Avocent ESP Serial Hub, ESP-2 MI, ESP-4 MI, ESP-8 MI, ESP-16 MI Installer/user Manual

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Installer/User Guide

ESP Serial Hub

Installer/User Guide

Avocent, the Avocent logo and The Power of Being There are registered trademarks of Avocent Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

USA Notification

WARNING: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in the residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

Canadian Notification

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le Ministère des Communications du Canada.

European Union

WARNING: This is a Class A product. In domestic environment, this product may cause radio interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

iii

Table of Contents

List of Tables..................................................................................................................vii

Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1

Features .............................................................................................................................................1

Serial port access........................................................................................................................1

Management tools.......................................................................................................................2

Version........................................................................................................................................3

Chapter 2: Hardware Installation and Network Configuration..................................... 5

ESP Serial Hub Kit Contents........... ................................................... ...............................................5

LEDs and Buttons..............................................................................................................................5

Physical Interfaces..................................................................................................... ........................6

Termination ................................................................................................................................7

RS-485 transmitter and receiver transfer modes........................................................................7

Serial port pin assignments ........................................................................................................7

Network Interface ..............................................................................................................................9

Electrical..........................................................................................................................................10

Installing the Hub ............................................................................................................................10

Startup ......................................................................................................................................11

Configuring network information.............................................................................................11

After startup and address configuration...................................................................................12

When Changes Take Effect ..............................................................................................................12

Reinitializing and Resetting the Hub...............................................................................................13

Reinitializing.............................................................................................................................13

Resetting ...................................................................................................................................13

Chapter 3: Connection Methods, Attributes and Configurable Features................. 15

Serial Port Connection Methods........................................... ................................................... ........15

Serial port redirection ........................................................................................ ......................16

Telnet server .............................................................................................................................16

Raw TCP server........................................................................................................................17

Raw TCP client.........................................................................................................................19

Modem emulation .....................................................................................................................21

TABLE OF CONTENTS

iv ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

Configuration utility .................................................................................................................28

Serial Port Attributes.......................................................................................................................28

Configurable Features.....................................................................................................................29

Chapter 4: Web Interface............................................................................................... 31

Accessing the Web Interface............................................................................................................31

Passwords........................................................................................................................................31

Displaying or Changing Network Configuration Values ................................................................32

Displaying or Changing Serial Port Attributes...............................................................................33

Displaying or Changing Port Connection Methods ........................................................................33

Displaying or Changing the Serial Port Physical Interface............................................................34

Sending a Break to a Port................................................................................................................36

Displaying Hardware Information ..................................................................................................36

Displaying or Updating Flash Memory...........................................................................................36

Displaying or Changing Configurable Features.............................................................................37

Downloading a Configuration File....................................................................................... ...........37

Launching the ESP-View Diagnostic Utility ...................................................................................38

Displaying General Statistics ..........................................................................................................38

Displaying Port Statistics ................................................................................................................39

Displaying Connection Status..........................................................................................................39

Rebooting the Hub ...........................................................................................................................41

Reinitializing the Hub......................................................................... .............................................41

Chapter 5: Configuration Utility.................................................................................... 43

Accessing the Configuration Utility.................................................................................................43

Accessing with Telnet ...............................................................................................................43

Accessing a hub with no configured IP address.......................................................................43

Accessing on a port using the configuration utility connection method...................................44

About the Configuration Utility Interface ................................................................................44

Passwords........................................................................................................................................45

Displaying or Changing Network Configuration Values ................................................................45

Displaying or Changing Serial Port Attributes...............................................................................46

Displaying or Changing Connection Methods ................................................................................46

Displaying or Changing the Serial Port Physical Interface............................................................48

Sending a Break to a Port................................................................................................................49

Table of Contents v

Displaying Hardware Information ..................................................................................................49

Displaying or Updating Flash Memory...........................................................................................49

Displaying or Changing Configurable Features.............................................................................50

Downloading a Configuration File....................................................................................... ...........50

