ATEN Technology ACS-1208A User Manual

User Manual

ACS-1208A

ACS-1216A

2003-06-20

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with
the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equip­ment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy, and
if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual,
may cause interference to radio communications. However, there
is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to
radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following measures:

M Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna;
M Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver;
M Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from

that which the receiver is connected;

M Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for

help.

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Packing List

ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

The complete ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A package consists of:

M 1 ACS-1208A or ACS-1216A KVM Switch
M 2 Custom KVM Cable Sets (2L-5202P)
M 1 Firmware Upgrade Cable
M 1 Power Adapter
M 1 Rack Mounting Kit
M 1 User Manual

Check to make sure that all the componen ts are present and that nothing
got damaged in shipping. If you encounter a problem, contact your
dealer.

Read this manual thoroughly and follow the installation and operation
procedures carefully to prevent any damage to the unit, and/or any of
the devices connected to it.

© Copyright 2003 ATEN® International Co., Ltd.

Manual Part No. PAPE-0211-1AT

Printed in Taiwan 06/2003

All brand names and trademarks are the registered property of their respective owners.

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

ACS-1208A Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

ACS-1216A Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A Rear View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

2. Installation

Before you Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Single Stage Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Daisy Chaining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Hot Plugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Port ID Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Powering Off and Restarting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

3. Hotkey Operation

Hotkey Port Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Invoking Hotkey Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Selecting the Active Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Auto Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Skip Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Hotkey Beeper Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Hotkey Summary Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

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4. OSD Operation

OSD Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

OSD Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

OSD Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

OSD Main Screen Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

OSD Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

5. The Firmware Upgrade Utility

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Performing the Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Starting the Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Upgrade Succeeded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Upgrade Failed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Firmware Upgrade Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

Appendix

ACS-1208A /ACS-1216A - Connection Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

ACS-1208A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

ACS-1216A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

OSD Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Clear Login Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4

Rack Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

About This Manual

This User Manual is provided to help you get the most from your
ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A system. It covers all aspects of installation,
configuration and operation. An overview of the information found in
the manual is provided below.

Overview

Chapter 1, Introduction, introduces you to the ACS-1208A / ACS-

1216A System. Its purpose, features and benefits are presented, and
its front and back panel components are described.

Chapter 2, Installation, explains how to set up your installation — from
a basic single stage hookup to a complete 32 switch daisy chained
operation.

Chapter 3, Hotkey Operation, details all of the concepts and proce­dures involved in the Hotkey operation of your ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A
installation.

Chapter 4, OSD Operation, provides a complete description of the
ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A’s OSD (On Screen Display), and how to work
with it.

Chapter 5, The Firmware Upgrade Utility, explains how to use this
utility to upgrade the ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A’s firmware with the latest
available versions.

An Appendix at the end of the manual provides specifications and other
technical information regarding the ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A.

An Index follows the Appendix for convenient reference to the manual’s
information.

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Conventions The following typographical conventions are used throughout this manual:

M Bullet lists provide information, but not procedural steps.
M Numbered lists represent procedures with sequential step s.
M An indented typeface like the one below:

Key information in

indicates words and characters you key in. Unless otherwise
mentioned, you can use either upper or lower case.

M The names of the keys you should press are placed inside of

square brackets, and appear just as they do on the keyboard (fo r
example, [Alt], [Enter], [Esc]).

Don’t type the brackets or anything that appears inside of them,
just press the key. For example, if a procedure tells you to type:

Install [Enter]

You should type the word Install, then press the Enter key.

M If you need to hold down one key and, while you are holding it

down, press another key, the keys appear in square brackets with a
dash between them. For example, [Ctrl-Alt-Del] means to hold
down the Ctrl and Alt keys and, while they are being held down,
press the Del key and then release all the keys together.

M If you are asked to Choose or Select an item listed on a menu,

Click it with the mouse. An alternate shortcut method is to press
the appropriate accelerator key combination indicated on the menu.

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Notes:

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2003-06-20

his chapter introduces you to the ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A KVM Switch. Its

T

purpose, features and benefits are presented, and its front and back panel compo-

nents are described.

Overview

Chapter 1.

Introduction

The Master View ACS-1208A and ACS-1216A KVM Switches are
control units that allow access to multiple computers from a single
console (keyboard, mouse, and monitor). Before the development of the
Master View, the only way to control multiple computer configurations
from a single console was through a complex and costly network system.
Now, with the ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A, you can easily access multi­ple computers in a cost effective manner.

A single Master View can control up to eight (ACS-1208A) or 16
(ACS-1216A) computers. As many as 31 additional switches can be
added in a daisy chain configuration, allowing up to 512 computers to
be controlled from a single keyboard-monitor-mouse co nso le.

An auto-sensing function recognizes the position of each station
(switch) on the chain, eliminating the need to manually set the position
with DIP switches. A seven segment front panel LED displays each
Station’s position for easy identification.

The ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A improves on previous models and
similar switches commonly found on the market with a custom ASIC
(patent pending) for increased reliability and enhanced performance,
and high density 15 pin CPU port connectors instead of th e usual 25 pin
connectors. This space-saving innovation allows a full, 16 port switch,
to be installed in a 1U system rack.

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Your ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A investment is protected by an included
Firmware Upgrade Utility. You can stay current with the latest improve­ments in functionality by downloading the latest firmware files from our
website and using the utility to quickly and conveniently perform the
upgrade.

Setup is fast and easy; plugging cables into their respective ports is all
that is entailed. The ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A intercepts keyboard
input directly, which means that there is no software to configure, no
complex installation routines, and no need to be concern ed with incom­patibility problems.

Access to any computer on the installation is easily accomplished either
by entering Hotkey combinations from the keyboard, or by means of a
powerful menu driven OSD (On Screen Display) system. A conven ient
Auto Scan feature also permits automatic scanning and monitoring of
the activities of all computers running on the installation one by one.

There is no better way to save time and money than with a Master View
ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A installation. By allowing a single console to
manage all of the attached computers, an ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A
installation: (1) eliminates the expense of having to purch ase a separate
keyboard, monitor, and mouse for each comp uter; (2) saves all the space
those extra components would take up; (3) saves on energy costs; and
(4) eliminates the inconvenience and wasted effort involved in con­stantly moving from one computer to another.

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Features

Introduction

M A single console controls up to 8 (ACS-1208A) or 16

(ACS-1216A) computers

M Daisy chain up to 31 additional units - control up to 512

computers from a single console

M No software required - convenient computer selection via Hotkeys

and intuitive OSD menus

M Auto Scan feature for monitoring user-selected comp uters
M Hot Pluggable - add or remove computers without having to

power down the switch

M Custom ASIC (patent pending) for increased reliability and

enhanced performance

M Auto-sensing of station’s position on daisy chained installations -

no need for manual DIP Switch setting - front panel LED
indicates station’s position

M Port names automatically reconfigured when station sequence is

changed

M Two level password security - only authorized users view and control

the computers - up to four Users plus an Administrator - separate
profiles for each

M Two level logout - manual and timed
M PS/2 keyboard and mouse emulation - computers boot even when

the console focus is elsewhere

M Supports* PS/2 compatible mice, Microsoft Intellimouse

Explorer, Logitech FirstMouse+

M Superior video quality - supports resolutions of up to 1920 x 1440
M Upgradable firmware
M Rack mountable in 19" system rack (1U)

* PS/2 compatible mouse support is for 3 button wheel mice. The

Logitech Mouse Ware program’s Change Device procedure
does not work on Microsoft NT computers.

