UltraConsole UNIVERSAL MULTI-PLATFORM KVM AND SERIAL SWITCH INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONS MANUAL 10707 Stancliff Road Houston, Texas 77099 Phone: (281) 933-7673 www.rose.
LIMITED WARRANTY ® Rose Electronics warrants the UltraConsole™ to be in good working order for one year from the date of purchase from Rose Electronics or an authorized dealer. Should this product fail to be in good working order at any time during this one-year warranty period, Rose Electronics will, at its option, repair or replace the Unit as set forth below. Repair parts and replacement units will be either reconditioned or new. All replaced parts become the property of Rose Electronics.
FCC/IC STATEMENTS, EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND INDUSTRY CANADA RADIO-FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENTS This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio communication.
TABLE of CONTENTS Contents Page # Disclaimer ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1 About this manual ............................................................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................
Figures Page # Figure 1. Expansion card ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Figure 2. Single Unit configuration .................................................................................................................................. 9 Figure 3. Bus Configuration ..............................................................................................................................
INTRODUCTION Disclaimer While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual, the manufacturer assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither does the manufacturer assume any liability for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. The manufacturer reserves the right to change the specifications, functions, or circuitry of the product without notice.
Flexibility Modular design makes for easy installation, maintenance and expandability. Plug-in expansion card makes the UltraConsole switch easy to extend to other switches. Pre-configuration of the switch allows for installation without powering most computers/servers down. Multi-language capabilities Switching to computers can be done by keyboard commands, an on-screen list of computers, front panel switches, or by commands through the RS232 serial port.
Cable requirements The cable requirements for your system will vary depending on the types of CPUs connected to the UltraConsole switch and the equipment used for the KVM station. A KVM cable is needed for the KVM station, a CPU cable is needed for each computer that is connected to the UltraConsole, and if the Units are connected in a “Bus” or “Ring” topology, expansion cables will be needed to connect the Units together. (See Appendix C for cable part numbers.
MODELS UC1-1X4U/E* UC2-1X4U/E* * - Shown with expansion card installed UC1-1X8U/E* UC2-1X8U/E* * - Shown with expansion card installed UC1-1X16U/E* UC2-1X16U/E* * - Shown with expansion card installed 4 ULTRACONSOLE INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONS MANUAL
Connector Description IEC320 power connector Expansion connectors (DB15M/F) CPU / KVM connectors (DB25F) Serial connector (RJ12 – 6 pin) ULTRACONSOLE INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONS MANUAL 5
OVERVIEW System Overview The UltraConsole switch is designed with the latest in KVM switching technology. It has the capability and flexibility to configure to most keyboards, video monitors, mice, servers and computers. The modular design of the UltraConsole makes the Unit easy to install, expand, and maintain. The addition of an expansion card and additional switches can increase the number of computers that can be connected and accessed to 1,000.
If an expansion card is permanently removed, a terminator and cover plate must be installed. IN JP1 OUT Figure 1. Expansion card To remove the expansion card and install/remove jumper JP1: 1. Remove power from the UltraConsole switch. 2. Remove any expansion cables. 3. Unscrew the two screws securing the expansion card to the chassis. 4. Carefully pull the expansion card straight back until it unseats from the backplane connector. 5. Remove/install the jumper JP1, on the expansion cards. 6.
Site planning Organizing your site and planning the placement of the computers, the KVM station, and the UltraConsole switches is a key part in the installation and configuration process. Care should be taken when connecting the computers, KVM and the UltraConsole switches. Locate the UltraConsole as close as possible to the computers so the CPU cables are as short as possible but still give some freedom of movement. Using shorter cables keeps the video noise to a minimum and reduces installation costs.
INSTALLATION Switch Installation – Single Unit Please refer to the safety section before installation The basic installation of a single UltraConsole switch is an easy and straightforward procedure. Perform the below steps for all computers that will be connected. It is recommended that all computers be powered off.
STEPS: (See Figure 2 for an example of a single Unit installation) (Refer to the troubleshooting section for help if needed) 1. Connect a KVM station to the UltraConsole switches DB25F, KVM connector using the appropriate KVM cable. 2. Turn on the KVM stations video monitor and the UltraConsole. (Wait for the internal diagnostic check to complete and fade out) 3. Switch the KVM station to the CPU port being configured (starting with CPU port #1).
Switch Installation – Multiple units – “BUS” topology A “BUS” configuration is usually used when the user is connected to the KVM ports on Unit #1. In a “BUS” configuration, (Figure 3. Bus Configuration) the video path is from the last Unit in the configuration to the first Unit (“OUT” to “IN”). A user on the first Unit can access all computers on all Units. A user connected to Unit #2 can only access computers on Unit #2, 3, etc.
