IBM Network Card LPCI COM232 4 User Manual

10623 Roselle Street, San Diego, CA 92121  
(858) 550-9559  
FAX (858) 550-7322  
MODEL LPCI-COM-8SM  
LPCI-COM-4SM  
LPCI-COM232-8  
LPCI-COM232-4  
USER MANUAL  
FILE: MLPCI-COM-8SM.B1f  
 
Notice  
The information in this document is provided for reference only. ACCES does not assume any liability  
arising out of the application or use of the information or products described herein. This document may  
contain or reference information and products protected by copyrights or patents and does not convey  
any license under the patent rights of ACCES, nor the rights of others.  
IBM PC, PC/XT, and PC/AT are registered trademarks of the International Business Machines  
Corporation.  
Printed in USA. Copyright 2004, 2005 by ACCES I/O Products Inc, 10623 Roselle Street, San Diego, CA  
92121. All rights reserved.  
WARNING!!  
ALWAYS CONNECT AND DISCONNECT YOUR FIELD CABLING WITH  
THE COMPUTER POWER OFF. ALWAYS TURN COMPUTER POWER  
OFF BEFORE INSTALLING A CARD. CONNECTING AND  
DISCONNECTING CABLES, OR INSTALLING CARDS INTO A SYSTEM  
WITH THE COMPUTER OR FIELD POWER ON MAY CAUSE DAMAGE  
TO THE I/O CARD AND WILL VOID ALL WARRANTIES, IMPLIED OR  
EXPRESSED.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
3
 
Warranty  
Prior to shipment, ACCES equipment is thoroughly inspected and tested to applicable specifications.  
However, should equipment failure occur, ACCES assures its customers that prompt service and support  
will be available. All equipment originally manufactured by ACCES which is found to be defective will be  
repaired or replaced subject to the following considerations.  
Terms and Conditions  
If a unit is suspected of failure, contact ACCES' Customer Service department. Be prepared to give the  
unit model number, serial number, and a description of the failure symptom(s). We may suggest some  
simple tests to confirm the failure. We will assign a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number which  
must appear on the outer label of the return package. All units/components should be properly packed for  
handling and returned with freight prepaid to the ACCES designated Service Center, and will be returned  
to the customer's/user's site freight prepaid and invoiced.  
Coverage  
First Three Years: Returned unit/part will be repaired and/or replaced at ACCES option with no charge for  
labor or parts not excluded by warranty. Warranty commences with equipment shipment.  
Following Years: Throughout your equipment's lifetime, ACCES stands ready to provide on-site or in-plant  
service at reasonable rates similar to those of other manufacturers in the industry.  
Equipment Not Manufactured by ACCES  
Equipment provided but not manufactured by ACCES is warranted and will be repaired according to the  
terms and conditions of the respective equipment manufacturer's warranty.  
General  
Under this Warranty, liability of ACCES is limited to replacing, repairing or issuing credit (at ACCES  
discretion) for any products which are proved to be defective during the warranty period. In no case is  
ACCES liable for consequential or special damage arriving from use or misuse of our product. The  
customer is responsible for all charges caused by modifications or additions to ACCES equipment not  
approved in writing by ACCES or, if in ACCES opinion the equipment has been subjected to abnormal  
use. "Abnormal use" for purposes of this warranty is defined as any use to which the equipment is  
exposed other than that use specified or intended as evidenced by purchase or sales representation.  
Other than the above, no other warranty, expressed or implied, shall apply to any and all such equipment  
furnished or sold by ACCES.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
4
 
