SEALEVEL 7804 Rev A PCI 8-Port Multi Interface Card User Manual

SEALEVEL 7804 Rev A PCI 8-Port Multi Interface

Card

Overview

• The Sealevel ULTRA COMM+8.PCI is an eight-channel RS-232/485/422 PCI Bus serial I/O adapter supporting data rates up to 921.6Kbps.
• The RS-232 compatibility allows for connection to devices utilizing the RS-232 electrical interface, such as modems, data-entry terminals, and plotters.
• RS-422 provides excellent communications for long-distance device connections up to 4000ft., where noise immunity and high data integrity are essential.
• RS-485 is optimized for ‘Multi-Drop’ or ‘Party-line’ operations selecting data from multiple peripherals (as many as 31 devices can be connected on an RS-485 bus).
• In both RS-485 and RS-422 modes, the card works seamlessly with the standard operating system serial driver. In RS-485 mode, our special auto-enable feature allows the RS-485 ports to be viewed by the operating system as a COM: port. This allows the standard COM: driver to be utilized for RS-485 communications. Our onboard hardware automatically handles the RS-485 driver enable.
• The ULTRA COMM+8.PCI also features Universal Bus (3.3 and 5.0V) operation.

Before You Get Started

What’s Included
The ULTRA COMM+8.PCI is shipped with the following items. If any of these items is missing or damaged, contact the supplier.

• ULTRA COMM+8.PCI Serial I/O Adapter
• CA145 DB78 Male to (8) DB9 Male, 36 inch Length (for 7804, 7801, 3420)

Advisory Conventions

• Warning
  The highest level of importance used to stress a condition where damage could result to the product, or the user could suffer serious injury.

• Important
  The middle level of importance used to highlight information that might not seem obvious or a situation that could cause the product to fail.

• Note
  The lowest level of importance used to provide background information, additional tips, or other non-critical facts that will not affect the use of the product.

Card Setup

Address and IRQ selection
The ULTRA COMM+8.PCI is automatically assigned I/O addresses and IRQs by your motherboard BIOS or by a ‘Plug-n-Play’ Operating System. Adding or removing other hardware or moving the adapter to another slot may change the assignment of I/O addresses and IRQs.

Clock Modes
The Ultra COMM+8.PCI employs a unique clocking option that allows the end user to select from divide by 8 and divide by 1 clocking modes. This mode is selected at S9.
To select the Baud rates commonly associated with COM: ports (i.e., 2400, 4800, 9600, 19.2,…115.2K Bps) place the switch to the divide by 8 (Silkscreen – D8). In this mode the standard 14.7456 MHz oscillator is divided by 8 resulting in 1.8432Mhz, which provides standard COM: port frequencies.
To select the higher data rates, place the switch to the divide by 1 (Silkscreen – D1). In this position all data rates are 8 times the configured rate.

Baud Rates and Oscillator value
The following table shows some common data rates and the rates you should choose to achieve them when using the ULTRA COMM+8.PCI in the D1 mode. If the O/S of choice is Windows 95/98/ME/2000/NT/XP, the oscillator value (14.7456 MHz) should entered into the ‘Advanced Tab’ on 95/98/Me/2000/XP Device Manager applet. When using Windows NT, the ‘Advanced Ports’ applet in the Control Panel should be launched and the oscillator value may be entered in the ‘Advanced’ tab. When using any other OS (i.e., Linux, or QNX) the following tables should be used.

If your communications package allows the use of Baud rate divisors, choose the appropriate divisor from the following table:

Electrical Interface Selection
Each of the eight ports on the ULTRACOMM+8.PCI can be individually configured as an RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 interface. This is selectable via the port DIP-switch, each is labeled with its port number (i.e., S1 = Port1, S2 = Port2 etc.)