Rebooting the Hub ...........................................................................................................................51

Reinitializing the Hub......................................................................... .............................................51

Displaying General Statistics ..........................................................................................................51

Displaying Port Statistics ................................................................................................................52

Displaying Connection Status..........................................................................................................52

Displaying and Using Debug Features ...........................................................................................52

Chapter 6: Configuration Files...................................................................................... 55

Sample Configuration File...............................................................................................................55

File Format and Command Syntax..................................................................................................56

Port Interface Command .................................................................................................................57

Port Connection Method Commands...............................................................................................57

Port Redirection command.......................................................................................................57

Port Telnet Server command....................................................................................................57

Port TCP Server command.......................................................................................................57

Port TCP Client command .......................................................................................................58

Port Modem Emulation command............................................................................................58

Dialout Translation command..................................................................................................58

Port Configuration Utility command........................................................................................58

Port Attributes Command................................................................................................................58

Network Command ..........................................................................................................................59

Configurable Features Commands..................................................................................................59

Initiating a Configuration File Download.......................................................................................59

Completion Status............................................................................................................................60

Chapter 7: ESP-Install Program.................................................................................... 61

Running the ESP-Install Program...................................................................................................61

Creating Installation/Update Command Blocks..............................................................................62

Updating ESP Hub Configurations .................................................................................................63

Removing ESP Hubs........................................................................................................................63

Commands .......................................................................................................................................64

Sample Script File............................................................................................................................65

vi ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

Chapter 8: ESP-View Diagnostic Utility ....................................................................... 67

Accessing and Exiting the ESP-View Utility....................................................................................67

Datascope ........................................................................................................................................67

Loopback..........................................................................................................................................70

Status................................................................................................................................................71

Appendices..................................................................................................................... 73

Appendix A: Technical Specifications .............................................................................................73

Appendix B: Changing the Serial Port Interface on

ESP-2 MI Hubs................................................................................................................................75

Appendix C: Adaptors......................................................................................................................77

Appendix D: Technical Support.......................................................................................................80

Index................................................................................................................................ 81

vii

List of Tables

Table 2.1: LEDs and Buttons............................ ................................................... ..............................5

Table 2.2: Physical Interface and Connector Summary....................................................................6

Table 2.3: RS-232 Serial Port Pin Assignments................................................................................7

Table 2.4: RS-422 and RS-485 Serial Port Pin Assignments ............................................................8

Table 2.5: Ethernet Connector Pin Assignments...............................................................................9

Table 2.6: ESP Serial Hub Electrical Connectors ..........................................................................10

Table 2.7: When Changes Take Effect..................................... ................................................... .....12

Table 3.1: Serial Port Redirection Configurable Items...................................................................16

Table 3.2: Telnet Server Connection Method Configurable Items..................................................17

Table 3.3: Raw TCP Server Connection Method Configurable Items ........................... .................18

Table 3.4: Raw TCP Client Connection Method Configurable Items.............................................19

Table 3.5: Modem Emulation Connection Method Configurable Items .........................................21

Table 3.6: Modem Commands............ .............................................................................................24

Table 3.7: Modem Command Response Codes ...............................................................................26

Table 3.8: Dialout Translation Set ..................................................................................................27

Table 3.9: Configuration Utility Connection Method Configurable Items .....................................28

Table 3.10: Serial Port Valid and Default Values ..........................................................................29

Table 3.11: Configurable Features .................................................................................................29

Table 4.1: Reference to Connection Method Rules and Values ......................................................34

Table 4.2: General Statistics Display..............................................................................................38

Table 4.3: Port Statistics Display....................................................................................................39

Table 4.4: Serial Port Active Connection Status Display................................................................39

Table 4.5: Serial Port Redirection Connections Status Display .....................................................40

Table 5.1: Reference to Connection Method Rules and Values ......................................................47

Table 6.1: Configurable Features Commands ................................................................................59

Table 7.1: ESP-Install Program Commands...................................................................................64