Table of Contents  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
5
 
Chapter 1: Introduction  
This serial interface card was designed for effective multipoint transmission in any one of three modes on  
each channel. These modes are RS232, RS422 and RS485 (EIA485) protocol.  
The RS485 mode may be run in three manners. It may be run as a standard RTS controlled channel, an  
“Auto RTS (referred to by some as Auto RS485)” mode or as a “4 wire RS485 mode channel.  
The card is 6.60 inches long and may be installed in 3.3 or 5-volt PCI-bus slots of IBM PC or compatible  
computers. The card features eight independent, asynchronous serial ports, type 16788 buffered UARTs.  
This series of cards are available in 4-port and RS-232 only versions.  
RS422 Balanced Mode Operation  
The card supports RS422 communications and uses differential balanced drivers for long range and  
noise immunity. The card also has the capability to add load resistors to terminate the communications  
lines. RS422 communications requires that a transmitter supply a bias voltage to ensure a known "zero"  
state. Also, receiver inputs at each end of the network should be terminated to eliminate "ringing". The  
card supports biasing by default and supports termination by jumpers on the card. If your application  
requires the transmitter to be un-biased, please contact the factory.  
RS485 Balanced Mode Operation  
The card supports RS485 communications and uses differential balanced drivers for long range and  
noise immunity. RS485 operation involves switchable transceivers and the ability to support multiple  
devices on a single "party line". The RS485 specification defines a maximum of 32 devices on a single  
line. The number of devices served on a single line can be expanded by use of "repeaters".  
The card also has the capability to add load resistors to terminate the communications lines. RS485  
communications requires that one transmitter supply a bias voltage to ensure a known "zero" state when  
all transmitters are off. Also, receiver inputs at each end of the network should be terminated to eliminate  
"ringing". The card supports biasing by default and supports termination by jumpers on the card. If your  
application requires the transmitter to be un-biased, please contact the factory.  
COM Port Compatibility  
Eight Type 16550 compatible UARTs incorporated within a single octal UART are used as Asynchronous  
Communication Elements (ACE). These include 64-byte transmit & receive buffers to protect against lost  
data in multitasking operating systems, while maintaining 100 percent compatibility with the original IBM  
serial port. The system assigns the address(es).  
A crystal oscillator is located on the card. This oscillator permits precise selection of baud rate up to  
115,200 or, by changing a jumper, up to 921,600 with the standard crystal oscillator.  
The driver/receiver used, the SP841 in non-RS232 modes, is capable of driving extremely long  
communication lines at high baud rates. It can drive up to +60 mA on balanced lines and receive inputs  
as low as 200 mV differential signal superimposed on common mode noise of +12 V or -7 V. In case of  
communication conflict, the driver/receivers feature thermal shutdown.  
The driver/receiver used in RS232 mode is the SP211.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
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Communication Mode  
The card supports Half-Duplex communications with a 2-wire cable connection. Half-Duplex allows traffic  
to travel in both directions, but only one way at a time. RS485 communications commonly use the Half-  
Duplex mode since they share only a single pair of wires.  
Baud Rate Ranges  
The card has capability for two baud rate ranges and you can select which you wish to use for all ports on  
the card. One range is up to 115,200 baud and the other is up to 921,600 baud.  
Note  
Refer to Table 5-1, Baud Rate Divisor Values in chapter 5 of the manual.  
Auto-RTS Transceiver Control  
In RS485 communications, the driver must be enabled and disabled as needed, allowing all cards to  
share a two wire cable. The card controls the driver automatically. With automatic control, the driver is  
enabled when data is ready to be transmitted.  
With this card, the driver remains enabled for an adjustable period. It may be disabled at the completion  
of the transmission of the character (default), or can be set to wait up to one additional character's  
transmission time after data transfer is complete and then disabled.  
The receiver is, therefore, normally enabled, then disabled during RS485 transmissions, and then re-  
enabled after transmission is completed (adjustable from zero to plus one character transmission time).  
The card automatically adjusts it's timing to the baud rate of the data. (NOTE: Thanks to the automatic  
control feature, the card is ideal for use in Windows applications)  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
7
 