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Hardware Requirements

Console M A VGA, SVGA, or Multisync monitor capable of the high est

resolution that you will be using on any computer in the
installation.

M A PS/2 style mouse
M A PS/2 style keyboard

Computers The following equipment must be installed on each co mp uter:

M A VGA, SVGA or Multisync card.
M A 6-pin mini-DIN (PS/2 style) mouse port.*
M Either a 6-pin mini-DIN (PS/2 Style) keyboard port with +5 V DC

on pin 4 and Ground on pin 3, or a 5-pin DIN (AT Style) keyboard
port with +5V DC on pin 5 and ground on pin 4.*

1-4

* See the note under Cables in the next section.

2003-06-20

Introduction

Cables Substandard cables may damage the connected devices or degrade

overall performance. For optimum signal integrity and to simplify the
layout, we strongly recommend that you use the high quality CS Custom
Cable sets described below:

Function CS Part Number

KVM Switch to KVM Switch (Daisy Chaining) 2L-1700 - 0.6 m

KVM Switch to Computer 2L-5201P - 1.2 m

2L-1701 - 1.8 m

2L-5202P - 1.8 m
2L-5203P - 3.0 m

2L-1700 / 2L-1701 2L-5201P / 5202P / 5203P

Note: 1. The ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A does not support serial

mice. You cannot use Serial-to-PS/2 adapters with the
cables.

2. If your computer uses an AT style keyboard socket you
will need to purchase a PS/2-to-AT keyboard adapter (Part
No. 2A-106, or any standard keyboard adapter), in ord er to
plug the cable into the computer’s keyboard port.

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

ACS-1208A Front View

1

POWER

2 3

1. Port LEDs

The Port LEDs provide status information about their
corresponding CPU Ports. There is one pair of LEDs for each
Port. The one on the left is the On Line LED; the one on the right
is the Selected Port LED:

M

An On Line LED lights ORANGE to indicate that the
computer attached to its corresponding port is up and running.

M

A Selected LED lights GREEN to indicate that the computer
attached to its corresponding port is the one that has the KVM
focus. The LED is steady under normal conditions, but flashes
when its port is accessed under Auto Scan Mode (see p. 4-14).

M

When the ACS-1208A is first powered on, the On Line and
Selected LEDs blink in sequence as the Switch performs a

self-test.

2. Reset Switch

Pressing this switch in performs a system reset. The switch is
recessed and must be pushed with a thin object - such as the end
of a paper clip, or a ballpoint pen.

4

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Introduction

3. Power LED

The Power LED lights to indicate that the ACS-1208A is powered
up and ready to operate.

4. Station ID LED

The ACS-1208A’s Station ID is displayed here. If this is a Single
Station installation (see p. 2-1), or the First Station on a Daisy Chained
installation (see p. 2-2), the ACS-1208A has a Station ID of 01.

On a Daisy Chained installation, the ACS-1208A auto-senses its
position and displays the Station ID that corresponds to its place
in the chain. (see Port ID Numbering, p. 2-6 for details).

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

ACS-1216A Front View

1

POWER

2 3

1. Port LEDs

The Port LEDs provide status information about their
corresponding CPU Ports. There is one pair of LEDs for each
Port. The one on the left is the On Line LED; the one on the right
is the Selected Port LED:

M

An On Line LED lights ORANGE to indicate that the
computer attached to its corresponding port is up and running.

M

A Selected LED lights GREEN to indicate that the computer
attached to its corresponding port is the one that has the KVM
focus. The LED is steady under normal conditions, but flashes
when its port is accessed under Auto Scan Mode (see p. 4-14).

M

When the ACS-1216A is first powered on, the On Line and
Selected LEDs blink in sequence as the Switch performs a

self-test.

2. Reset Switch

Pressing this switch in performs a system reset. The switch is
recessed and must be pushed with a thin object - such as the end
of a paper clip, or a ballpoint pen.

4

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Introduction

3. Power LED

Lights to indicate that the ACS-1216A is powered up and ready to
operate.

4. Station ID LED

The ACS-1216A’s Station ID is displayed here. If this is a Single
Station installation (see p. 2-1), or the First Station on a Daisy
Chained installation (see p. 2-2), the ACS-1216A has a Station ID of

01.
On a Daisy Chained installation, the ACS-1216A auto-senses its

position and displays the Station ID that corresponds to its place
in the chain. (see Port ID Numbering, p. 2-6 for details).

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A Rear View

3 65

4

3 65

4

1

7

1

7

2

2

1. Daisy Chain Ports

When Daisy Chaining Units, the cables plug in here. The port on the
left is the Chain In port; the one on the right is the Chain Out port.

1-10

2. CPU Port Section

The cables that link to the computers plug in here. The sh ap e of
these connectors has been specifically modified so that only
cables designed to work with this switch can plu g in (see th e
Cables section on p. 1-5 for details).

3. Cable Tie Slot

If you want to use a cable tie to gather the cables together, you can
run it through this slot to attach it to the unit.

4. Power Jack

The power adapter cable plugs in here.

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Introduction

5. Firmware Upgrade Port

The Firmware Upgrade Cable that transfers the firmware upgrade
data from the administrator’s computer to the ACS-1208A /
ACS-1216A (see p. 5-2), plugs into this RJ-11 socket.

6. Firmware Upgrade Recovery Switch

During normal operation and while performing a fimware
upgrade, this switch should be in the NORMAL position. See p.
5-8 for details about the use of this switch.

7. Console Port Section

If this is a Single Station installation, or if this is the First Station
unit of a daisy chained installation, the keyboard, monitor, and
mouse plug in here.

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Notes:

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his chapter explains how to connect up your installation — from a basic single

T

stage arrangement to a complete daisy chained co nfig uratio n.

Before you Begin

1. Make sure that power to all the devices you will be connecting up
have been turned off. You must unplug the power cords of any
computers that have the Keyboard Power On functio n. Otherwise,
the switch will still receive power from the computers.

2. To prevent damage to your equipment, make sure that all devices
on the installation are properly grounded.

Chapter 2.

Installation

Single Stage Installation

In a Single Stage installation, there are no additional switches daisy
chained down from the first unit. To set up a single stage installation do
the following:

1. Plug your keyboard, mouse, and monitor into the unit’s Console
Ports.

2. Use KVM cable sets (as described in the Cables section on p.
1-5), to connect any available CPU Port to the Keyboard , Vid eo
and Mouse ports of the computer you are installing.

