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RocketPort® 485 Hardware Installation 1 of 8

Introduction

This Hardware Installation document discusses the

following information:

• Product overview

• RocketPort terminology

• Before installing the hardware

•

Installing the hardware

• Supplying power to external devices

• Interface overview

• Interface connectors and building loopback plugs

DB9

- DB25

- RJ45

• Setting ISA DIP switches

• Hardware specifications

• FCC notices

• Troubleshooting and creating diagnostics

• Contacting Technical Support

Product Overview

The RocketPort 485 series multiport serial card fits into

the ISA or EISA slot of a personal computer, and uses a 36

MHz processor specifically designed to process

asynchronous serial communications.

The RocketPort 485 series uses Application Specific

Integrated Circuits (ASICs) technology to replace most

hardware components, including:

• The processor

• Serial controller

• Bus interface logic and other miscellaneous logic

To eliminate memory mapping conflicts, the RocketPort

485 series is I/O mapped.

This Hardware Installation document discusses the

following RocketPort 485 serial controllers:

* Quadcables have the capability to be 8-port cards with

an 8-port interface. Most drivers view the 4-port as an

8-port card.

** For interface information, see the RocketPort Interface

Overview discussion later in this Card.

All RocketPort 485 series interface boxes support RS-232.

RocketPort 485 can be configured on Ports 1 and 2 for RS-

485 mode and Ports 3 through 8 can be configured to

supply +5V (±2%) at 0.5 amps.

Caution When using the RocketPort 485 with interfaces

other than the DB9 box, do not use the power pin

option. Using this option with Quad- or

Octacable interfaces may produce unacceptable

voltage loss under load.

You can install up to four RocketPort 485 cards in one PC,

for a total of 32 additional serial ports, and you can install

a combination of PCI-bus and ISA-bus RocketPort cards.

For driver installation, see the software installation and

configuration documentation or the driver readme file for

your operating system.

RocketPort Terminology

For the purposes of the following discussions, these

products are referred to as “RocketPort ISA” cards:

• RocketPort ISA-bus boards (any interface type

including 4J, 8J, Quadcable, and Octacable)

• RocketPort 485

These products are referred to as “RocketPort PCI” cards:

• RocketPort PCI-bus boards (any interface type

including 4J, Quadcable, and Octacable)

• RocketPort Plus

• RocketPort PCI 422

Name Ports Interface Type

Quadcable* 4

Includes a fanout cable with

standard DB25 or DB9 connectors.

8** 8 Requires one 8-port interface box.

Octacable 8

Includes a fanout cable with

standard DB25, DB9, or RJ45

connectors.

RocketPort

485

Hardware Installation

Summary of content (8 pages)

PAGE 1
RocketPort® 485 Hardware Installation Introduction This Hardware Installation document discusses the following RocketPort 485 serial controllers: This Hardware Installation document discusses the following information: Name Ports • Product overview Quadcable* 4 • RocketPort terminology 8** 8 Octacable 8 • Before installing the hardware • Installing the hardware • Supplying power to external devices • Interface overview • Interface connectors and building loopback plugs - DB9 DB25 R
PAGE 2
Before Installing the Hardware Installing the RocketPort Hardware Read this subsection: Hardware installation consists of: • • Configuring I/O addresses • Configuring RS-485 mode usage on Ports 1 and 2 • Installing the card in the system • Connecting the peripherals Note: After installing the hardware, you must install the device driver for your operating system. • If you already have one or more RocketPort ISA cards installed in your system.
PAGE 3
Note: RocketPort 485 can be installed in an ISA or EISA slot. They are available on the Comtrol Software and Documentation CD or at the Comtrol web site ftp:// ftp.comtrol.com/rport/eisa_cfg/directory. 7. Remove the slot cover. Note: You may want to write down the model number and serial number of the card before installation. 8. Insert the card into the slot, seating it securely. 9. If using the Power feature, connect a hard drive-type power supply cord in your computer to the power connector on the card.
PAGE 4
Building DB25 Female Loopback Plugs or Cables DB25 Interface Connectors Use the following subsections for DB25 interface connectors. The Quad- and Octacable DB25 fanouts use DB25 male connectors. Note: Although the RocketPort 485 card supports eight ports, if you have a quadcable connected, you will only have four port available for use.
PAGE 5
* Ports 1 and 2 can be either RS-232 or RS-485, while Ports 3 through 8 are RS-232 only. All RS-232 control signals are present in RS-485 mode, but not used. ** Ports 3 - 8 can be configured to carry +5V on Pin 9. Do not use the +5V Power feature with the Quad/Octacable Using Power feature with interfaces other than the DB9 box may result in Caution unacceptable voltage loss.
PAGE 6
Setting the DIP Switches Specifications The RocketPort ISA card uses a DIP switch to set the base I/O address range. The default value is 180 (hex). If you are installing more than one RocketPort card, or if you experience an I/O address conflict with another device, use the DIP switches to change the I/O address. The following tables illustrate RocketPort conditions and specifications.
PAGE 7
RocketPort 485 Card RocketPort cards/system Surge protection with standard interface box Specification 4 Provides ESD surge protection exceeding 10 KV. Troubleshooting and Running Diagnostics The first step to troubleshooting a problem is to determine that your RocketPort is functioning properly. To do so, you can create a bootable diskette.
PAGE 8
Note: Only the first card requires that the I/O address matches the physical DIP switch setting. For each subsequent card, select any unused I/O address available in your system. 4. Follow the remainder of the on-line instructions. If the diagnostics did not pass you may want to use the following discussion to diagnose your problem. Comtrol Headquarters Europe Phone (612) 494-4100 +44 (0)1869 323220 FAX (612) 494-4199 +44 (0)1869 323211 Email support@comtrol.com support@comtrol.co.