Specifications  
Communications Interface  
I/O Connection:  
Serial Ports:  
68 Pin HVDCI SCSI style -Connector  
Eight cable terminated shielded male D-sub 9-pin  
connectors with standard IBM AT connectors compatible  
with RS485 specifications  
Character length:  
Parity:  
5, 6, 7, or 8 bits.  
Even, odd or none.  
Stop Interval:  
Serial Data Rates:  
1, 1.5, or 2 bits.  
Up to 115,200 baud, Asynchronous, A faster range of  
rates, up to 921,600, is achieved by jumper selection on  
the card. Type 16788 buffered UART.  
Continuously mappable within 0000 to FFFF (hex) range  
of PCI bus addresses.  
Address:  
Receiver Input Sensitivity:  
Common Mode Rejection:  
+200 mV, differential input.  
+12V to -7V  
Transmitter Output Drive Capability:  
60 mA, with thermal shutdown.  
Environmental  
Operating Temperature Range: 0 °C. to +60 °C.  
Storage temperature Range:  
Humidity:  
-50 °C. to +120 °C.  
5% to 95%, non-condensing.  
Power Required:  
Size:  
+5VDC at 125 mA typical total power consumption.  
6.6 inches long (167.6 mm) by 2.2 inches high (55.8 mm).  
Note  
The 16750 compatible UART uses 64-byte first-in-first-out buffers which are programmed through  
commands sent to the FIFO control register.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
8
 
 
WITH  
AUTO-RTS  
CIRCUITRY  
Figure 1-1: Block Diagram (Only one serial channel shown)  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
9
 
 
Chapter 2: Installation  
A printed Quick-Start Guide (QSG) is packed with the card for your convenience. If you’ve already  
performed the steps from the QSG, you may find this chapter to be redundant and may skip forward to  
begin developing your application.  
The software provided with this card is on CD and must be installed onto your hard disk prior to use. To  
do this, perform the following steps as appropriate for your operating system.  
Configure Card Options via Jumper Selection  
Before installing the card into your computer, carefully read Chapter 3: Option Selection of this manual,  
then configure the card according to your requirements and protocol (RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, 4-wire  
485, etc.). Our Windows based setup program can be used in conjunction with Chapter 3 to assist in  
configuring jumpers on the card, as well as provide additional descriptions for usage of the various card  
options (such as termination, bias, baud rate range, RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, etc.).  
CD Software Installation  
The following instructions assume the CD-ROM drive is drive “D”. Please substitute the appropriate drive  
letter for your system as necessary.  
DOS  
1.  
Place the CD into your CD-ROM drive.  
2.  
Type Bꢀ- to change the active drive to the CD-ROM drive.  
3.  
4.  
Type GLQR?JJ- to run the install program.  
Follow the on-screen prompts to install the software for this board.  
WINDOWS  
1.  
2.  
Place the CD into your CD-ROM drive.  
The system should automatically run the install program. If the install program does not run  
promptly, click START | RUN and type BꢀGLQR?JJ, click OK or press -.  
3.  
Follow the on-screen prompts to install the software for this board.  
LINUX  
1.  
Please refer to linux.htm on the CD-ROM for information on installing under linux.  
Note: COM boards can be installed in virtually any operating system. We do support installation in earlier  
versions of Windows, and are very likely to support future versions as well.  
Caution! * ESDA single static discharge can damage your card and cause premature  
failure! Please follow all reasonable precautions to prevent a static  
discharge such as grounding yourself by touching any grounded  
surface prior to touching the card.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
10  
 
 
Hardware Installation  
1.  
Make sure to set switches and jumpers from either the Option Selection section of this manual or  
from the suggestions of SETUP.EXE.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  
Do not install card into the computer until the software has been fully installed.  
Turn OFF computer power AND unplug AC power from the system.  
Remove the computer cover.  
Carefully install the card in an available 5V or 3.3V PCI expansion slot (you may need to remove  
a backplate first).  
6.  
Inspect for proper fit of the card and tighten screws. Make sure that the card mounting bracket is  
properly screwed into place and that there is a positive chassis ground.  
Install an I/O cable onto the card’s bracket mounted connector.  
Replace the computer cover and turn ON the computer. Enter the CMOS setup program of your  
system and verify that the PCI plug-and-play option is set appropriately for your system. Systems  
running Windows 95/98/2000/XP/2003 (or any other PNP-compliant operating system) should set  
the CMOS option to OS. Systems running under DOS, Windows NT, Windows 3.1, or any other  
non-PNP-compliant operating system should set the PNP CMOS option to BIOS or Motherboard.  
Save the option and continue booting the system.  
7.  
8.  
9.  
Most computers should auto-detect the card (depending on the operating system) and  
automatically finish installing the drivers.  
10.  
11.  
Run PCIfind.exe to complete installing the card into the registry (for Windows only) and to  
determine the assigned resources.  
Run one of the provided sample programs that was copied to the newly created card directory  
(from the CD) to test and validate your installation.  
The base address assigned by BIOS or the operating system can change each time new hardware is  
installed into or removed from the computer. Please recheck PCIFind or Device Manager if the hardware  
configuration is changed. Software you write can automatically determine the base address of the card  
using a variety of methods depending on the operating system. In DOS, the PCI\SOURCE directory  
shows the BIOS calls used to determine the address and IRQ assigned to installed PCI devices. In  
Windows, the Windows sample programs demonstrate querying the registry entries (created by PCIFind  
and NTIOPCI.SYS during boot-up) to determine this same information.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
11  
 