Note: Ignore the Daisy Chain Ports at this time. They are only

used when daisy chaining additional Master View units.
Daisy chaining is described in the next section.

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

3. Plug the power adapter cable into the Master View’s Power Jack,
then plug the power adapter into an AC power source.

4. Turn on the power to the computers.

Daisy Chaining

To control even more computers, up to 31 additional switches can be
daisy chained down from the first unit. As many as 512 computers can
be controlled from a single console in a complete installation. Tables
showing the relation between the number of computers and the number
of Master View ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A units needed to control them
are provided on p. A-1 in the Appendix.

To set up a daisy chained installation, do the following:

1. Make sure that power to all the devices you will be connecting up
has been turned off.

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Installation

2. Use a daisy chain cable set (described in the Cables section, p.

1-5), to connect the Chain Out port of the parent switch to the
Chain In port of the child switch (First Statio n Ou t to Second
Station In, Second Station Out to Third Station In, etc.).

Note: You cannot use the Chain In port of the First Station

Master View, since it is the highest level parent.

3. Use KVM cable sets (described in the Cables section, p. 1-5), to

connect any available CPU Port on the ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A
installation to the Keyboard, Video and Mouse ports of th e
computers you are installing.

4. Repeat the above steps for any additional ACS-1208A /

ACS-1216A units you wish to add to the chain.

5. Power up the installation according to the following proced ure:

a) Plug in the power adapter for the First Station.

Wait for the unit to ascertain its Station ID and display it on the
Station ID LED. (The Station ID for the First Stage unit is 01, the
ID for the Second Stage unit is 02, the ID for the Third Stage unit
is 03, etc.).

b) Plug in the power adapters for each Station on the installatio n

in turn (Second Station, then Third Station, etc.).
In each case, wait for the Station ID to be ascertained and

displayed on the current Station before plugging in th e next one.

c) After all the Stations are up, power on the computers.

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

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Hot Plugging

The ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A supports hot plugging - components can
be removed and added back into the installation by unplugging their
cables from the ports without the need to shut the unit down. In order
for hot plugging to work properly, however, the procedures described
below must be followed:

You can switch station positions by simply unplugging from the old
parent and plugging into a new one. After you do, in order for the OSD
menus to correspond to the change, you must reset the Station IDs in the
OSD. See RESET STATION IDS, p. 4-11, for details.

In order for the OSD menus to correspond to a CPU port change, you
must manually reconfigure the OSD to reflect the new port informatio n.
See SCAN/SKIP MODE under the F3 SET function (p. 4-6), and the
two Set Port selections under the F4 ADM functio n (p. 4-8), for details.

Installation

Switching Station Positions:

Hot Plugging CPU Ports:

Note: If the computer’s Operating System does not support hot

plugging, this function may not work properly.

Hot Plugging Console Ports:

The keyboard, monitor, and mouse can all be hot plugged. When
hot plugging the mouse:

a) You may unplug and replug the mouse (to reset the mouse, for

example), as long as you use the same mouse.

b) If you plug in a different mouse, all the stations and all the com-

puters on the installation must be shut down for 10 seconds,
then restarted following the Power Up Sequence describ ed un­der Step 5 on p. 2-3.)

Note: If, after hot plugging there is no response to keyboard

and/or mouse input, perform a Keyboard and Mouse
Reset by pressing in the Reset button (see p. 1-8).

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Port ID Numbering

Each CPU port on a Master View installation is assigned a unique Port ID.
The Port ID is made up of two parts: a two-digit Station Number, and a
two-digit Port Number:

M The Station Number - reflects the switch’s position in the daisy

chain sequence. This corresponds to the number displayed on the
front panel Station ID LED.

M The Port Number - reflects the port on the Station that the

computer is connected to.

M The Station Number precedes the Port Number.
M Station and Port numbers from 1 - 9 are padded with a preceding

zero, so they become 01 - 09.

For example, a computer attached to Port 6 of Station 12 would have
a Port ID of: 12-06.

Powering Off and Restarting

If it becomes necessary to Power Off one of the switches, unplug its
power adapter cable from the power jack. Before starting it back up you
must do the following:

1. Shut down all the computers that are attached to it.
Note: Unplug the power cords of any computers that have th e

Keyboard Power On function. Otherwise, the switch will
still receive power from the computers.

2. Wait 10 seconds, then plug the Master View back in.

3. After the ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A is up, Power On the computers.

Note: If you have shut down more than one Station, power up the

highest Station first and work your way down to the lowest one.

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his chapter details the concepts and procedures involved in the Hotkey operation

T

of your ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A installation.

Hotkey Port Access

Hotkey port access allows you to provide KVM focus to a particular
computer directly from the keyboard. The Master View ACS-1208A /
ACS-1216A provides the following Hotkey port access features:

M

Selecting the Active Port

M

Auto Scanning

M

Skip Mode Switching

Chapter 3.

Hotkey Operation

Invoking

Hotkey Mode

All Hotkey operations begin by invoking Hotkey Mode. Invoking Hot­key Mode takes three steps:

1. Hold down the Num Lock key;

2. While the Num Lock key is down, press and release the asterisk

or the minus key;

3. Release the Num Lock key:

[Num Lock] + [*];

or:

[Num Lock] + [-];

Note: The asterisk or minus key must be released within one half

second, otherwise Hotkey invokation is cancelled.

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When Hotkey Mode is active:
M The Caps Lock and Scroll Lock LEDs flash in succession. They

stop flashing and revert to normal status when you exit Hotkey
Mode.

M A Command Line appears on the monitor’s screen. The command

line prompt is the word Hotkey: and appears in yellow text on a
blue background. Subsequent Hotkey information that you key in
displays on this line, as well.

M Ordinary keyboard and mouse functions are susp en ded - only

Hotkey compliant keystrokes and mouse clicks (described in the
sections that follow), can be input.

Pressing [Esc] exits Hotkey Mode.

Selecting the

Active Port

Each CPU port is assigned a Port ID (see Port ID Numbering, p. 2-6).
You can directly access any computer on the installation with a Hot­key that specifies the Port ID of the CPU Port that it is connected to.
The steps involved are:

1. Invoke Hotkey Mode (see p. 3-1).

2. Key in the Port ID
The Port ID numbers display on the Command Line as you key

them in. If you make a mistake, use [Backspace] to erase the
wrong number.

3. Press [Enter]
The KVM focus switches to the designated computer and you

automatically exit Hotkey Mode.

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2003-06-20

Hotkey Operation

Auto Scanning Auto Scan automatically switches among all accessible CPU Ports at

regular intervals, so that the operator can monitor their activity without
having to switch among them manually. (See Scan/Skip Mode of the OSD
F3 SET function, p. 4-7 for information regarding accessible ports.)

