OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide
INSTRUCTIONS This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance. DANGEROUS VOLTAGE This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. POWER ON This symbol indicates the principal on/off switch is in the on position.
OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide Avocent, the Avocent logo and “The Power of Being There” are trademarks of Avocent Corporation. OutLook and OSCAR are registered trademark of Apex Inc. All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. © 2001 Avocent Corporation. All rights reserved.
USA Notification Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
Table of Contents Chapter 1: Product Overview Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Chapter 2: Installation Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Rack Mounting your OutLook 180DX Unit . . . . . . 9 Installing an OutLook 180DX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Installing a Multiple Switch System . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 Product Overview Contents Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 1: Product Overview 3 Chapter 1: Product Overview Features and Benefits The Avocent OutLook 180DX switch system consists of the user station (your keyboard, monitor and mouse), the switch unit and the attached servers. You can connect additional, or secondary, switches to the primary OutLook switch (called cascading) to expand the 180DX system to 64 servers. This flexibility allows you to add capacity as your data center grows. Figure 1.
4 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide FLASH upgradable The OutLook 180DX is FLASH upgradable. This allows you to update your firmware at any time through a simple serial connection to ensure that your OutLook system is always running the most current version available. Built-in scanning capabilities A built-in scanning feature allows you to automatically monitor, or scan, connected computers without intervention. When keyboard activity is detected, scanning is suspended until all activity stops.
Chapter 1: Product Overview 5 Safety Precautions To avoid potential video and/or keyboard problems when using Avocent products: • If the building has 3-phase AC power, ensure that the computer and monitor are on the same phase. For best results, they should be on the same circuit. • Use only Avocent-supplied cable to connect computers and KVM switches. Avocent warranties do not apply to damage resulting from user-supplied cable.
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2 Installation Contents Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Rack Mounting your OutLook 180DX Unit . . . . . . 9 Installing an OutLook 180DX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Installing a Multiple Switch System . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Powering Up the OutLook Switch System . . . . . . .
Chapter 2: Installation 9 Chapter 2: Installation Getting Started Before installing your OutLook system, refer to the lists below to ensure that you have all the items that shipped with the OutLook as well as all other items necessary for proper installation.
10 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide CAUTION: Power Considerations - Connect only to the power source specified on the unit. When multiple electrical components are installed in a rack, assure the total component power ratings do not exceed circuit capabilities. Overloaded power sources and extension cords present fire and shock hazards. To install the switch mounting bracket: 1. Line up the holes in the “long side” of the kit’s side brackets with the screw holes in the switch. 2.
11 Chapter 2: Installation Installing an OutLook 180DX The diagram below illustrates one possible configuration for your OutLook 180DX switch. Follow the step-by-step instructions to properly install your new switch. User A OutLook 180DX 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 100-240V 1 -AC|1-.5 A PS/2 Reset button DB9 serial port for updating firmware Servers 2-8 Server 1 Figure 2.
12 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide To install an OutLook 180DX switch: 1. Prepare the location for the switch. See Rack Mounting your OutLook 180DX Unit in this chapter if you are rack mounting the unit. 2. Select cables with appropriate connectors and length. (See Appendix B for cable specifications.) NOTE: Cable length affects video quality as well as keyboard and mouse data timing. The maximum cable length is determined in part by the computer and peripherals used.
Chapter 2: Installation 13 Installing a Multiple Switch System The following diagram illustrates one possible cascading configuration using your OutLook switch. Perform this installation if you want to add another switch to your existing system. Follow the step-by-step instructions to properly cascade your new OutLook switch. User A OutLook 180DX Primary Switch 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 0 0 -2 4 0 V-AC| 1 -.
14 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide Checklist of Steps for Adding a Secondary Switch At the Primary Switch 3. Connect cables to a port. 4. Power up switch. 6. At the Secondary Switch 1. Select its location. 2. Connect cables to station connections. 5. Plug in power cord and power up switch. 7. Connect servers. 8. Power up servers. 9. If switch was previously used as a primary device, then reset OSCAR defaults (optional). Assign specific device types. 10.
Chapter 2: Installation 8. Power up the servers attached to the secondary switch. 9. If a secondary switch was previously used as a primary switch, reset OSCAR settings by doing the following: a. b. c. d. e. f. 15 At the primary switch, press Print Screen to open the OSCAR Selection screen. Select the port number of the secondary switch. Press Print Screen again to gain access to the OSCAR Selection screen on the secondary switch. Highlight Setup - Devices and press Enter.
16 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide NOTE: When connecting the video, mouse and keyboard cables from your servers to a running OutLook system, always connect the keyboard cable last. The switch detects the system power of the secondary switch or server through the keyboard cable. When the keyboard cable is connected last, the switch initializes both the keyboard and mouse interfaces to the system, allowing you to add a new switch without restarting your system.