Chapter 3: Option Selection  
To help you locate the jumpers described in this section, refer to the Option Selection Map at the end of  
this section. Operation of the serial communications section is determined by jumper installation as  
described in the following paragraphs.  
For the convenience of the user, instructions for the placement of the jumpers is also silk screened on the  
back of the card.  
Terminations  
A transmission line should be terminated at the receiving end in its characteristic impedance. Installing a  
jumper at the locations labeled LDxO applies a 120load across the transmit/receive input/output for  
RS485 operation.  
Jumpers having to do with the termination of each channel are located near the output connector. They  
are labeled by channel. The load jumper is labeled “LD”. The other two jumpers are used to connect the  
transmit and receive lines for the two wire RS485 mode.  
Tx+/Rx+  
LD  
120  
0.01  
μF  
Tx-/Rx-  
Figure 3-1: Simplified Termination Schematic  
In RS485 operations where there are multiple terminals, only the RS485 ports at each end of the network  
should have terminating impedance as described above. To so terminate the COM A port, place a jumper  
at the location labeled Ch A -LD. To terminate the COM B, COM C, COM D, COM E, COM F and COM H  
ports, place jumpers at locations labeled Ch B - LD, Ch C - LD, Ch D - LD, Ch E - LD, Ch F - LD, Ch G -  
LD and Ch H - LD respectively.  
Also, for RS485 operation, there must be a bias on the TRX+ and TRX- lines. If the card is not to provide  
that bias, contact the factory technical support.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
12  
 