LIST OF TABLES

viii ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

Table 8.1: ESP-View Utility Datascope Window Buttons ...............................................................68

Table 8.2: ESP-View Utility Status Display ....................................................................................71

Table A.1: ESP Serial Hub Technical Specifications......................................................................73

Table C.1: RS-422 CAT 5 Adaptor Pin Assignments.......................................................................77

Table C.2: RS-485 CAT 5 Adaptor Pin Assignments.......................................................................77

Table C.3: Adaptors for Use with CAT 5 and CAT 6 Cable............................................................78

Table C.4: Reversing Adaptors and Cables ....................................................................................78

CHAPTER

Introduction

Features

ESP Ethernet serial hubs contain an autosensing 10/100 Ethernet port and multi-interface (MI) serial ports. MI ports may be configured to use the RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485 physical interface.

• The ESP-2 MI hub contains two MI serial ports.

• The ESP-4 MI hub contains four MI serial ports.

• The ESP-8 MI hub contains eight MI serial ports.

• The ESP-16 MI hub contains eight MI serial ports and eight dedicated RS-232 ports. Modular adaptors are available to facilitate the connection between the ESP serial hub ports and

target devices.

Serial port access

All ESP hubs support several ways to access the serial ports. Each of these connection methods is described in Chapter 3, beginning on page 15.

• Serial port redirection

• Telnet server

• Raw TCP server

• Raw TCP client

• Modem emulation

• Configuration utility Serial port redirection uses drivers installed on a host computer. The ESP serial hub drivers are

supported on the following operating systems:

Windows

2000 Windows XP

Windows NT

4.0 Windows Server 2003

OpenServer™ 5.0.5a or higher UnixWare

7.0.1a or higher

Linux

AIX

4.3 and 5.1/5.2

Sun

Solaris™ for X86 or SPARC 8 or higher

2 ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

For serial port redirection, the ESP hub is configured using the appropriate drivers running on any Microsoft Windows host, or espdiag and espcfg for OpenServer, UnixWare, Linux, Sun or AIX systems. Certain configuration values are set during driver installation.

The file-driven ESP-Install prog ram may be used to install, modify and remove Wind ows dri vers for ESP serial hubs without the need for on-site technical personnel. See ESP-Install Program on page 61.

All other connection methods do not require the use of drivers.

Management tools

You may configure and manage an ESP serial hub using the following tools:

• Web interface - see Chapter 4, beginning on page 31

• Configuration utility - see Chapter 5, beginning on page 43

• Configuration files - see Chapter 6, beginning on page 55

• Unix system utilities espcfg and espdiag (Unix systems) - these utilities have lim ited support

for connection methods other than port redirection

• Socket Application Program Interface (API) The web interface and the configuration utility offer the most comp rehen sive sets of available

operations, including:

• Displaying and changing network configuration values

• Displaying and changing a port’s physical interface (ESP-4 MI, ESP-8 MI and ESP-16

MI hubs)

• Displaying and changing a port’s attributes

• Displaying, enabling/disabling and configuring connection methods for each port

• Sending a line break to a port

• Displaying hardware information

• Displaying or updating Flash memory

• Displaying or enabling/disabling configurable features

• Downloading a configuration file

• Rebooting or reinitializing the hub

• Displaying general and port statistics

• Displaying connection status

• Diagnostics

• Using the web interface, you may launch the ESP-View diagnostic utility that provides datascope, loopback and status functions; see Chapter 8, beginning on page 67

• The configuration utility also supports diagnostic features; see Displaying and Using Debug Features on page 52

Chapter 1: Introduction 3

The ESP hubs support attended and unattended configuration. With attended configuration, you set values and request actions directly through the web interface or the configuration utility. Unattended configuration uses a flat text file containing configuration command s. The commands are processed as if they were requested using the web interface or the configuration utility. The command file may be read by BootP/DHCP during initial ESP hub configuration. Downloadin g a command file may also be initiated using the web interface and configuration utility. See Chapter 6, beginning on page 55.