Line Termination
Typically, each end of the RS-485 bus must have line-terminating resistors (RS-422 terminates at the receiving end only). A 120-ohm resistor is across each RS-422/485 input in addition to a 1K-ohm pull-up/pull-down combination that biases the receiver inputs. Switch SW1 allows customization of this interface to specific requirements. Each switch position corresponds to a specific portion of the interface. If multiple ULTRA COMM+8.PCI adapters are configured in an RS-485 network, only the boards on each end should have switches T, P & P ON. Refer to the following table for each position’s operation:

receiver circuit
5| PD| Adds or removes the 1K ohm pull-down resistor in the RS-422/RS-485 receiver circuit
6| L| Connects the TX- to RX- for RS-485 two-wire operation.
7| L| Connects the TX+ to RX+ for RS-485 two-wire operation.

RS-485 ‘Echo’
The RS-485 ‘Echo’ is the result of connecting the receiver inputs to the transmitter outputs. Every time a character is transmitted; it is also received. This can be beneficial if the software can handle echoing (i.e., using received characters to throttle the transmitter) or it can confuse the system if the software does not. An RS-485 ‘No Echo’ option is selected by placing both Mode switches (M0, M1) in the ‘On’ position.

Installation

SeaCOM Software Installation
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista™ Operating Systems

NOTE:
Do not install the Adapter in the machine until the software has been fully installed.

1. Begin by locating, selecting, and installing the correct software from the Sealevel software driver database.
2. Select the Part Number (7804) for your device from the listing.
3. Click the ‘Download Now’ button ‘SeaCOM for Windows V3.75.’
4. The setup file will automatically detect the operating environment and install the proper components.

NOTE:

• To confirm that the SeaCOM driver has been successfully installed, click on the ‘Start’ button, and then select ‘All Programs. You should see the ‘SeaCOM’ program folder listed.
• You are now ready to proceed with connecting the 7804 to your system. Refer to the Hardware Installation section for details.

Other Operating Systems

LINUX INSTALLATION
Refer to the Driver Search Page for Part #7804 or the Linux Archives – Sealevel. This link contains valuable information on installing your serial adapter in the various Linux releases. Also included is a series of files explaining proper Linux syntax and typical Linux serial implementations.

QNX
For the most up-to-date information on the QNX4 and QNX6 software support, please call Sealevel Systems’ Technical Support, 864-843-4343. Our technical support is free and available from 8:00AM-5PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. For email support contact: support@sealevel.com.

Hardware Installation

The adapter can be installed in any PCI (5V or 3.3 V) expansion slot.

1. Turn off PC power. Disconnect the power cord.
2. Remove the PC case cover.
3. Locate an available PCI slot and remove the blank metal slot cover.
4. Gently insert the PCI adapter into the slot. Make sure that the adapter is seated properly.
5. Replace the screw. (This is required to ensure FCC Part 15 compliance.)
6. Replace the cover.
7. Install the cable (CA-199).
8. Connect the power cord.

Installation is complete.

Technical Description

The ULTRA COMM+8.PCI provides eight RS-232/422/485 ports from a single PCI slot. The ULTRA COMM+8.PCI also features Universal Bus (3.3 and 5.0V) operation. The ULTRA COMM+8.PCI utilizes the 16C864 UART. This chip features programmable baud rates, data format, interrupt control and industry-leading 128-byte transmit and receive FIFOs.

RS-422/485 (CA-145 DB-9) Connector Pin Assignments

RS-232 (CA-145 DB-9) Connector Pin Assignments

RS-232/422/485 (DB-78)

| Port #| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
RS-422/485| RS-232| | | | | | | |
TX-| TD| 36| 12| 27| 3| 75| 51| 66| 42
RX-| RD| 37| 11| 28| 2| 76| 50| 67| 41
RTS-| RTS| 17| 31| 8| 22| 56| 70| 47| 61
CTS-| CTS| 16| 32| 7| 23| 55| 71| 46| 62
TX+| DTR| 35| 13| 26| 4| 74| 52| 65| 43
RTS+| DSR| 18| 30| 9| 21| 57| 69| 48| 60
RX+| DCD| 38| 10| 29| 1| 77| 49| 68| 40
CTS+| RI| 15| 33| 6| 24| 54| 72| 45| 63
GND| GND| 34| 14| 25| 5| 73| 53| 64| 44