 
Data Cable Wiring  
RS-485 SignalPin Connection  
Ain/out+  
Ain/out-  
100 to Ground  
2
3
5
Baud Rate Ranges  
The jumper labeled CLK X8 provides a means to select baud rates in a higher range. When a jumper is  
not placed on the out the CLK X8 position, the baud rate range is up to 115,200 baud. When it is in the  
CLK X8 position, the baud rate range is up to 921,600 baud.  
Interrupts  
Please note that, in WindowsNT, changes must be made to the system registry to support IRQ sharing.  
The following is excerpted from "Controlling Multiport Serial I/O Cards" provided by Microsoft in the  
MSDN library, documentid:mk:@ivt:nt40res/D15/S55FC.HTM, also available in the WindowsNT Resource  
Kit.  
The Microsoft serial driver can be used to control many dumb multiport serial cards. Dumb indicates that  
the control includes no on-board processor. Each port of a multiport card has a separate subkey under  
the HKLM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Serial subkey in the registry. In each of these subkeys, you must  
add values for DosDevices, Interrupt, InterruptStatus, PortAddress, and PortIndex because these are  
not detected by the Hardware Recognizer. (For descriptions and ranges for these values, see  
Regentry.hlp, the Registry help file on the WindowsNT Workstation Resource Kit CD.)  
For example, if you have an eight-port card configured to use address 0xFC00 with an interrupt of 05, the  
values in the Registry are:  
Serial2 subkey:  
Serial6 subkey:  
PortAddress = REG_DWORD 0xFC00  
Interrupt = REG_DWORD 5  
DosDevices = REG_SZ COM3  
InterruptStatus = REG_DWORD 0xFC40  
PortIndex = REG_DWORD 1  
Indexed = REG_DWORD 0  
PortAddress = REG_DWORD 0xFC20  
Interrupt = REG_DWORD 5  
DosDevices = REG_SZ COM7  
InterruptStatus = REG_DWORD 0xFC40  
PortIndex = REG_DWORD 5  
Indexed = REG_DWORD 0  
Serial3 subkey:  
Serial7 subkey:  
PortAddress = REG_DWORD 0xFC08  
Interrupt = REG_DWORD 5  
DosDevices = REG_SZ COM4  
InterruptStatus = REG_DWORD 0xFC40  
PortIndex = REG_DWORD 2  
Indexed = REG_DWORD 0  
PortAddress = REG_DWORD 0xFC28  
Interrupt = REG_DWORD 5  
DosDevices = REG_SZ COM8  
InterruptStatus = REG_DWORD 0xFC40  
PortIndex = REG_DWORD 6  
Indexed = REG_DWORD 0  
Serial4 subkey:  
Serial8 subkey:  
PortAddress = REG_DWORD 0xFC10  
Interrupt = REG_DWORD 5  
DosDevices = REG_SZ COM5  
InterruptStatus = REG_DWORD 0xFC40  
PortIndex = REG_DWORD 3  
Indexed = REG_DWORD 0  
PortAddress = REG_DWORD 0xFC30  
Interrupt = REG_DWORD 5  
DosDevices = REG_SZ COM9  
InterruptStatus = REG_DWORD 0xFC40  
PortIndex = REG_DWORD 7  
Indexed = REG_DWORD 0  
Serial5 subkey:  
Serial9 subkey:  
PortAddress = REG_DWORD 0xFC18  
Interrupt = REG_DWORD 5  
DosDevices = REG_SZ COM6  
InterruptStatus = REG_DWORD 0xFC40  
PortIndex = REG_DWORD 4  
Indexed = REG_DWORD 0  
PortAddress = REG_DWORD 0xFC38  
Interrupt = REG_DWORD 5  
DosDevices = REG_SZ COM10  
InterruptStatus = REG_DWORD 0xFC40  
PortIndex = REG_DWORD 8  
Indexed = REG_DWORD 0  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
13  
 
6.60"  
H
G
F
E
D
C
B
A
PORT  
CONFIG  
BAUD x8  
PORT  
CONFIG  
H
G
F
D
C
B
A
E
Figure 3-2: Option Selection Map  
The card has 8 separate channels which can be individually configured. Each channel can be used in:  
1) RS485 (2 wire mode) - This mode may use “Auto RTS”  
2) RS422  
3) RS232  
4) RS485 (4 wire mode)  
The jumpers on the card must be properly placed in order to have the card function properly.  
In order to select the basic mode for a channel, the M1 and M2 jumpers be properly placed. (These  
jumpers are located at the end of the card away from the cable connector).  
Mode  
M1  
M2  
RS485 (2 Wire Mode) IN OUT  
RS485 (4 Wire Mode) OUT IN  
RS422  
RS232  
IN  
IN  
OUT OUT  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
14  
 
 
Other jumpers:  
1) RS 485 (2 wire mode) - Two jumpers must be installed for each channel in this mode in order to  
connect the output and input lines. These jumpers are located near the cable connector and are labeled  
with the channel letter and “485.”  
2) RS 485 (2 wire mode) using “Auto RTS” - One jumper must be installed for each channel in this mode.  
This jumper is located at the end of the card away from the cable connector, adjacent to the “M” jumpers  
and are labeled with the channel letter and “A8".  
3) RS 485 or RS 422 Loads - One jumper must be installed for each channel which requires a load. This  
jumper is located at the cable connector end of the card and is labeled with the channel letter and “LD.”  
Notes:  
1) Any unneeded jumpers that are installed can cause the card to function incorrectly.  
2) If the “Auto RTS” jumpers are changed, the card should be rebooted or reset. This is required because  
the status of the jumpers is read when the card is reset and is used to program the Auto RTS function into  
the appropriate channel(s) of the UART. If the state of this jumper is changed, the UART will not be  
properly programmed until the jumper has been reread. To do this, the card must be reset.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
15  
 