The ESP serial hub also provides a socket API for on-the-fly serial port operations. This API is an extension of the raw TCP interface, which allows data to be read from or written to an ESP hub serial port. Using socket calls, an application is able to alter port settings (such as baud rate) or read current serial control signals (such as DTR). For details on the API specification, contact Avocent Technical Support.

Version

This document covers features available with the ESP hub application version 3.05 or later. ESP-2 MI serial hubs and Avocent ESP MI serial hubs will accept the new firmware; check the CD

that ships with the hub (and the www.avocent.com web site) to verify the current boot and application versions.

Older hubs are not compatible with the new firmware. For information about older hubs, you can reference the manual that shipped with the hub, download the original manual from the web site or contact Technical Support.

4 ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

CHAPTER

Hardware Installation and Network Configuration

ESP Serial Hub Kit Contents

• ESP serial hub.

• SuperSerial CD-ROM.

• For ESP-2 MI and ESP-4 MI hubs: External power supply (PS) with attached PS-to-unit barrel connector. The line cord for the power supply is appropriate to the intended country of operation.

• For ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI hubs: AC power cord.

Modular adaptors are available from Avocent; see Adaptors on page 77.

LEDs and Buttons

All LEDs and buttons are on the front of the ESP serial hub.

Table 2.1: LEDs and Buttons

Item Models Description

POWER All The POWER LED is lit when the hub is connected to a power source.

ONLINE All

The ONLINE LED is lit (not blinking) when the hub’s self-test and initialization procedures have completed successfully.

On ESP-4 MI hubs at power up, the LED will blink rapidly until the hub is initialized, then it will be lit (not blinking). If a problem occurs, the LED will turn off.

ESP-2 MI and ESP-4 MI

The 10 LED is lit when the hub is connected to a 10 Mbps LAN, and the 100 LED blinks when traffic is present on the 10 Mbps LAN.

100 All

The 100 LED is lit when the hub is connected to a 100 Mbps LAN. On ESP-2 MI and ESP-4 MI hubs, the 10 LED blinks when traffic is present on

the 100 Mbps LAN.

LINK

ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI

The LINK LED is lit when the hub establishes a connection to the network.

6 ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

Physical Interfaces

Table 2.2 summarizes the ESP serial hub physical interfaces and connector information. Details follow the table.

All of the serial ports on the ESP-2 MI, ESP-4 MI and ESP-8 MI hubs may be configured to support the following physical interfaces:

• RS-232 DTE signaling

• RS-422 signaling (default)

• RS-485 2-wire half duplex (HD) signaling

On ESP-16 MI hubs, the first eight serial ports (ports 1-8) may be configured to support any of the physical interfaces noted above. The remaining eight ports (ports 9-16) are dedicated RS-232 ports.

By default, RS-232 is enabled on all serial ports. For ESP-2 MI hubs, internal jumper settings select the physical interface for each port. See

Changing the Serial Port Interface on ESP-2 MI Hubs on page 75.

TRAFFIC

ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI

The TRAFFIC LED blinks when there is traffic on the LAN.

RESET All

Pushing (and holding for ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI hubs) the RESET button reboots the hub; see Resetting on page 13.

INIT All

Pushing and holding the INIT button restores the hub to factory defaults; see Reinitializing on page 13.

Table 2.1: LEDs and Buttons (Continued)

Item Models Description

Table 2.2: Physical Interface and Connector Summary

Model

Connector type and location

Physical interfaces can be configured on Where physical

interface is configured

RS-232 RS-422 RS-485

ESP-2 MI

DB-9 Front of hub

all ports (1-2) all ports (1-2) all ports (1-2) hardware

ESP-4 MI

DB-9 Front of hub

all ports (1-4) all ports (1-4) all ports (1-4) software

ESP-8 MI

RJ-45 Back of hub

all ports (1-8) all ports (1-8) all ports (1-8) software

ESP-16 MI

RJ-45 Back of hub

all ports (1-16) only ports 1-8 only ports 1-8 software

Chapter 2: Hardware Installation and Network Configuration 7

For ESP-4 MI, ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI hubs, the physical interface can be changed in software, using any of the available tools.