Setting the Scan Interval:

The amount of time Auto Scan dwells on each port is set with the Scan
Duration setting of the OSD F3 SET function (see p. 4-7). This settin g

can be changed before activating Hotkey Auto Scanning with the
following combination:

1. Invoke Hotkey Mode (see p. 3-1).

2. Key in [T] [n]

Where [T] is the letter T, and [n] is a number from 1-255 that
represents the number of seconds for the dwell time.

The letter T, and the numbers display on the Command Line as
you key them in. If you make a mistake, use [Backspace] to erase
the wrong number.

3. Press [Enter]

You automatically exit Hotkey Mode, and are ready to invoke
Auto Scanning.

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Invoking Auto Scan:

To start Auto Scanning, key in the followin g Ho tk ey combination:

1. Invoke Hotkey Mode (see p. 3-1).

2. Press [A].
You automatically exit Hotkey Mode, and enter Auto Scan Mode.

The KVM focus switches among the accessible computers at
regular intervals.

While you are in Auto Scan Mode, note the following:

M

Pausing when you want to keep the focus on a particular computer
is more convenient than Exiting Auto Scan Mode because when
you resume scanning, you start from where you left off, instead
of starting over from the very first computer on the installation.

You can pause the scanning in order to keep th e fo cu s on a
particular computer either by pressing P or with a Left Click of
the mouse. During the time that Auto Scannin g is pau sed , th e
Command Line displays the message: Auto Scan: Paused.

3-4

To resume Auto Scanning, press any key or Left Click.

M

While Auto Scan Mode is in effect, ordinary keyboard and mouse
functions are suspended - only Auto Scan Mode compliant
keystrokes and mouse clicks can be input. You must exit Auto
Scan Mode in order to regain normal control of the console.

3. To exit Auto Scan Mode press [Esc] or [Spacebar]. Auto
Scanning stops when you exit Auto Scan Mode.

2003-06-20

Hotkey Operation

Skip Mode Skip Mode allows you to switch between computers in order to monitor

them manually. Unlike Auto Scanning, which automatically switches
after a fixed interval, you can dwell on a particular port for as long or
as little as you like.

To invoke Skip Mode, key in the following Hotkey combination:

1. Invoke Hotkey Mode (see p. 3-1).

2. Key in [Arrow]

Where [Arrow] refers to one of the Arrow keys. After you press
[Arrow], you automatically exit Hotkey Mode, and enter Skip
Mode where you can switch ports as follows:

Skips from the current port to the first accessible port

←

previous to it. (See Scan/Skip Mode, p. 4-7, for
information regarding accessible ports.)

Skips from the current port to the next accessible port.

→

Skips from the current port to the last accessible port of

↑

the previous Station.
Skips from the current port to the first accessible port

↓

of the next Station.

While you are in Skip Mode, note the following:
M You can keep on skipping by pressing the Arrow keys. You don’t

have to invoke Hotkey mode each time you want to skip.

M While Skip Mode is in effect, ordinary keyboard and mo use

functions are suspended - only Skip Mode compliant keystrokes
can be input. You must exit Skip Mode in order to regain normal
control of the console.

1. To exit Skip Mode, press [Esc] or [Spacebar].

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Hotkey Beeper Control

The Beeper (see Activate Beeper, p. 4-9) can be Hotkey toggled On and
Off. To toggle the Beeper, key in the following Hotkey combination:

1. Invoke Hotkey Mode (see p. 3-1).

2. Press [B]

After you press B, the Beeper toggles On or Off. The Command Line
displays Beeper On or Beeper Off for one second; then the message
disappears and you automatically exit Hotkey Mode.

Hotkey Summary Table

[Num Lock] + [*] or
[Num Lock] + [-]

[Port ID] [Enter] Switches access to the computer that

[T] [n] [Enter] Sets the Auto Scan interval to n seconds -

[A] Invokes Auto Scan Mode.

[←]

[→]

[↑]

[↓]

[B] Toggles the Beeper On or Off.

corresponds to that Port ID.

where n is a number from 1 - 255.

When Auto Scan Mode is in effect, [P] or
Left Click pauses Auto Scanning. Pressing
Any Key or another Left Click resumes Auto
Scanning.

Invokes Skip Mode and Skips from the
current port to the first accessible port
previous to it.

Invokes Skip Mode and Skips from the
current port to the next accessible port.

Invokes Skip Mode and Skips from the
current port to the last accessible port of the
previous Station.

Invokes Skip Mode and Skips from the
current port to the first accessible port of the
next Station.

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2003-06-20

Chapter 4.

OSD Operation

his chapter provides a complete description of the pro cedures involved in the OSD

T

(On Screen Display) operation of your ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A installation.

OSD Operation

OSD Overview The On Screen Display (OSD) is a menu driven method to handle

computer control and switching operations. All procedures start from
the OSD Main Screen. To pop up the Main Screen, tap the [Scroll Lock ]
key twice.

Note: You can optionally change the Hotkey to th e Ctrl key, in

which case you would tap [Ctrl] twice (see OSD HOTKEY, p.
4-6). With this method, the [Ctrl] keys must be on the same
side (both left, or both right).

The OSD incorporates a two level (Administrator / User) password
system. Before the OSD Main Screen comes up, a dialog box appears
that asks you to provide your password. If the password function has
been set, you must provide the password in order to access the OSD
Main Screen.

If this is the first time that the OSD is being run, or if the password
function has not been set, simply press [Enter]. The OSD Main Screen
comes up in Administrator Mode. In this mode, you have Administrator
privileges, with access to all Administrator and User fu nctions, and can
set up operations (including password authorization for the future), as
you would like.

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When you invoke the OSD, a screen similar to the one below appears:

F1:GOTO F3:SET F5:SKP F7:SCAN X
F2:LIST F4:ADM F6:BRC F8:LOUT
ADMINISTRATOR

LIST:ALL
SN PN QV NAME

01 14 ATEN INTL.CO. 1
01 15 ATEN INTL.CO. 2
01 16 ATEN INTL.CO. 3
02 01 FAX SERVER 1
02 02 FAX SERVER 2

02 03 WEB SERVER 1

02 04 WEB SERVER 2
02 05 MAIL SERVER 1

z

z

z

Note: 1. The diagram depicts the Administrator’s Main Screen. The

User Main Screen does not show the F4 and F6 functions,
since these are reserved for the Administrator and can’t be
accessed by ordinary Users.

2. OSD always starts in List view, with the highlight bar at
the same position it was in the last time it was closed.

3. Only the ports that have been set accessible by the
Administrator for the currently logged in User are visib le
(see SET ACCESSIBLE PORTS, p. 4-10, for details).