Chapter 4: Address Selection  
The card uses one address space. COM A, COM B, COM C, COM D, COM E, COM F, COM G and COM  
H each occupy eight consecutive register locations. The interrupt register which indicates which port or  
ports caused the interrupt is located at base address + 64.  
PCI architecture is Plug-and-Play. This means that the BIOS or Operating System determines the  
resources assigned to PCI cards rather than you selecting those resources with switches or jumpers. As a  
result, you cannot set or change the card's base address. You can only determine what the system has  
assigned.  
To determine the base address that has been assigned, run the PCIFind.EXE utility program provided.  
This utility will display a list of all of the cards detected on the PCI bus, the addresses assigned to each  
function on each of the cards, and the respective IRQs (if any) allotted.  
Alternatively, some operating systems (Windows 95/98/2000/XP) can be queried to determine which  
resources were assigned. In these operating systems, you can use the Device Manager utility from the  
System Applet of the control panel. The card is installed in the Data Acquisition class of the Device  
Manager list. Selecting the card, clicking Properties, and then selecting the Resources Tab will display a  
list of the resources allocated to the card.  
The PCI bus supports 64K of I/O space. Your card's addresses may be located anywhere in the 0000 to  
FFFF hex range.  
PCIFind uses the Vendor ID and Device ID to search for your card, then reads the base address and  
IRQ.  
If you want to determine the base address and IRQ yourself, use the following information.  
The Vendor ID for the card is 494F. (ASCII for "IO")  
The Device ID for the card is 10E8h.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
16  
 
 
Chapter 5: Programming  
Sample Programs  
There are sample programs provided with the card in C, Pascal, QuickBASIC, and several Windows  
languages. DOS samples are located in the DOS directory and Windows samples are located in the  
WIN32 directory.  
Windows Programming  
The card installs into Windows as COM ports. Thus the Windows standard API functions can be used. In  
particular:  
CreateFile() and CloseHandle() for opening and closing a port.  
SetupComm(), SetCommTimeouts(), GetCommState(), and SetCommState() to set and  
change a port’s settings.  
ReadFile() and WriteFile() for accessing a port.  
See the documentation for your chosen language for details.  
Under DOS, the process is identical to programming any 16550- or 16750-compatible UART.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
17  
 
 
Address Map  
The core of the UART function is supplied by the EXAR XR16L788 chip.  
This chip is 16550 and 16750 compatible, but has extra features that require communicating with an  
additional 8 registers per channel. For instance, it is necessary to set the “Auto RTS” function. (EXAR  
refers to this function as “Auto RS485" in their literature). The required writing to the UART is done  
automatically when the card is rebooted.  
In order to utilize standard software that communicates only with the first 8 registers of each channel,  
addresses are remapped on the card.  
The 8 UARTS occupy the first 64 addresses.  
The interrupt status register is located at base + 40h.  
Baud Rates  
On the card, the UART clock frequency is 1.8432 MHz. Below is a table of popular divisor frequencies.  
Baud Rate Divisor x1 Divisor x8  
Max Diff. Cable Length*  
250 ft  
550 ft  
1400 ft  
2500 ft  
3000 ft  
4000 ft  
4000 ft  
4000 ft  
921600  
460800  
230400  
153600  
115200  
57600  
38400  
28800  
19200  
14400  
9600  
-
-
-
-
1
2
3
4
6
8
12  
24  
48  
96  
1
2
4
6
8
16  
24  
32  
48  
64  
4000 ft  
4000 ft  
96 – Most Common 4000 ft  
4800  
2400  
1200  
192  
384  
768  
4000 ft  
4000 ft  
4000 ft  
*These are theoretical maximums based on typical conditions and good quality cables, based on the EIA  
485 and EIA 422 standard for balanced differential drivers.  
Table 5-1: Baud Rate Divisor Values  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
18  
 