The “Starting computer” number will depend on which Unit is being configured. The “Starting computer” number for the first Unit is always one (default). Using Units that have 16 CPU ports, the “Starting computer” number for the second Unit is the total number of CPU ports on the first Unit + one or 17, the third Unit would have a “Starting computer” number of 33 (Total CPU ports on unit #1 and unit #2 + 1, and so on.
7. Apply power to the next unit to bus in, then connect an expansion cable (IN THIS ORDER); From: Unit #2’s “OUT” expansion card connector To: Unit #1’s “IN” expansion card connector. (Connecting the expansion cable from the “IN” connector first to the “OUT” connector can cause termination conflicts and require power to be cycled on all units. 8. Verify that the block of system CPU ports from Unit #2 is recognized on the status screen.
Switch Installation – Multiple units – “RING” topology A “RING” configuration is usually used when a user needs access to all computers from different KVM stations. In a “RING” configuration, a user on any KVM station in the ring can access all the computers in the system. Connect conflicts can occur with multiple users unless model UC2-1X16U/E is used for unit #2 or #3.
Jumper JP1 should be removed on Unit #1 and another switch that will divide the “RING” into approximately equal cable length distances. (See Figure 4 for a typical example) Steps: (Perform steps 1-13 described in the “BUS” installation first, page 14) (NOTE: Disconnect all cables before removing any expansion card) 1. Remove power from all UltraConsole switches. 2. Connect an expansion cable from Unit #1’s “OUT” connector to the last Units “IN” connector to complete the “Ring”. 3.
CONFIGURATION MENUS Menu structure Use only the numeric keys above the keyboard. The numeric keypad will not work for entering numbers.
Main Menu UltraConsole version MX22D Rose Electronics Copyright 1990-2003 Main Menu Configure System Computer KVM User Profile Group Language Status Save Exit Use up/down arrow keys to choose selection then press the Enter key or the Escape key to exit Configure password,box number,keyboards settings,appearance Figure 5. Main configuration menu Save the changes made to any menu. If not saved, the changes will be lost when power is removed from a Unit.
Configure System menu Configure system System settings Configure password ******** Starting computer number 1 Maximum computers 64 Keyboard settings PC keyboard rate (chars/sec) 20 PC keyboard delay Fast Sun keyboard language US Appearance Menu color scheme Night sky Screen saver Weaving Screen saver time (seconds) 1800 Background color Cyan Text color Position Black X = 25 Fadeout (seconds) 5 Y = 45 Password to configure unit Figure 6.
“Keyboard settings” selections. PC keyboard rate (chars/sec) (Default: 20) This option adjusts the KVM keyboard action when you hold down a key to repeat a single character. Valid inputs are 1-31. PC keyboard delay (Default: Fast) This option adjusts the delay between when a key is pressed and held and when it begins to send repeated characters to the selected computer.
Background / Text color (Default: Cyan / Black) This option sets the background or text colors for the connection status and computer select screens. Colors can be one of eight solid or transparent colors. To change the background or text color, select it from the menu and press [Enter]. The color selections will display showing the solid and transparent color choices. Use the arrow keys to select the desired color and press [Enter].
The “Configure computer” menu allows you to change each selected computers name, keyboard, and mouse types. The left column is the logical location (port).This value is not user changeable. Computer name (Default: Computer x) To change the computer name, select computer from the main menu and press [Enter]. An input box will display to enter a new computer name. Type in the new name and press [Enter]. Names can be 16 characters in length, case sensitive.
Configure KVM menu Configure KVM ID 1 BUS 1 KVM name KVM station 1 Resolution 640x480@60 Start 0 User User 1 Name of keyboard-video-mouse station (KVM) up to 16 characters Figure 8. Configure KVM menu The “Configure KVM” menu allows you to change the KVM name, resolution, start, and user parameters. The ID column indicates the physical location (port) the KVM is connected to. The BUS column is the KVM video bus number. These values are not user changeable.
The configure user, profile, and group menus all tie together to provide access control to the computers. A group defines which computers in the system can and cannot be accessed. This group is assigned to a profile name. The profile defines how the computers (defined by the group) can be accessed. The profile is assigned to a user or users. When a user logs on to a KVM station, their assigned profile is validated.
Configure Profile menu Configure Profile Name Profil 1 Profil 2 Profil 3 Profil 4 Profil 5 Profil 6 Profil 7 Profil 8 Profil 9 Profil10 Profil11 Profil12 Profil13 Profil14 Profil15 Profil16 Access Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Group 8 Group 9 Group10 Group11 Group12 Group13 Group14 Group15 Group16 Mode Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share Share 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Scan 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Logout
Scan (Default: 5 seconds) When a user invokes the scan function, this feature sets the time the video is displayed before switching to the next sequential computers video. To change the scan rate, select the profile, then the scan rate to change and press [Enter]. An input box will display. Type in a new scan time and press [Enter]. Valid scan times are 0 to 9999.