3 Basic Operations Contents Viewing and Selecting Ports and Servers . . . . . . . . 19 OSCAR Navigation Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Setting up OSCAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Using Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Resetting your Keyboard and Mouse . . . . . . . . . . 30 Displaying Version Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Sending the Print Screen Keystroke . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 3: Basic Operations 19 Chapter 3: Basic Operations Viewing and Selecting Ports and Servers When you launch OSCAR, you will first see the OSCAR Selection screen. This screen lists all the ports in the system, the associated server names and the status of each port. It can be organized either by port number or by server name. From here, you can you can select servers and access OSCAR configuration options. To access the OSCAR Selection screen: Press Print Screen to launch OSCAR.
20 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide Viewing the Status of your Switch System The status of servers and switches in your system is indicated in the far right column of the OSCAR Selection screen. The following table describes the status symbols. OSCAR Status Symbols Symbol Description + Server connected and powered up. X Secondary switch connected and powered up. Selecting Servers Use the OSCAR Selection screen to select servers.
Chapter 3: Basic Operations 21 To select servers without displaying OSCAR: To select another server, press Print Screen. If the display order of your server list is by port, type the port number and press Enter. - or If the servers are in name order, type the first few letters of the name of the server and press Enter. If the selection is performed before the Delay Time has expired, OSCAR does not display.
22 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide Figure 3.2: Advanced Menus Screen Assigning Server Names You can identify servers in a system by name rather than by port number. For example, in a network environment, you can assign the same names to each computer as those assigned by the network. To list the computers by name in the OSCAR Selection screen, see Changing OSCAR Display Attributes in this chapter. To access the Port Name Setup screen: 1.
Chapter 3: Basic Operations 23 Changing OSCAR Display Attributes On the OSCAR Attributes screen, you can change the server display order to list alphabetically by name or numerically by port number. Other attributes, such as the launch Delay Time, position and color, can also be changed to suit your needs. Setting a display Delay Time for OSCAR allows you to complete a soft switch without OSCAR displaying. For more information, see Soft Switching in this chapter.
24 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide To set a Delay Time for OSCAR: 1. Highlight the Delay Time option and use the Plus ( + ) or Minus ( – ) keys to obtain the desired value. 2. Press Enter to save the settings and exit the menu. To change the OSCAR display attributes: 1. Highlight the display setting you want to change. Use the Plus ( + ) or Minus ( – ) keys to obtain the desired value. As you select different values, the effect of the changes is reflected immediately on the display.
Chapter 3: Basic Operations 25 To remove a server from the scan list: 1. In the Scan Pattern Setup screen, type the port number of the computer to be removed. —or— If your servers are listed by name, type the first few letters of the name of the server. 2. Highlight the Sec column and type Ø for the number of seconds. 3. Press Delete while in the Scan Pattern Setup screen to delete the highlighted computer and all entries below it. 4. Press Enter to save the settings and exit the menu.
26 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide Flag Appearance Settings Setting Values Effect Enabled Flag Off Flag does not appear. Ports On Flag displays computer by port number. Names On Flag displays computer by name. Ports Timed Port number appears for five seconds after switching. Names Timed Name appears for five seconds after switching. Row Ø-14 Position the flag vertically on the screen. Column Ø-25 Position the flag horizontally on the screen. Color Ø-7 Set the flag color.
Chapter 3: Basic Operations 27 To access the Security Configuration screen: 1. Press Print Screen then F2 to access the Advanced Menus screen. 2. Highlight Setup - Security and press Enter. The Security screen appears. Figure 3.7: Security Screen Security Configuration Settings Setting Action Password Enter current password to activate other fields. New Password Type a new password. Repeat New Retype new password to confirm it.
28 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide to engage. Select Off and press Enter to disable the screen saver. 6. Highlight Mode and select Energy if you are using an Energy Starcompliant monitor or Screen if your monitor is not of that type and then press Enter. CAUTION: Monitor damage can result from use of energy mode with monitors that are not Energy Star-compliant. 7. (optional) Highlight Test and press Enter to test your settings. If Time Delay is not set to Off, the screen saver will engage.
Chapter 3: Basic Operations 29 ( – ) keys to select the number of minutes, from 1 to 254, before you want your screen saver to engage. 6. Use the Down Arrow key to highlight either the Time Delay, Mode or Test fields and press Enter to activate the password change. 7. After the screen saver mode engages, you can press any key on the keyboard to activate the user station. NOTE: Activation of the screen saver mode disconnects the user from a server.
30 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide NOTE: Broadcasting Keystrokes - The keyboard state must be identical for all servers receiving a broadcast to interpret keystrokes identically. Specifically, the Caps Lock and Num Lock modes must be the same on all keyboards. While the switch attempts to send keystrokes to the selected servers simultaneously, some servers may inhibit and thereby delay the transmission.
