.45 cm) DEPTH 9.00 in (22.86 cm) WIDTH 17.00 in (43.18 cm) WEIGHT 6 lbs (2.7 kg) HEIGHT 25.50 in (64.77 cm) DEPTH 20.12 in (51.12 cm) WIDTH 8.75 in (22.22 cm) WEIGHT 35 lbs (15.
Appendices B O PTIONS AND A CCESSORIES COMPONENT B Options and Accessories CARD CABLE DESCRIPTION PART NUMBER Core (to support 8 x 8 configuration) ELC-0808VP User Pod ELC-00UP System Pod ELC-00SP Input ELC-00IM Output ELC-000M Switch ELC-1616SM 25 ft (7.62 m) CT-025 50 ft (15.24 m) CT-050 100 ft (30.48 m) CT-100 150 ft (45.72 m) CT-150 250 ft (76.20 m) CT-250 350 ft (106.68 m) CT-350 500 ft (152.40 m) CT-500 The Apex PC product line is highly adaptable.
A P E X C V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M TIERING WITH OTHER APEX S WITCH S YSTEMS In lieu of computers, you can connect ViewPoint to other Apex switching devices like the OutLook concentrator; this is called tiering. In order for tiering to work, ViewPoint must be made aware of the external device first in order to transmit commands and the external device must be able to read and execute those commands. See Chapter 4 for the procedure Assigning Specific Device Types.
Appendices D TROUBLESHOOTING SYMPTOM PROBABLE CAUSE RECOMMENDED SOLUTION No OSCAR or video on any computer Loose monitor connection Reconnect monitor No power to ViewPoint core Check power switch Reconnect power cable Check AC outlet for power Can't select computers D Troubleshooting No video on one computer Keyboard error on boot, all computers OSCAR colors or setup incompatible Reset OSCAR colors to defaults Loose video connection Reconnect video cable Defective video cable Replace vi
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M SYMPTOM PROBABLE CAUSE RECOMMENDED SOLUTION Keyboard error on boot, one computer Loose keyboard connection Check that all cables are well seated Ensure mouse and keyboard cables are not swapped Defective cable Replace keyboard cable Computer left keyboard in shifted state when last connected Press both SHIFT keys Mouse error on boot, all computers Loose mouse connection Check that all cables are well seated Mouse error on boot, one computer Incompatible
Appendices E CONNECTOR P IN SPECIFICATIONS DB-15 HD Video Cable, Male 6 Red Ground 11 Monitor Sense 0 7 Green Ground 12 Monitor Sense 1 2 Green Drive 8 Blue Ground 13 Horizontal Sync Connector Pin Specifications 1 Red Drive 3 Blue Drive 9 Plug 14 Vertical Sync 4 Reserved 10 Ground 15 5 Ground Reserved IBM PC 5-Pin DIN Keyboard Cable, Male 1 3 Keyboard Clock Keyboard Reset 4 5 Ground +5 Volts 2 E Keyboard Data IBM PS/2 6-Pin Mini DIN Keyboard Cable, Male 5 6 Keyboard Clock Re
A P E X V I E W P O I N T S Y S T E M UTP Cat5 or Better Cable W/RJ45 Connectors, Male 1 White/Orange 2 Orange/White Twisted Pairs White/Orange 3 White/Green 4 Blue/White 5 White/Blue 6 Green/White Green/White 7 White/Brown White/Brown 8 Brown/White Brown/White Orange/White White/Green Blue/White White/Blue Connector Pin Specifications 61 E Belden equilvalent cable #1538a with male connectors Kycon #MP-88R-1000K