Configure Language UltraConsole version MX22D Rose Electronics Copyright 1990-2003 Main Menu Configure System Computer KVM User Profile Group Language Status Save Exit English Francais Deutsch Espanol Italiano Portugues Use up/down arrow keys to choose selection then press the Enter key or the Escape key to exit Language which will be displayed on the screen Figure 12. Configure Language Selecting “Language” from the “Main” menu displays a choice box of different language options.
System Status display System Status Computers 1-4 5-8 9-12 13-16 17-20 21-24 25-28 29-32 33-36 37-40 41-44 45-48 49-52 53-56 57-60 61-64 Power Pos 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Ver 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D 22D KVM PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC PC CPU User 1 User 1 Status Share mode Share mode Share mode Share mode No response No response No response No response No response No response No response No response No response No response No response No res
Save menu UltraConsole version MX22D Rose Electronics Copyright 1990-2003 Main Menu Configure System Computer KVM User Profile Group Language Status Save Exit Boards to update = 3 Save configuration? NO YES Use up/down arrow keys to choose selection then press the Enter key or the Escape key to exit Configure password,box number,keyboards settings,appearance Figure 14.
ULTRACONSOLE INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONS MANUAL 29
OPERATION User operating instructions The following instructions apply to all UltraConsole switches. This section explains the operating functions of the on-screen displays, the login procedure, connect procedure and other commands needed to easily use the UltraConsole switch and its capabilities. To start using your UltraConsole switch, you first need to become familiar with the keyboard commands. The available keyboard commands are shown in Table 1.
When you first start using a KVM station, it may require you to login. If the KVM station requires a login, the login box, shown in Figure 15, will display. The login box appears when a Unit is powered on, when a user logs off, or when a preset time interval passes with no keyboard or mouse activity. If a login is required, type in your User ID and press [Enter]. (User ID is the user name defined on the configure user menu) If the user ID is validated, you can then type in your password and press [Enter].
SAFETY Status Mail server Connection successful to NT Server On Admin Share mode Figure 17. Connection successful message Status Control Room 5 Connection failed to Mail server On Richard Not in access group Figure 18. Connection failed message Status Mail server Disconnected from Payroll On Sharon Timed out Figure 19. Disconnect message See Appendix H.
Serial port usage (RS232) The following procedure for establishing a connection from your standalone computer or Notebook computer to the UltraConsole switch’s serial port uses Windows HyperTerminal™. Refer to your users manual if a different communication program is being used. To access an UltraConsole serial port, the following items are required: A serial cable (RJ12, 6-wire connector and an appropriate adapter for the computer’s serial port).
UC Serial option - HyperTerminal File Edit View Call Transfer Help Serial options menu 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) Change starting computer number … 1 Change the serial port baud rate … 9600 Receive new main program or kernel from serial port (this card only) Send this unit’s main program to other units Send this unit’s kernel to other units Reset configuration data to factory defaults (this card only) Save changes made in 1 and 2 (this card only) Exit (restart the unit) Enter choice - - > Connected 0:03:00
Option 3. Receive new main program or kernel from serial port (This card only) When new main or kernel programs are available, they can be obtained from Rose Electronics or downloaded from our web site at www.rose.com. The diagnostic screen that is displayed when the UltraConsole switch is first turned on shows the Kernel and main program version that is presently installed.
Option 4. Send this Unit’s Main Program to other Units. Option 5. Send this Unit’s Kernel to other Units. The main program or kernel program updates (Option 3) only have to be done on one port. Make sure power to all UltraConsole switches is “ON” and they are all connected using the appropriate expansion cables. Press 4 to send the main program to all other units, all other cards. Press 5 to send the kernel program to all other cards. The following messages will appear using either option 4 or option 5.
SERIAL DEVICE SUPPORT Serial device support The serial feature allows you to connect a KVM station to a serial device such as the serial port on a Unix or Sun computer, a communication device, or any device with a serial port. The serial device is connected to the DB25F CPU port on the UltraConsole with a serial cable (See Appendix C for serial cable part numbers). Any CPU port can be configured to be a serial port.
The page up and page down keys allow you to scroll the incoming pages in the four page scroll buffer. The F12 key clears the screen.
SERVICE Service Information Maintenance and Repair This Unit does not contain any internal user-serviceable parts. In the event a Unit needs repair or maintenance, you must first obtain a Return Authorization (RA) number from Rose Electronics or an authorized repair center. This Return Authorization number must appear on the outside of the shipping container. See Limited Warranty for more information.
SAFETY Safety This UltraConsole switch has been tested for conformance to safety regulations and requirements, and has been certified for international use. Like all electronic equipment, the UltraConsole switch should be used with care. To protect yourself from possible injury and to minimize the risk of damage to this Unit, read and follow these safety instructions. Follow all instructions and warnings marked on this Unit.