 
Chapter 6: Connector Pin Assignments  
Input/Output Connections  
The card’s Serial Communications card uses eight individual 9-pin connectors, provided via a spider  
cable from a 68-pin HVDCI D-connector.  
To ensure that there is minimum susceptibility to EMI and minimum radiation, it is important that the card  
mounting bracket be properly screwed into place and that there be a positive chassis ground. Also,  
proper EMI cabling techniques (cable connect to chassis ground at the aperture, shielded twisted-pair  
wiring, etc) be used for the input/output wiring.  
DB-9 Male Pin for each of Ch A-G  
RS-232 Signals  
(Industry Standard)  
RS-485 Signals  
(2 Wire)  
RS-422 Signals  
(Also 4wire RS485)  
Ch x - 1  
Ch x - 2  
Ch x - 3  
Ch x - 4  
Ch x - 5  
Ch x - 6  
Ch x - 7  
Ch x - 8  
Ch x - 9  
DCD  
RX  
TX  
DTR  
Gnd  
DSR  
RTS  
CTS  
RI  
RX-/TX- 1  
RX-  
TX+  
TX-  
TX+/RX+ 1  
TX-/RX- 1  
Gnd  
Gnd  
RX+/TX+ 1  
RX+  
Table 6-1: Connector Pin Assignments  
1 RS485 (2 wire) requires the installation of jumpers on the card to properly connect these pins. When  
using the spider cable, the appropriate DB 9 connectors will have pin 1 connected to pin 3 and pin 2 is  
connected to pin 9.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
19  
 
 
Appendix A: Application Considerations  
Introduction  
Working with RS422 and RS485 devices is not much different from working with standard RS232 serial  
devices and these two standards overcome deficiencies in the RS232 standard. First, the cable length  
between two RS232 devices must be short; less than 50 feet at 9600 baud. Second, many RS232 errors  
are the result of noise induced on the cables. The RS422 standard permits cable lengths up to 5000 feet  
and, because it operates in the differential mode, it is more immune to induced noise.  
Connections between two RS422 devices (with CTS ignored) should be as follows:  
Device #1  
Signal  
Gnd  
Device #2  
Pin No. Signal  
Pin No.  
5
2
3
9
1
Gnd  
RX+  
RX-  
TX+  
TX-  
5
9
1
2
3
TX+  
TX-  
RX+  
RX-  
Table A-1: Connections Between Two RS422 Devices  
A third deficiency of RS232 is that more than two devices cannot share the same cable. This is also true  
for RS422 but RS485 offers all the benefits of RS422 plus allows up to 32 devices to share the same  
twisted pairs. An exception to the foregoing is that multiple RS422 devices can share a single cable if only  
one will talk and the others will all receive.  
Balanced Differential Signals  
The reason that RS422 and RS485 devices can drive longer lines with more noise immunity than RS232  
devices is that a balanced differential drive method is used. In a balanced differential system, the voltage  
produced by the driver appears across a pair of wires. A balanced line driver will produce a differential  
voltage from +2 to +6 volts across its output terminals. A balanced line driver can also have an input  
"enable" signal that connects the driver to its output terminals. If the "enable signal is OFF, the driver is  
disconnected from the transmission line. This disconnected or disabled condition is usually referred to as  
the "tristate" condition and represents a high impedance. RS485 drivers must have this control capability.  
RS422 drivers may have this control but it is not always required.  
A balanced differential line receiver senses the voltage state of the transmission line across the two signal  
input lines. If the differential input voltage is greater than +200 mV, the receiver will provide a specific  
logic state on its output. If the differential voltage input is less than -200 mV, the receiver will provide the  
opposite logic state on its output. A maximum operating voltage range is from +6V to -6V allows for  
voltage attenuation that can occur on long transmission cables.  
A maximum common mode voltage rating of +7V provides good noise immunity from voltages induced on  
the twisted pair lines. The signal ground line connection is necessary in order to keep the common mode  
voltage within that range. The circuit may operate without the ground connection but may not be reliable.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
20  
 