• Web interface - see Displaying or Changing the Serial Port Physical Interface on page 34.

• Configuration utility - see Displaying or Changing the Serial Port Physica l In terface on page 48.

• Configuration file - see Port Interface Command on page 57.

Termination

When the RS-422 or RS-485 interface is enabled for a serial port, you may also enable/disable 100 ohm termination of the differential receive signal pair on that port. This termination is typically used in RS-485 environments when the device is the first or last on a multi-drop line for a 2-wire configuration. This termination should always be set when the hub is configured for RS-422, as this is a point-to-point configuration.

If your configuration includes supplying your own external termination, the termination on the hub should not be used.

On ESP-2 MI hubs, termination is enabled or disabled in hardware; see Changing the Serial Port Interface on ESP-2 MI Hubs on page 75. On ESP-4 MI, ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI hubs, termination is enabled or disabled using any of the available tools.

RS-485 transmitter and receiver transfer modes

On ESP-4 MI, ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI hubs, the RS-485 physical interface always uses the ADDC (Automatic Data Detection Control) transfer mode. The transmitter is enabled and the receiver is disabled when a space (zero) bit is sent. The transmitter is disabled and the receiver is enabled when a mark (one) is sent. This allows rapid turnaround and release of the data pair.

On ESP-2 MI hubs, the RS-485 physical interface can use the ADDC or RTS (Request to Send) transfer mode. In RTS mode, the transmitter is enabled and the receiver is disabled when RTS is true. The transmitter is disabled and the receiver is enabled when RTS is false. The RS-485 transfer mode on ESP-2 MI hubs may be specified using any of the available tools.

Serial port pin assignments

Serial port pin assignments are provided on a label on the bottom of the hub. Table 2.3 lists the pin assignments for the RS-232 interface.

Table 2.3: RS-232 Serial Port Pin Assignments

Pin Number RS-232 Description Direction

1 DCD Data Carrier Detect Input 2 RxD Receive Data Input 3 TxD Transmit Data Output

8 ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

Table 2.4 lists the pin assignments for the RS-422 and RS-485 interfaces.

4 DTR Data Terminal Ready Output 5 GND Ground N/A 6 DSR Data Set Ready Input 7 RTS Request to Send Output 8 CTS Clear to Send Input 9 N/C N/C N/A Not supported: RI, RS-422 RTS and CTS differential control signals.

Unused pins (labeled N/C) should not have wires att ached to t hem. Floating wi res could cau se unba la nced noise, shorten overall distances and deg radeperformance.

Table 2.4: RS-422 and RS-485 Serial Port Pin Assignments

Pin Number RS-422/485 * Description Direction

1 RxD (+) Receive Data (pos) Input 2 RxD (-) Receive Data (neg) Input 3 TxD (+) Transmit Data (pos) Output 4 TxD (-) Transmit Data (neg) Output 5 GND Ground N/A 6 DSR (RS-232) Data Set Ready (remains RS-232) Input 7 RTS * (RS-232) Request to Send (remains RS-232) * Output 8 CTS * (RS-232) Clear to Send (remains RS-232) * Input 9 N/C N/A N/A * The RS-485 interface is implemented by using special cables that connect RxD(+) to TxD(+) and RxD(-) to

TxD(-), thus providing the 2-wire bidirectional interface. In addition, pins 7 and 8 should be jumpered together to signal that the port is configured for RS-485. Pins 7 and 8 should be left open for an RS-422 configuration.