Chapter 3: Basic Operations 31 Resetting your Keyboard and Mouse If a keyboard or mouse locks up, you may be able to reestablish operation of these peripherals by issuing a reset command. The Reset command sends a hot-plug sequence to the server. The hot-plug sequence to a Plug and Play server causes the mouse and keyboard settings to be sent to the OutLook. With communication reestablished, functionality is restored to you.
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4 Advanced Operations Contents Assigning Device Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Accessing OSCAR at a Secondary Switch . . . . . . . 36 Broadcasting to Cascaded Configurations . . . . . .
Chapter 4: Advanced Operations 35 Chapter 4: Advanced Operations Assigning Device Types If your system includes one or more secondary switches in a cascaded configuration, you must make the primary switch aware of the secondary switches by assigning a specific device type to the secondary switch. Once you so this, the port numbering changes in the OSCAR Selection screen. In the example below, the ports on the secondary switch are listed as 1-1 and 1-2.
36 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide Accessing OSCAR at a Secondary Switch With cascaded configurations, you specify settings at the primary switch. All naming, scanning, status flag attributes, OSCAR attributes, device settings and passwords must be set at the primary switch. You will access OSCAR at the secondary switch to set up broadcasting, add another level of security in cascaded configurations or use Snapshot to save the secondary mouse and keyboard settings.
Chapter 4: Advanced Operations 37 4. For each port, select which computers receive keyboard and/or mouse commands by using the Plus ( + ) or Minus ( – ) keys to choose Yes or No. 5. Press Enter to save the settings. To set up servers attached to primary switches: 1. Press Print Screen then F2 to access the Advanced Menus screen. 2. Highlight Setup - Broadcast in the Advanced Menus at the primary switch and press Enter. The Broadcast Settings screen appears. 3.
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Appendices Contents Appendix A: FLASH Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Appendix B: Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . 42 Appendix C: Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Appendix D: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendices 41 Appendices Appendix A: FLASH Upgrades OutLook Firmware Upgrade Instructions You can update the firmware of your OutLook switch by using a special update utility provided by Avocent. This utility automatically configures the port communications settings to allow direct downloading from the connected server.
42 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide Appendix B: Technical Specifications Product Specifications Dimensions Height 1.75 in (4.5 cm) Depth 8.0 in (20.3 cm) Width 17 in (43.2 cm) Weight – 8-Port 5.25 lbs (2.
Appendices 43 Appendix C: Technical Support Our Technical Support staff is ready to assist you with any installation or operating issues you encounter with your Avocent product. If an issue should develop, follow the steps below for the fastest possible service: 1. Check the pertinent section of the manual to see if the issue can be resolved by following the procedures outlined. 2. Check our web site at www.avocent.com/support to search the knowledge base or use the on-line service request. 3.
44 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide Appendix D: Troubleshooting VIDEO No OSCAR or video at server Check for loose video cable connection or bad video cable. Confirm Devices, Names and Flag settings. Reset settings to default in these dialog boxes. No OSCAR at primary switch Reconnect the power cord to the switch. Replace the power cord. Check AC outlet for power. Check that the monitor is turned on. Check the control for brightness on the monitor. Replace the monitor.
Appendices 45 KEYBOARD Console keyboard is not working or cannot start OSCAR Ensure that Delay Time is off. Highlight Setup - Menu, Type Ø secs for Delay Time. Check keyboard operation. See if the Num Lock and Caps Lock keys light. Keyboard worked, but then stopped working with one server Check for loose keyboard cable connection or bad keyboard cable.1 Check maximum length of the keyboard cable (maximum length = 12 feet). Check maximum length of station cable extension.
46 OutLook 180DX Installer/User Guide STATUS SYMBOLS No Plus ( + ) or ( X ) shows next to server number or name Check for loose keyboard cable connection between server and switch. Restart OSCAR: Press Escape to exit OSCAR. Then press Print Screen. Plus ( + ) shows next to cascaded port Disconnect and reconnect the keyboard cable at the same port number on the switch. Replace keyboard cable.
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LIMITED WARRANTY Avocent Corporation warrants to the original retail purchaser that this product is and will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 12 months from the date of purchase. Additionally, all Avocent products carry an unconditional thirty-day satisfaction guarantee. If, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with the performance of this product, you may return it to the point of purchase for a refund of the purchase price (excluding shipping charges).
For Technical Support: Email: support@avocent.com www.avocent.com Avocent Corporation 4991 Corporate Drive Huntsville, Alabama 35805-6201 USA Tel: +1 256 430 4000 Fax: +1 256 430 4031 Avocent International Ltd.