WARNING:

• The RTS output is only available in RS-232 and RS-422 modes. The RTS output is tri-stated in RS-485 mode and therefore unusable. The CTS input is available in all modes.
• Please terminate any control signals that are not going to be used. The most common way to do this is connect RTS to CTS and RI. Also, connect DCD to DTR and DSR. Terminating these pins, if not used, will help ensure you get the best performance from your adapter.

Specifications

Environmental Specifications

221º F)
Humidity Range| 10 to 90% R.H. Non-Condensing| 10 to 90% R.H. Non- Condensing

Manufacturing
All Sealevel Systems Printed Circuit boards are built to UL 94V0 rating and are 100% electrically tested. These printed circuit boards are solder mask over bare copper or solder mask over tin nickel.

Power Consumption

Physical Dimensions

Appendix A – Troubleshooting

Sealevel Software is supplied with the Sealevel Systems adapter and will be used in the troubleshooting procedures. By using this software and following these simple steps, most common problems can be eliminated without the need to call Technical Support.

1. Identify all I/O adapters currently installed in your system. This includes your onboard serial ports, controller cards, sound cards etc. The I/O addresses used by these adapters, as well as the IRQ (if any) should be identified.
2. Configure your Sealevel Systems adapter so that there is no conflict with currently installed adapters. No two adapters can occupy the same I/O address.
3. Make sure the Sealevel Systems adapter is using a unique IRQ. While the Sealevel Systems adapter does allow the sharing of IRQs, many other adapters (i.e., SCSI adapters & onboard serial ports) do not. The IRQ is typically selected by the BIOS or operating system. Some BIOS setup software will allow changing the IRQ, but others do not. Another method of changing assigned resources is to try changing PCI slots. This will typically cause the BIOS or OS to reassign the resources.
4. Make sure the Sealevel Systems adapter is securely installed in a motherboard slot.
5. When running DOS or Windows 3.x refer to the supplied Sealevel Software and this User Manual to verify that the Sealevel Systems adapter is configured correctly. This software contains a diagnostic program ‘SSD’ that will verify if an adapter is configured properly. This diagnostic program is written with the user in mind and is easy to use.
6. For Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000, the diagnostic tool ‘WinSSD’ is installed in the SeaCOM folder on the Start Menu during the setup process. First find the ports using the Device Manager, then use ‘WinSSD’ to verify that the ports are functional.
7. Always use the Sealevel Systems diagnostic software when troubleshooting a problem. This will eliminate any software issues from the equation.

Appendix B – How To Get Assistance

Please refer to Appendix A – Troubleshooting prior to calling Technical Support.

1. Read this manual thoroughly before attempting to install the adapter in your system.
2. When calling for technical assistance, please have your user manual and current adapter settings. If possible, please have the adapter installed in a computer ready to run diagnostics.
3. Sealevel Systems provides an FAQ section on its website. Please refer to this to answer many common questions. This section can be found at http://www.sealevel.com/faq.asp.
4. Sealevel Systems maintains a Home page on the Internet. Our home page address is www.sealevel.com. The latest software updates, and newest manuals are available via our FTP site that can be accessed from our home page.
5. Technical support is available Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time. Technical support can be reached at 864-843-4343.

RETURN AUTHORIZATION MUST BE OBTAINED FROM SEALEVEL SYSTEMS BEFORE RETURNED MERCHANDISE WILL BE ACCEPTED. AUTHORIZATION CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING SEALEVEL SYSTEMS AND REQUESTING A RETURN MERCHANDISE AUTHORIZATION (RMA) NUMBER.