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2003-06-20

OSD Operation

OSD

Navigation w To dismiss the menu, and deactivate OSD, Click the X at the

upper right corner of the OSD Window; or press [Esc].

w To Logout, Click F8 at the top of the Main Screen, or press [F8].
w To move up or down through the list one line at a time, Click the

Up and Down Triangle symbols (
Arrow Keys. If there are more list entries than what can ap pear on
the Main Screen, the screen will scroll.

w To move up or down through the list one screen at a time, Click

the Up and Down Arrow symbols (éê), or use the [P g Up ] an d
[Pg Dn] keys. If there are more list entries than what can appear
on the Main Screen, the screen will scroll.

w To activate a port, Double Click it, or move the Highlight Bar to it

then press [Enter].

w After executing any action, you automatically go back to the menu

one level above.

▲▼) or use the Up and Down

OSD Main

Screen

Headings

Heading Explanation

SN-PN This column lists the Port ID numbers (Station Number - Port Number)

for all the CPU ports on the installation. The simplest method to
access a particular computer is move the Highlight Bar to it, then
press Enter.

QV If a port has been selected for Quick View scanning (see SET QUICK

VIEW PORTS, p. 4-10), an arrowhead displays in this column to
indicate so.

The computers that are powered on and are On Line have a Sun
symbol in this column to indicate so.

NAME If a port has been given a name (seeEDIT PORT NAMES, p. 4-9), its

name appears in this column.

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OSD

Functions

OSD functions are used to configure and control the OSD. For example,
you can: rapidly switch to any port; scan selected ports only; limit the
list you wish to view; designate a port as a Quick View Port; create or
edit a port name; or make OSD setting adjustments.

To access an OSD function:

1. Either Click a Function Key field at the top of the Main Screen, or
press a Function Key on the keyboard.

2. In the Submenus that appear make your choice either by Double
Clicking it, or moving the Highlight Bar to it, th en pressing
[Enter].

3. Press [Esc] to return to the previous menu level.

F1 GOTO:

GOTO allows you to switch directly to a port either by keying in
the port’s Name, or its Port ID.

w

To use the Name method, key in 1; key in the port’s Name;
then press [Enter].

w

To use the Port ID method, key in 2; key in the Port ID; th en
press [Enter].

4-4

Note: You can key in a partial Name or Port ID. In that case, the

screen will show all the computers that the User has View
rights to (see SET ACCESSIBLE PORTS, p. 4-10), that
match the Name or Port ID pattern, regardless of the
current List settings (see F2 LIST, p. 4-5, for details).

To return to the OSD Main Screen without making a choice, press
[Esc].

2003-06-20

OSD Operation

F2 LIST:

The LIST function lets you broaden or narrow the scope of which
ports the OSD displays (lists) on the Main Screen.

Many of the OSD functions only operate on the computers that
have been selected for listing on the Main Screen with this
function. The choices and their meanings are given in the table
below:

Choice Meaning

ALL Lists all of the ports on the installation.
QVIEW Lists only the ports that have been selected as Quick View

POWERED ON Lists only the ports whose computers are Powered On.
QVIEW +

POWERED ON

Ports (see SET ACCESSIBLE PORTS, p. 4-10).

Lists only the ports that have been selected as Quick View
Ports (see SET QUICK VIEW PORTS, p. 4-10), and whose
computers are Powered On.

Move the Highlight Bar to the choice you want, then press
[Enter]. An icon appears before the choice to indicate th at it is the
currently selected one.

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F3 SET:

This function allows the Administrator and each User to set up his
own working environment. A separate profile fo r each is stored by
the OSD and is activated according to the Usern ame that is
provided during Login.

To change a setting:

1. Double Click it; or move the highlight bar to it, then press [Enter].

2. After you select an item, a submenu with further choices appears.

To make a selection, either Double Click it; or move th e Highlight
Bar to it, then press [Enter]. An icon appears before the selected
choice to indicate which one it is. The settings are explained in
the following table:

OSD HOTKEY Selects which Hotkey activates the OSD function:

Setting Function

[Scroll Lock] [Scroll Lock] or [Ctrl] [Ctrl].

4-6

Since the Ctrl key combination may conflict with programs
running on the computers, the default is the Scroll Lock
combination.

PORT ID
DISPLAY
POSITION

PORT ID
DISPLAY
DURATION

Allows you to position where the Port ID appears on the
screen. The default is the upper right corner, but you can
choose to have it appear anywhere on the screen.

Use the Mouse or the Arrow Keys plus Pg Up, Pg Dn, Home,
End, and 5 (on the numeric keypad with Num Lock off), to
position the Port ID display, then Double Click or press [Enter]
to lock the position and return to the Set submenu.

Determines how long a Port ID displays on the monitor after a
port change has taken place. The choices are: User Defined ­which lets you select the amount of time (from 1 - 255 sec.);
and Always On - which displays the Port ID at all times. If you
select User Defined, key in the number of seconds, then press
[Enter]. The default is 3 Seconds. A setting of 0 (zero)
disables this function.

(Table continues on next page)

2003-06-20

(F3 SET: continued)

Setting Function

PORT ID
DISPLAY
MODE

SCAN
DURATION

SCAN/SKIP
MODE

Selects how the Port ID is displayed: the Port Number alone
(PORT NUMBER); the Port Name alone (PORT NAME); or
the Port Number plus the Port Name (PORT NUMBER +
PORT NAME). The default is PORT NUMBER + PORT
NAME).

Determines how long the focus dwells on each port as it
cycles through the selected ports in Auto Scan Mode (see F7
SCAN, p. 4-14). Key in a value from 1 - 255 seconds, then
press [Enter]. Default is 5 seconds; a setting of 0 disables the
Scan function.

Selects which computers will be accessed under Skip Mode
(see F5 SKP, p. 4-12), and Auto Scan Mode (see F7 SCAN,
p. 4-14). Choices are:

ALL - All the Ports which have been set Accessible (see SET
ACCESSIBLE PORTS, p. 4-10);

QUICK VIEW - Only those Ports which have been set
Accessible and have been selected as Quick View Ports (see
SET QUICK VIEW PORTS, p. 4-10);

OSD Operation

SCREEN
BLANKER

HOTKEY
COMMAND
MODE

POWERED ON - Only those Ports which have been set
Accessible and are Powered On;

QUICK VIEW + POWERED ON - Only those Ports which
have been set Accessible and have been selected as Quick
View Ports and are Powered On. The default is ALL.

If there is no input from the console for the amount of time set
with this function, the screen is blanked. Key in a value from
1 - 30 minutes, then press [Enter]. A setting of 0 disables this
function. The default is 0 (disabled).

Enables / Disables the Hotkey Command function in case a
conflict with programs running on the computers occurs.

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

F4 ADM:

F4 is an Administrator only function. It allows the Admin istrato r
to configure and control the overall operation of the OSD. To
change a setting Double Click it; or use the Up and Down Arro w
Keys to move the highlight bar to it then press [Enter].