Table 2.3: RS-232 Serial Port Pin Assignments (Continued)

Pin Number RS-232 Description Direction

Chapter 2: Hardware Installation and Network Configuration 9

Network Interface

The Ethernet port supports 10/100 auto detect (speed and duplex) connections. The LAN connector accepts 10BaseT or 100BaseT LAN interface cable. On an ESP-2 MI or ESP-4 MI hub, the LAN connector is on the front of the hub. On an ESP-8 MI or ESP-16 MI hub, the LAN connector is on the back of the hub. A CAT 5 cable is required for 100BaseT operation.

Table 2.5 lists the pin assignments for the RJ-45 shielded Ethernet connector.

The network interface speed may be configured with the following values.

Auto-negotiate 10 Mb/second half or full duplex 100 Mb/second half or full duplex 10 Mb/second half duplex 100 Mb/second half duplex 10 Mb/second full duplex 100 Mb/second full duplex

By default, auto-negotiate and all settings are enabled. The setting that will be used is determined by which settings are available and also by priority. For a standard CAT 5 twisted pair cable, the priority is (from highest to lowest):

100 Mb/second, full duplex 100 Mb/second, half duplex 10 Mb/second, full duplex 10 Mb/second, half duplex

The network interface speed may be specified using any of the available tools.

• Web interface - see Displaying or Changing Network Configurati on Values on page 32.

• Configuration utility - see Displaying or Changing Network Configurati on Values on page 45.

• Configuration file - see Network Command on page 59.

Table 2.5: Ethernet Connector Pin Assignments

Pin Signal

1 Transmit Data + 2 Transmit Data 3Receive Data + 4* 5* 6Receive Data 7* 8* * These pins are usually connected in a standard Ethernet CAT 5 cable. Special termination for these signals

is in the interface to eliminate any problems if they are connected.

10 ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

Electrical

Table 2.6 describes the electrical connector information for the ESP serial hubs. For electrical specifications, see Technical Specifications on page 73.

Installing the Hub

All ESP hubs ship ready to use in a tabletop environment. ESP-2 MI hubs may be installed on a DIN rail. Contact your Avocent representative for

information about an Industrial Mounting Kit. ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI hubs may be rack mounted. You may replace an existing ESP hub with a similarly configured hub without affecting the server

or having to reconfigure the ports.

NOTE: The power outlet should be near the equipment and be easily accessible.

NOTE: ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI hubs are not user serviceable. To avoid electric shock, do not attempt to open

the unit or operate with the cover off. Do not attempt to make any repairs. See Technical Support on page 80 for information.

Table 2.6: ESP Serial Hub Electrical Connectors

Model Electrical Connector

ESP-2 MI

Two electrical power connectors are located on the front of the hub under the label POWER 9-30 VDC 4W. You may use either one of the connectors, but not both.

The hub ships with an external power adaptor. This adaptor includes a barrel plug that is inserted into the left power connector.

The hub also contains a 3-pin screw terminal block connector which provides connection for a 9-30 VDC power source. The locations of the positive, ground and negative pins are printed next to the connector.

Surge protection is provided for each serial port up to 15,000 volts electrostatic discharge (ESD).

ESP-4 MI

The power connector is located on the front of the hub. An external universal 5 VDC power supply, which must be provided by Avocent, has a standard IEC AC input connector that accepts power cords with country-dependent plugs.

Surge protection is provided for every signal on each serial port and meets or exceeds the applicable European CE Immunity Standards.

ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI

An AC line cord connector is located on the back of the hub. The hub ships with an 18 AWG three-wire cable, with a three-lead IEC-320 receptacle on the power supply end and a country dependent plug on the power resource end.

Chapter 2: Hardware Installation and Network Configuration 11

Startup

To initiate the startup sequence:

1. The MAC address is printed on a label on the hub. This address is used as a Unit ID to distinguish different ESP hubs on the network. Record the MAC address.

00 - ____ - ____ - ____ - ____ - ____

2. Attach a 10BaseT or 100BaseT LAN interface cable to the LAN connector on the hub. A CA T 5 cable is required for 100BaseT operation. Then, attach the other end of the LAN interface cable to the Ethernet hub or switch.