Appendix C – Electrical Interface

RS-232
Quite possibly the most widely used communication standard is RS-232. This implementation has been defined and revised several times and is often referred to as RS-232-C/D/E or EIA/TIA-232-C/D/E. It is defined as the “Interface between Data Terminal Equipment and Data Circuit- Terminating Equipment Employing Serial Binary Data Interchange”. The mechanical implementation of RS-232 is on a 25-pin D sub connector. The IBM PC computer defined the RS-232 port on a 9-pin D sub connector and subsequently, the EIA/TIA approved this implementation as the EIA/TIA-574 standard. This standard has defined as the “9-Position Non-Synchronous Interface between Data Terminal Equipment and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment Employing Serial Binary Data Interchange”. Both implementations are in widespread use and will be referred to as RS-232 in this document. RS-232 is capable of operating at data rates up to 20K bps / 50 ft. The absolute maximum data rate may vary due to line conditions and cable lengths. RS-232 often operates at 38.4K bps over very short distances. The voltage levels defined by RS-232 range from -12 to +12 volts. RS-232 is a single-ended or unbalanced interface, meaning that a single electrical signal is compared to a common signal (ground) to determine binary logic states. A voltage of +12 volts (usually +3 to +10 volts) represents a binary 0 (space) and -12 volts (-3 to -10 volts) denote a binary 1 (mark). The RS-232 and the EIA/TIA-574 specification define two types of interface circuits Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment (DCE). The Sealevel Systems Adapter is a DTE interface.

RS-422
The RS-422 specification defines the electrical characteristics of balanced voltage digital interface circuits. RS-422 is a differential interface that defines voltage levels and driver/receiver electrical specifications. On a differential interface, logic levels are defined by the difference in voltage between a pair of outputs or inputs. In contrast, a single ended interface, for example RS-232, defines the logic levels as the difference in voltage between a single signal and a common ground connection. Differential interfaces are typically more immune to noise or voltage spikes that may occur on the communication lines. Differential interfaces also have greater drive capabilities that allow for longer cable lengths. RS-422 is rated up to 10 Megabits per second and can have cabling 4000 feet long. RS-422 also defines driver and receiver electrical characteristics that will allow 1 driver and up to 32 receivers on the line at once. RS-422 signal levels range from 0 to +5 volts. RS-422 does not define a physical connector.

RS-485
RS-485 is backwardly compatible with RS-422; however, it is optimized for party line or multi-drop applications. The output of the RS-422/485 driver is capable of being active (enabled) or Tri-State (disabled). This capability allows multiple ports to be connected in a multi-drop bus and selectively polled. RS-485 allows cable lengths up to 4000 feet and data rates up to 10 Megabits per second. The signal levels for RS-485 are the same as those defined by RS-422. RS-485 has electrical characteristics that allow for 32 drivers and 32 receivers to be connected to one line. This interface is ideal for multi-drop or network environments. RS-485 tri-state driver (not dual- state) will allow the electrical presence of the driver to be removed from the line. Only one driver may be active at a time and the other driver(s) must be tri-stated. RS-485 can be cabled in two ways, two-wire and four-wire mode. Two-wire mode does not allow for full duplex communication and requires that data be transferred in only one direction at a time. For half-duplex operation, the two transmit pins should be connected to the two receive pins (Tx+ to Rx+ and Tx- to Rx-). Four-wire mode allows full duplex data transfers. RS-485 does not define a connector pin-out or a set of modem control signals. RS-485 does not define a physical connector.

Appendix D – Asynchronous Communications

Serial data communications imply that individual bits of a character are transmitted consecutively to a receiver that assembles the bits back into a character. Data rate, error checking, handshaking, and character framing (start/stop bits) are pre-defined and must correspond at both the transmitting and receiving ends. Asynchronous communications is the standard means of serial data communication for PC compatibles and PS/2 computers. The original PC was equipped with communication or COM: port that was designed around an 8250 Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART). This device allows asynchronous serial data to be transferred through a simple and straightforward programming interface. A start bit, followed by a predefined number of data bits (5, 6, 7, or 8) defines character boundaries for asynchronous communications. The end of the character is defined by the transmission of a pre-defined number of stop bits (usually 1, 1.5 or 2). An extra bit used for error detection is often appended before the stop bits.