After you select an item, a submenu with further choices for you
to select from appears. Double Click the choice you want, or
move the Highlight Bar to it then press [Enter]. An icon appears
before the selected choice so that you know which one it is. The
settings are explained in the following tab le:

SET
USERNAME
AND
PASSWORD

Setting Function

This function is used to set Usernames and Passwords for the
Administrator and Users:

1. One Administrator and four User passwords can be set.

2. After you select the Administrator field or one of the User fields,
a screen that allows you to key in the password appears. The
password may be up to 15 characters long, and can consist of
any combination of letters and numbers (A - Z, 0 - 9).

4-8

3. For each individual, key in the Username and Password, then
press [Enter].

4. To modify or delete a previous Username and/or Password,
use the backspace key to erase individual letters or numbers.

5. As a security precaution, you shoud fill in a Username and
Password for all four Users.

SET LOGOUT
TIMEOUT

If there is no input from a console for the amount of time set
with this function, the Operator is automatically logged out. A
login is necessary before the console can be used again.

This enables other Operators to gain access to the computers
when the original Operator is no longer accessing them, but
has forgotten to log out. To set the timeout value, key in a
number from 1 - 180 minutes, then press [Enter]. If the
number is 0 [zero], this function is disabled. Default is 0
(disbabled).

(Table continues on next page)

2003-06-20

(F4 ADM: continued)

Setting Function

EDIT PORT
NAMES

RESTORE
DEFAULT
VALUES

CLEAR THE
NAME LIST

ACTIVATE
BEEPER

To help remember which computer is attached to a particular
port, every port can be given a name. This function allows the
Administrator to create, modify, or delete port names. To Edit
a port name:

1. Click the port you want, or use the Navigation Keys to move
the highlight bar to it, then press [Enter].

2. Key in the new Port Name, or modify/delete the old one. The
maximum number of characters allowed for the Port Name is

12. Legal characters include:

w All alpha characters: a - z; A - Z
w All numeric characters: 0 - 9
w + - / : . and Space

Case does not matter; OSD displays the Port Name in all
capitals no matter how they were keyed in.

3. When you have finished editing, press [Enter] to have the
change take effect. To abort the change, press [Esc].

This function is used to undo all changes except for the
Names settings, and return the setup to the original factory
default settings (see FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS, p.
A-2). The Names settings that were assigned to the Ports, are
saved.

This function is similar to Restore Default Values. The
difference is that it also clears the Names settings along with
undoing all changes and returning the setup to the original
factory default settings.

Choices are Y (for Yes), or N (for No). When activated, the
beeper sounds whenever a Port is changed; when activating
the Auto Scan function (see F7 SCAN, p. 4-14); or an invalid
entry is made on an OSD menu. The default is Y (activated).

OSD Operation

(Table continues on next page)

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

(F4 ADM: continued)

SET QUICK
VIEW PORTS

SET
ACCESSIBLE
PORTS

Setting Function

This function lets the Administrator select which Ports to
include as Quick View ports.

w To select/deselect a port as a Quick View Port, Double Click the

port you want, or use the Navigation Keys to move the highlight
bar to it, then press [Enter].

w When a port has been selected as a Quick View Port, an

arrowhead displays in the QV column of the LIST on the Main
Screen to indicate so. When a port is deselected, the
arrowhead disappears.

w If one of the Quick View options is chosen for the LIST view

(see F2 LIST, p. 4-5), only a Port that has been selected here
will display on the List.

w If one of the Quick View options is chosen for Auto Scanning

(see SCAN/SKIP MODE, p. 4-7), only a Port that has been
selected here will be Auto Scanned.

The default is for no ports to be selected.
This function allows the Administrator to define access to the

computers on the installation on a Port-by-Port basis for each
User.

4-10

For each User, select the target Port; then press the
[Spacebar] to cycle through the choices: F (Full access), V
(View Only), or blank. Repeat until all access rights have been
set, then press [Enter]. The default is F for all users on all
Ports.

Note: A blank setting means that no access rights are
granted. The Port will not show up on the User’s LIST on the
Main Screen.

(Table continues on next page)

2003-06-20

(F4 ADM: continued)

Setting Function

RESET
STATION IDS

FIRMWARE
UPGRADE

If you change the position of one of the Stations in the daisy
chain, the OSD settings will no longer correspond to the new
situation. This function directs the OSD to rescan the Station
positions of the entire installation and updates the OSD so
that the OSD Station information corresponds to the new
physical layout.

Note: Only the Station Numbers get updated. Except for the
Port Names, all Administrator settings (such as Set Accessible
Ports, Set Quick View Ports, etc.), for all of the computers
affected by the change, have to be manually redone.

In order to upgrade the ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A’s firmware
(see Chapter 5), you must first invoke Firmware Upgrade
Mode with this setting.

OSD Operation

2003-06-20

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

F5 SKP:

This function enables you to easily skip backward or forward ­switching the console focus from the cu rren tly activ e computer
port to the previous or next available one.

w

w

Note: When you Skip, you only Skip to the the previous or

w

The selection of computers to be available for Skip Mode
switching is made with the Scan/Skip Mode setting under the
F3 SET function (see p. 4-7).

When you are in Skip Mode, press [ ← ] to switch to the
previous computer in the List; press [ → ] to switch to the next
computer in the List; press [ ↑ ] to switch to the last computer
on the previous station in the List; press [ ↓ ] to switch to th e

first computer on the next station in the List.

next available computer that is in the Scan/Skip Mode
selection (see p. 4-7).

If a Port has been selected for Scan/Skip Mode, when the focus
switches to that port a Left/Right Triangle symbol appears
before its Port ID Display to indicate so.

4-12

w

While Skip Mode is in effect, the console will not function
normally. You must exit Skip Mode in order to regain co ntro l
of the console.

w

To exit Skip Mode, press [Spacebar] or [Esc].

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OSD Operation

F6 BRC:

F6 is an Administrator only function. When this fu nction is in
effect, commands sent from the console are broadcast to to all
available computers on the installation.

This function is particularly useful for operations that need to be
performed on multiple computers, such as performing a sy stem
wide shutdown, installing or upgrading software, etc.

BRC works in conjunction with the F2 LIST function. T h e L IST
function (see p. 4-5), is used to broaden or narrow the focu s of
which Ports appear on the OSD Main Screen. When you
Broadcast a command, it only goes to the Ports currently selected
to be listed on the OSD Main Screen.

w

While BRC Mode is in effect, a Speaker symbol appears
before the Port ID Display of the port that currently has the
KVM focus.

w

While BRC Mode is in effect, the mouse will not function
normally. You must exit BRC Mode in order to regain co ntro l
of the mouse.

w

To exit BRC Mode, invoke the OSD (with the OSD Hotkey),
then Click the F6 field, or press [F6], to turn BRC Mode off.

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F7 SCAN:

The SCAN function allows you to automatically switch among the
available computers at regular intervals so that you can monitor
their activity without having to take the trouble of switching
manually.

w

w

w

w

The selection of computers to be included for Auto Scan nin g is
made with the Scan/Skip Mode setting under the F3 SET
function (see p. 4-7).

The amount of time that each Port displays for is set with the
Scan Duration setting under the F3 SET function (see p. 4-7).