Safety and EMC Regulatory Statements Safety Information Documentation reference symbol. If the product is marked with this symbol, refer to the product documentation to get more information about the product. WARNING A WARNING in the manual denotes a hazard that can cause injury or death. CAUTION A CAUTION in the manual denotes a hazard that can damage equipment. Do not proceed beyond a WARNING or CAUTION notice until you have understood the hazardous conditions and have taken appropriate steps.
TROUBLESHOOTING Troubleshooting Computer does not boot, keyboard or mouse error received CPU cable is loose. Re-seat cable and hit F1 to continue or reboot computer. Wrong cable plugged in. Keyboard and mouse cables reversed. CPU cable is defective. Try using CPU cable from another computer. If problem goes away, cable is defective. Port on UltraConsole is defective. Try using another port on the UltraConsole. If problem goes away, port is defective. Port on computer is defective.
APPENDICES Appendix A.
Appendix B. General specifications Specification Dimensions (4/8 CPU Ports) 16.7 x 4.85 x 1.75 in. 42.4 x 12.3 x 4.4 cm. 4lb. / 1.8 kg. (16 CPU Ports) 16.7 x 4.85 x 3.50 in. 42.4 x 12.3 x 8.9 cm. 8lb. / 3.6 kg. Power Auto-switching 100 – 240 VAC Input - 100-240 VAC 1.0A 50/60Hz Output - +5Vdc, 2.0A Output - +12Vdc. 0.2A Power supply is installed internally and input power is provided through a standard IEC320 male international connector. Power supply is protected by a Type 2AG, 2.0A, 250V fuse.
Appendix C. Parts and cables KVM Cables Part number Description .
Appendix D. Status Connect / Failure Reason Summary Reason Can’t Find Computer No Response Not in Access Group Out of Range Unknown Computer Unknown Reason Description Action Unable to communicate to the computer that’s being connected to. Change invalid starting computer number, incorrect expansion cable placement or power up expansion Unit. Communications error. Cycle power to the UltraConsole switch where the CPU is attached.
Appendix E. Disconnect Status Reasons Reason Description Action No Response Disconnect communication error. Cycle power on the Unit where the CPU being connected is attached. Private Mode Cancel User disconnected Wait for the private from computer mode user to because another user disconnect and has connected in reconnect to the Private Mode. computer. Timed Out Keyboard or mouse has not been used for the period specified in the logout configuration parameter.
Appendix F. KVM placement / conflicts It is possible, in an expanded system with multiple UltraConsole switches, to connect additional KVM stations to other UltraConsole units in the system. This allows access to the computers from multiple locations. When doing this, all KVM ports share the same video path from switch to switch.
Appendix G. Password jumper If the configuration password is ever forgotten, the UltraConsole switch has a special “Password” reset jumper on the CPU card. This jumper is labeled JP31 on all models. To use this jumper to bypass the password, perform the following: 1. Turn off the UltraConsole switch and remove the top cover. 2. Install a jumper on JP31 to short the two terminals. The login requirement will be bypassed and you will be granted access.
Diagnostic Description Kernel version Overlay version Indicates the version ID of the kernel program. Indicates the version ID of the firmware of the on-screen display board. Kernel program Reports the checksum calculation results of the kernel program. Any results other than GOOD terminates the diagnostic sequence, indicating a hardware failure. Static ram Reports the results of the static memory check. Any results other than GOOD terminates the diagnostic sequence, indicating a hardware failure.
Kernel halt error messages Message Description BAD Address = nn Kernel memory is corrupt, hardware failure. Resetting to factory A memory error is detected during a read defaults from configuration memory. This also indicates a hardware failure, but the system may continue to initialize successfully. The configuration from another Unit should be saved to this Unit as soon as possible. Unit Halted A major error has forced the kernel to stop processing.
Appendix I. Video distance table The limitation on driving distance is usually due to the quality of the video. The table below shows the distances, resolution and quality of video that can be expected. Letters shows the cable type, and a number that refers to the quality of the video, as described below. Rose Electronics does not recommend systems where the video quality is 1 or 2. There are further capabilities, not listed here, that will send the higher resolution video longer distances.
Appendix J. Rack mount The UltraConsole can be mounted in a rack using the Rackmount kits from Rose Electronics. The optional rack mount kit includes the following items: Two black anodized mounting brackets. Four 6-32 x 3/8” flat head mounting screws. To rack mount your UltraConsole, attach the two rack mounting brackets to your unit with the short flange against the unit using the four screws provided. Secure the mounting brackets to the rack using the appropriate size bolts, nuts and lock washers.
10707 Stancliff Road Houston, Texas 77099 Phone: (281) 933-7673 WWW.ROSE.