3. Connect devices to the serial ports on the hub, using appropriate cables (and adaptors, if needed).

4. Attach the electrical power connector to the hub, and then to an appropriate power source.

Configuring network information

Configuring network information includes setting the IP address, subnet mask and gateway. You may also change the network interface setting (see Network Interface on page 9 for more information).

To configure network information:

• Using the web interface - Y ou may initially access the hub using the predefined IP address (see

Accessing the Web Interface on page 31), then configure the network information (see Displaying or Changing Network Configuration Values on page 32).

• Using the configuration utility - The configuration utility is automatically enabled on port 1. Using a terminal emulation program of your choice (with a serial connection at 19200 baud, 8 bits, no parity and one stop bit), you may access the configuration utility on this port (see

Accessing the Configuration Utility on page 43). Then, configure the network information (see Displaying or Changing Network Configuration Values on page 45).

• Using the serial port redirection connection method - Install the ESP drivers included on the SuperSerial CD (be sure to check the Avocent web site, www.avocent.com, for the latest version).

You may also use the ESP-Install program with a script file to automate the installation ; see ESP-Install Program on page 61.

• Using a configuration file - If you are using a configuration file with a BootP or DHCP server, consult your operating system documentation to determine how to configure the BootP or DHCP server.

• After the ESP hub acquires an IP address (by any method), it will no longer use BootP or

DHCP. Therefore, you cannot change the network values using this method.

• The ESP hub requires a permanent IP allocation. If you are using DHCP, it must have an

infinite lease on the assigned IP address; an IP address with a finite lease will not be accepted.

12 ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

The BootP or DHCP server may also specify a configuration file using the “bootfile” parameter. See Chapter 6, beginning on page 55, for more information.

After startup and address configuration

After the ESP serial hub’s network information has been configured, you may configure each of the ports. Most port operations may be initiated for one port or all ports.

To configure ports:

• Using the web interface - see Displaying or Changing Serial Port Attributes on page 33, Displaying or Changing Port Connection Methods on page 33 and Displaying or Changing the Serial Port Physical Interface on page 34.

• Using the configuration utility - see Displaying or Changing Serial Port Attributes on page 46, Displaying or Changing Connection Methods on page 46 and Displaying or Changing the Serial Port Physical Interface on page 48.

• Using a configuration file - see Port Interface Command on page 57, Port Connection Method Commands on page 57 and Port Attributes Command on page 58.

When Changes Take Effect

When you change values, the ESP serial hub’s memory is updated immediately. Some changes take effect immediately; others take effect when the next connection is established with a port or after the hub is rebooted.

Table 2.7 indicates when each type of change takes effect.

Changing a web interface/configuration utility password takes effect the next time the web interface or the configuration utility is accessed.

Table 2.7: When Changes Take Effect

Action Immediately

On next connection

After reboot

Network address changes (IP, gateway, subnet) X Network interface speed X Enabling/disabling the hub’s configurable features X Changing a port’s physical interface X Enabling/disabling a port’s connection methods X Changing a port’s attributes X Updating a Flash image X Downloading a configuration file X

Chapter 2: Hardware Installation and Network Configuration 13

Reinitializing and Resetting the Hub

The information in this section is not a standard part of the startup sequence; however, it is provided for reference if the ESP serial hub must be reinitialized or reset.

Reinitializing

The INIT button on the front of the hub may be used to remove configured information from an ESP hub. The hub stores nonvolatile data such as the SNMP community name, admin password, system contact and IP address in memory. This information is erased by pressing and holding the INIT button until reinitialization occurs.

When the INIT button is first pressed, the ONLINE LED will begin to blink to confirm that you have pressed the INIT button. As the INIT button remains pressed, the ONLINE LED will blink at a faster rate. After approximately 12 seconds, the ONLINE LED will turn off. At this point, all nonvolatile information will be reset to the factory defaults and the hub will immediatel y reboot.

You may also reinitialize the hub using the web interface (see Reinitializing the Hub on page 41) or the configuration utility (see Reinitializing the Hub on page 51).