If the scanning stops on an empty port, or one where the
computer is attached but is powered Off, the monitor screen
will be blank, and the mouse and keyboard will have no effect.
Simply wait - after the Scan Duration time is up, th e Scan
function will move on to the next port.

As each computer is accessed, an S appears in front of the Port
ID display to indicate that it is being accessed under Auto Scan
Mode.

4-14

w

If you want to temporarily keep the focus on a particular
computer, you can pause the scanning either by pressing P, or
with a Left Click of the mouse. See Invoking Auto Scan, p. 3-4,
for details.

w

When you want to permanently stop scanning at a particular
location, press the [Spacebar] to stop scanning and exit Au to
Scan Mode.

w

To exit Auto Scan Mode, press the [Spacebar] or [Esc].

2003-06-20

OSD Operation

F8 LOUT:

This function logs you out of OSD control of the computers, and
blanks the Console screen. After using this function you must log
in all over again to regain access to the OSD.

This is different from simply pressing [Esc] when you are at the
Main Screen to deactivate the OSD, where all you have to do to
reenter the OSD is tap the OSD Hotkey.

Note: 1. When you reenter the OSD after logging out, the screen

stays blank except for the OSD Main Screen. You mu st
input your password before you can continue.

2. If you reenter the OSD after logging out, and
immediately use [Esc] to deactivate the OSD without
having selected a port from the OSD menu, a Null Port
message displays on the screen. The OSD Hotkey will
bring up the Main OSD Screen.

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Notes:

4-16

2003-06-20

The Firmware Upgrade Utility

his chapter explains the use and function of the Firmware Upgrade Utility: how to get

T

the firmware upgrade files; and how to complete the process successfully.

Introduction

Purpose The purpose of the Windows-based Firmware Upgrade Utility

Chapter 5.

(FWUpgrade.exe) is to provide an automated process for make upgrad­ing the KVM switch’s firmware as smooth and painless as possible.

The Utility comes as part of a Firmware Upgrade Package that is specific
for each device.

As new firmware revisions become available, new firmware upgrade
packages are posted on our web site:

http://www.aten.com.tw/basic/download.html

Check the web site regularly to find the latest pack ages and information
relating to them.

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Before You

Begin

To prepare for the firmware upgrade, do the following:

1. From a computer that is not part of your KVM installation go to
our Internet support site and choose the model name that relates to
your device to get a list of available Firmware Upgrade Packages.

2. Choose the Firmware Upgrade Package you want to install
(usually the most recent), and download it to your computer.

3. Use the Firmware Upgrade Cable (provided with this unit), to
connect a COM port on your computer to the Firmware Upgrade
Port of your device.

5-2

Note: On a daisy chained installation, connect the cable to th e

First Station (Master) unit. The chained stations (Slaves)
will receive the upgrade via the daisy chain cables.

4. Shut down all of the computers - but not the Stations - on your
KVM installation.

5. From your KVM switch console, bring up the OSD (see p. 4-1)
and select the F4ADM function.

6. Scroll down to FIRMWARE UPGRADE. Press [Enter], then press [Y]
to invoke Firmware Upgrade Mode (see p. 4-11.) For your reference,
the current firmware upgrade version displays on the screen.

2003-06-20

Performing the Upgrade

The Firmware Upgrade Utility

Starting the

Upgrade

To upgrade your firmware:

1. Run the downloaded Firmware Upgrade Package file - either by

double clicking the file icon, or by opening a command line and
entering the full path to it.

The Firmware Upgrade Utility Welcome screen appears:

2. Read and Agree to the License Agreement (enable the I Agree

radio button).

2003-06-20

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ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

3. Click Next to continue. The Firmware Upgrade Utility main
screen appears:

The Utility inspects your installation. All the devices capable of
being upgraded by the package are listed in the Device List panel.

5-4

4. As you select a device in the list, its description appears in the
Device Description panel.

2003-06-20

The Firmware Upgrade Utility

5. After you have made your device selection(s), Click Next to

perform the upgrade.
If you enabled Check Firmware Version, the Utility compares the

device’s firmware level with that of the upgrade files. If it finds
that the device’s version is higher than the upgrade version, it
brings up a dialog box informing you of the situation and gives
you the option to Continue or Cancel.

If you didn’t enable Check Firmware Version, the Utility installs
the upgrade files without checking whether they are a hig h er lev el,
or not.

As the Upgrade proceeds status messages appear in the Statu s
Messages panel, and the progress toward completio n is sh own on
the Progress bar.

2003-06-20

5-5

ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Upgrade

Succeeded

After the upgrade has completed, a screen appears to inform you that
the procedure was successful:

Click Finish to close the Firmware Upgrade Utility.

5-6

2003-06-20

The Firmware Upgrade Utility

Upgrade

Failed

If the upgrade failed to complete successfully a dialog box appears
asking if you want to retry. Click Yes to retry. If you Click No, the
Upgrade Failed screen appears:

Click Cancel to close the Firmware Upgrade Utility. See the next
section, Firmware Upgrade Recovery, for how to proceed.

2003-06-20

5-7

ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Firmware Upgrade Recovery

There are basically three conditions that call for firmware upgrade
recovery:

M When you invoke Firmware Upgrade Mode (see p. 5-2), but

decide not to proceed with the upgrade.

M When the Mainboard firmware upgrade fails.
M When the I/O firmware upgrade fails.

To perform a firmware upgrade recovery, do the following:

1. Slide the Firmware Upgrade Recovery Switch (see p. 1-11) to the
Recover position.

2. Power off and restart the switch according to the instructions
given in the Powering Off and Restarting section (p. 2-6).

5-8

3. Slide the Firmware Upgrade Recovery Switch back to the Normal
position.

4. Repeat Step 2.

Note: If one of the slave units fails to upgrade successfully, unchain

it from the installation and perform the recovery and upgrade
operation independently. After it has been succussfully
upgraded, plug it back into the chain.

2003-06-20

Appendix

his appendix provides specifications and other technical information regarding the

T

ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A.