This special bit is called the parity bit. Parity is a simple method of determining if a data bit has been lost or corrupted during transmission. There are several methods for implementing a parity check to guard against data corruption. Common methods are called (E)ven Parity or (O)dd Parity. Sometimes parity is not used to detect errors on the data stream. This is referred to as (N)o parity. Because each bit in asynchronous communications is sent consecutively, it is easy to generalize asynchronous communications by stating that each character is wrapped (framed) by pre-defined bits to mark the beginning and end of the serial transmission of the character. The data rate and communication parameters for asynchronous communications have to be the same at both the transmitting and receiving ends. The communication parameters are baud rate, parity, number of data bits per character, and stop bits (i.e., 9600, N,8,1).

Appendix E – Silk Screen

Appendix F – Compliance Notices

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for 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. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in such case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

EMC Directive Statement
Products bearing the CE Label fulfill the requirements of the EMC directive (89/336/EEC) and of the low-voltage directive (73/23/EEC) issued by the European Commission. To obey these directives, the following European standards must be met:

• EN55022 Class A – “Limits and methods of measurement of radio interference characteristics of information technology equipment”
• EN55024 – “Information technology equipment Immunity characteristics Limits and methods of measurement”.

WARNING:

• Always use cabling provided with this product if possible. If no cable is provided or if an alternate cable is required, use high-quality shielded cabling to maintain compliance with FCC/EMC directives.
• This is a Class A Product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

Warranty

Sealevel’s commitment to providing the best I/O solutions is reflected in the Lifetime Warranty that is standard on all Sealevel-manufactured I/O products. We are able to offer this warranty due to our control of manufacturing quality and the historically high reliability of our products in the field. Sealevel products are designed and manufactured at its Liberty, South Carolina facility, allowing direct control over product development, production, burn- in and testing. Sealevel achieved ISO-9001:2015 certification in 2018.

Warranty Policy
Sealevel Systems, Inc. (hereafter “Sealevel”) warrants that the Product shall conform to and perform in accordance with published technical specifications and shall be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the warranty period. In the event of failure, Sealevel will repair or replace the product at Sealevel’s sole discretion. Failures resulting from misapplication or misuse of the Product, failure to adhere to any specifications or instructions, or failure resulting from neglect, abuse, accidents, or acts of nature are not covered under this warranty.
Warranty service may be obtained by delivering the Product to Sealevel and providing proof of purchase. Customer agrees to insure the Product or assume the risk of loss or damage in transit, to prepay shipping charges to Sealevel, and to use the original shipping container or equivalent. The warranty is valid only for original purchaser and is not transferable.
This warranty applies to Sealevel manufactured Products. Products purchased through Sealevel but manufactured by a third party will retain the original manufacturer’s warranty.

Non-Warranty Repair/Retest
Products returned due to damage or misuse and Products retested with no problem found are subject to repair/retest charges. A purchase order or credit card number and authorization must be provided in order to obtain an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number prior to returning Product.

How to obtain an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization)
If you need to return a product for warranty or non-warranty repair, you must first obtain an RMA number. Please contact Sealevel Systems, Inc. Technical Support for assistance:

• Available Monday – Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM EST
• Phone 864-843-4343
• Email support@sealevel.com

Trademarks
Sealevel Systems, Incorporated acknowledges that all trademarks referenced in this manual are the service mark, trademark, or registered trademark of the respective company. ULTRA COMM+8.PCI is a trademark of Sealevel Systems, Incorporated.

References

• FAQs - Sealevel
• Sealevel - I/O & Computing Products, Engineering and Manufacturing
• Linux - Sealevel
• Software Driver Search - Sealevel

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)  >>

Download This Manual (PDF format)

Download this manual  >>