 
Parameter  
Conditions  
Min. Max.  
4V 6V  
-4V -6V  
LD and LDGND 2V  
jumpers in -2V  
Driver Output Voltage (unloaded)  
Driver Output Voltage (loaded)  
Driver Output Resistance  
50Ω  
Driver Output Short-Circuit Current  
Driver Output Rise Time  
+150 mA  
10% unit interval  
+200 mV  
+7V  
Receiver Sensitivity  
Receiver Common Mode Voltage Range  
Receiver Input Resistance  
4KΩ  
Table A-2: RS422 Specification Summary  
To prevent signal reflections in the cable and to improve noise rejection in both the RS422 and RS485  
mode, the receiver end of the cable should be terminated with a resistance equal to the characteristic  
impedance of the cable. (An exception to this is the case where the line is driven by an RS422 driver that  
is never "tristated" or disconnected from the line. In this case, the driver provides a low internal  
impedance that terminates the line at that end.)  
Note  
You do not have to add a terminator resistor to your cables when you use the card. Termination resistors  
for the RX+ and RX- lines are provided on the card and are placed in the circuit when you install the Ch X  
- LD jumpers. (See the Option Selection section of this manual.)  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
21  
 
RS485 Data Transmission  
The RS485 Standard allows a balanced transmission line to be shared in a party-line mode. As many as  
32 driver/receiver pairs can share a two-wire party line network. Many characteristics of the drivers and  
receivers are the same as in the RS422 Standard. One difference is that the common mode voltage limit  
is extended and is +12V to -7V. Since any driver can be disconnected (or tristated) from the line, it must  
withstand this common mode voltage range while in the tristate condition.  
The following illustration shows a typical multidrop or party line network. Note that the transmission line is  
terminated on both ends of the line but not at drop points in the middle of the line.  
Figure A-1: Typical RS485 Two-Wire Multidrop Network  
RS485 Four-Wire Multidrop Network  
An RS485 network can also be connected in a four-wire mode. In a four-wire network it's necessary that  
one node be a master node and all others be slaves. The network is connected so that the master  
communicates to all slaves and all slaves communicate only with the master. This has advantages in  
equipment that uses mixed protocol communications. Since the slave nodes never listen to another  
slave's response to the master, a slave node cannot reply incorrectly.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
22  
 
 
Appendix B: HVDCI D-Connector Pinout Reference  
Connections will normally be made to the 9-pin connectors through the breakout cable. In case you wish  
to connect directly to the 68-pin connector, the pins translate as follows.  
DB-9  
Pin  
Ch A  
pins on  
68-pin  
37  
1
Ch B  
Pins on  
68-Pin  
Ch C  
Pins on  
68-Pin  
Ch D  
Pins on  
68-Pin  
Ch E  
Pins on  
68-Pin  
Ch F  
Pins on  
68-Pin  
Ch G  
Pins on  
68-Pin  
Ch H Pins  
on 68-Pin  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
41  
5
6
45  
9
49  
13  
14  
15  
331  
50  
47  
48  
16  
53  
17  
18  
19  
672  
54  
51  
52  
20  
57  
21  
22  
23  
672  
58  
55  
56  
24  
61  
25  
26  
27  
672  
62  
59  
60  
28  
65  
29  
30  
31  
672  
66  
63  
64  
32  
2
3
10  
11  
331  
46  
43  
44  
12  
7
331  
38  
35  
36  
4
331  
42  
39  
40  
8
Table B-1: HVDCI D-Connector Pin Assignments  
Pins 34 and 68 on the 68-pin HVDCI D-Connector provide +5Volts DC Fused, but are not available on  
any of the DB-9 connectors.  
1 Pin 33 on the 68-Pin connector is Ground, common to Pin 5 on each of the DB-9 connectors associated  
with COM Channels A, B, C, and D.  
2 Pin 67 on the 68-Pin connector is Ground, common to Pin 5 on each of the DB-9 connectors associated  
with COM Channels A, B, C, and D.  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
23  
 
 
Customer Comments  
If you experience any problems with this manual or just want to give us some feedback, please email us  
at: [email protected]. Please detail any errors you find and include your mailing address so that  
we can send you any manual updates.  
10623 Roselle Street, San Diego CA 92121  
Tel. (858)550-9559 FAX (858)550-7322  
Manual LPCI-COM-8SM  
24  
 

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