ACS-1208A /ACS-1216A - Connection Tables

The following tables indicate the relationship between the number of
Master View units and the number of computers that they control:

ACS-1208A

MVs Computers MVs Computers MVs Computers MVs Computers

1 1 - 8 9 65 - 72 17 129 - 136 25 193 - 200
2 9 - 16 10 73 - 80 18 137 - 144 26 201- 208
3 17 - 24 11 81 - 88 19 145 - 152 27 209 - 216
4 25 - 32 12 89 - 96 20 153 - 160 28 217 - 224
5 33 - 40 13 97 - 104 21 161 - 168 29 225 - 232
6 41 - 48 14 105 - 112 22 169 - 176 30 233 - 240
7 49- 56 15 113 - 120 23 177- 184 31 241 - 248
8 57 - 64 16 121 - 128 24 185 - 192 32 249 - 256

2003-06-20

A-1

ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

ACS-1216A

MVs Computers MVs Computers MVs Computers MVs Computers

1 1 - 16 9 129 - 144 17 257 - 272 25 385 - 400
2 17 - 32 10 145 - 160 18 273 - 288 26 401 - 416
3 33 - 48 11 161 - 176 19 289 - 304 27 417 - 432
4 49 - 64 12 177 - 192 20 305 - 320 28 433 - 448
5 65 - 80 13 193 - 208 21 321 - 336 29 449 - 464
6 81 - 96 14 209 - 224 22 337 - 352 30 465 - 480
7 97- 112 15 225 - 240 23 353 - 368 31 481 - 496
8 113 - 128 16 241 - 256 24 369 - 384 32 497 - 512

OSD Factory Default Settings

A-2

The factory default settings are as follows:

Setting Default

OSD Hotkey [Scroll Lock] [Scroll Lock]
Port ID Display Position Upper Right Corner
Port ID Display Duration 3 Seconds
Port ID Display Mode The Port Number plus the Port Name
Scan Duration 5 Seconds
Scan/Skip Mode All
Screen Blanker 0 (Disabled)
Logout Timeout 0 (Disabled)
Beeper Y (Activated)
Accessible Ports F (Full) For all Users on all Ports

2003-06-20

Clear Login Information

If you are unable to perform an Administrator login (because the
Username and Password information has become corrupted, or you have
forgotten it, for example), you can clear the login information with the
following procedure:

1. Power off the switch and remove its housing.

2. Short the jumper labeled Default Password at the right front of the

switch’s main board.

Appendix

3. Power on the switch.

When you power the switch on, the following message appears on
the LCD display:

USERNAME AND PASSWORD INFORMATION HAS BEEN CLEARED.

PLEASE POWER OFF THE SWITCH, REMOVE THE JUMPER, CLOSE

THE CASE, THEN RESTART.

4. After you start back up, the OSD login function acts exactly the

way it did the first time the switch was run (see p. 4-2) and you
can reset passwords for the Administrators and Users.

2003-06-20

A-3

ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Specifications

Computer
Connections

Port Selection OSD (On Screen Display);

LEDs On Line 8 (Orange) 16 (Orange)

Console
Connectors

Computer Port Connectors 8 x SPDB-15 F 16 x SPDB-15 F
Daisy Chain Ports 1 x DB-25 M;

Scan Interval (OSD Select) User Specified: 1 - 255 secs.
Emulation Keyboard PS/2

Video 1920 x 1440; DDC2B
Power Consumption DC 9V; 7.5W (max.) DC 9V; 8W (max.)
Operating Temperature 0 - 50
Storage Temperature -20 - 60
Humidity 0 - 80% RH
Housing Metal
Weight 2.73 kg 2.83 kg
Dimensions (L x W x H) 48.3 x 15.5 x 4.5 cm (19" 1U)

Function ACS-1208A ACS-1216A

Direct 8 16
Max 256 (via Daisy Chain) 512 (via Daisy Chain)

Hotkeys

Selected 8 (Green) 16 (Green)
Power 1 (Blue)

2 x 7 Segments
Keyboard 1 x 6 pin mini DIN F
Mouse 1 x 6 pin mini DIN F
Video 1 x HDB-15 F

1 x DB-25 F

Mouse PS/2

o

C

o

C

A-4

2003-06-20

Rack Mounting

The ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A can be mounted in a 1U system rack.
For convenience and flexibility, the mounting brackets can screw into
either the front or the back of the unit so that it can attach to the front or
the back of the rack.To rack mount the unit do the following:

1. Screw the mounting brackets into the sides of the unit at the front
or the rear, as shown in the diagrams below.

2. Slide the unit into the rack and secure it to the rack.

Appendix

2003-06-20

A-5

ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Manual

Troubleshooting

Symptom Possible Cause Action

Erratic behavior. Unit not receiving

Mouse and/or
Keyboard not
responding.

All Station IDs
display as 01.

enough power.

Improper mouse
and/or keyboard
reset.

Station 1 has
suddenly lost power.

Check that the Power Adapter that
was supplied with the unit is plugged
in and functioning properly.

Unplug the cable(s) from the console
port(s), then plug it/them back in.

Wait a few seconds for the system to
reinitialize the station sequence and
display the proper IDs.

Limited Warranty

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE DIRECT VENDOR’S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PRICE PAID
FOR THE PRODUCT FROM THE DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CON­SEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCT, DISK OR ITS
DOCUMENTATION.

The direct vendor makes no warranty or representation, expressed, implied, or statu tory with respect
to the contents or use of this documentation, and specially disclaims its quality, performance,
merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose.

The direct vendor also reserves the right to revise or update the device or documentation without
obligation to notify any individual or entity of such revisions, or update. For further inquires please
contact your direct vendor.

A-6

2003-06-20

Index

A

ACS-1208A

Computer Connection Table. . . . . . . . A-1

Front View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Rear View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

ACS-1216A

Computer Connection Table. . . . . . . . A-2

Front View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Rear View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Activate Beeper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

ADM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Administrator functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Auto Scanning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

Invoking Auto Scan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Pausing Auto Scan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Scan Duration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Setting the Scan Interval. . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

B

Beeper

Activate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

BRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13

Broadcast Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13

C

Clear Login Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

Clear the Name List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

Computer Connection Tables. . . . . . . . . A-1

F5 SKP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12

F6 BRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13

F7 SCAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

F8 LOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15

Factory Default Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Firmware upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11, 5-2

recovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

recovery switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Firmware upgrade mode

invoking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

G - H

GOTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Hardware Requirements

Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Hardware Requirments

Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Hot Plugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Console Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

CPU Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Hotkey

Beeper Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Command Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Invoking Hotkey Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

OSD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Selecting the Active Port . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Summary Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

E - F

Edit Port Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9F

F1 GOTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

F2 LIST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

F3 SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

F4 ADM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

2003-06-20

I

Installation

Daisy Chaining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Single Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Invoke firmware upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Invoking Hotkey Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

I - i

ACS-1208A / ACS-1216A User Guide

L

LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Logout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15

Logout Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

LOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15

O

OSD

Factory Default Settings. . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Hotkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1, 4-6

Logout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15

Main Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 - 4-2

Main Screen Headings. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

P

Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1, 4-8

Pause. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

Port ID

Display Duration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Display Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Display Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Port Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

Powering Off and Restarting . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Reset Station IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Restore Default Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

S

SCAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

Scan Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

SCAN/SKIPMODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Screen Blanker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Selecting the Active Port. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

SET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Accessible Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Logout Timeout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Quick View Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Username . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Setting the Auto Scan Interval . . . . . . . . 3-3

Skip Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5, 4-7, 4-12

SKP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4

Station IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7, 2-3

Reset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Station Positions

Switching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Switching Station Positions. . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

T

Timeout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

Q - R

Quick View Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Rack Mounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5

Recovery switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

I - ii

2003-06-20

U

Upgrading the firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Username . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8