Resetting

The RESET button on the front of the hub may be used to reset the serial hub.

• On ESP-2 MI and ESP-4 MI hubs, pressing this button will cause an immediate reboot.

• On ESP-8 MI and ESP-16 MI hubs, pressing and holding this button for approximately one second will cause an immediate reboot if the master application is running. If the master application is not able to run (that is, only the bootloader is operational), pressing the RESET button will have no effect. However, if this condition persists for more than 15 seconds, the watchdog timer will cause the hub to reset.

You may also reset (reboot) the hub using the web interface (see Rebooting the Hub on page 41) or the configuration utility (see Rebooting the Hub on page 51).

14 ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

CHAPTER

Connection Methods, Attributes and Configurable Features

This chapter describes:

• Connection methods, which are configured for each serial port

• Attributes, which are configured for each serial port

• Configurable features, which are enabled/disabled for the entire hub

Serial Port Connection Methods

There are several methods to access a serial port on an ESP hub.

• Serial port redirection - see page 16

• Telnet server - see page 16

• Raw TCP server - see page 17

• Raw TCP client - see page 19

• Modem emulation - see page 21

• Configuration utility - see page 28

You may configure port connection methods using any of the available tools.

• Web interface - see Displaying or Changing Port Connection Methods on page 33

• Configuration utility - see Displaying or Changing Connection Methods on page 46

• Configuration file - see Port Connection Method Commands on page 57

Exclusivity and restrictions

Each connection method may be enabled or disabled for each ESP port. A port may have multiple connection methods enabled, with the following exceptions.

• The raw TCP client connection method is exclusive; when it is enabled on a port, no other connection methods can be enabled for that port. (Conversely, if other connection methods are enabled for a port, you cannot enable the raw TCP client connection method on that port until you disable the other methods.)

• If you enable the raw TCP server connection method and enable the idle TCP buffering option on a port, then the TCP server connection method becomes exclusive; no other connection methods can be enabled for that port.

16 ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

• The modem emulation connection method is valid only on an RS-232 port. This method is exclusive; when it is enabled on a port, no other connection methods can be enabled for that port.

In any case, a port may be actively open and used by only one method at a time.

Serial port redirection

The serial port redirection connection method uses an ESP serial redirection driver on a host computer to communicate with the hub. The driver creates a virtual COMM or TTY port interface within the host’s operating system.

Table 3.1 describes this method’s configurable items for each serial port.

To use the serial port redirection connection method, you must install drivers on the host computer. See the SuperSerial CD for information. You may also use the ESP-Install program; see ESP- Install Program on page 61.

Telnet server

The Telnet server connection method allows a user to make a Telnet connection to a serial port on the ESP hub and then transmit/receive data using the standard Telnet protocol. This method is also known as reverse Telnet.

When this method is enabled, the Telnet server within the hub will accept a connection from any valid remote IP address. There is no filtering of remote addresses. The connection will be accepted only if the port is not already open and in use by any connection method, including an existing Telnet session on that port. If the port is currently in use, the connection request will be rejected.

The Telnet session will remain established until the remote client ends the session, the Telnet TCP socket is broken or the inactivity time-out (if enabled) occurs.

Table 3.1: Serial Port Redirection Configurable Items

Item Description

Enable/ disable

Enables or disables the serial port redirection connection method on the serial port. (See Exclusivity and restrictions on page 15.)

The default value is enabled.

Serial buffering

Specifies the length of time accumulated serial data should be buffered before being sent to the remote server. Valid values are 0-65535 hundredths of a second. A 0 value indicates that data will be sent as soon as it is available.

For example, a value of 100 indicates that once serial data is received, it will remain buffered up to 1 second (100 hundredths of a second), at which time all data will be sent.

If the buffer becomes half full, the time is ignored and the data is sent. The default value is 0 (send immediately).

Chapter 3: Connection Methods, Attributes and Configurable Features 17

Table 3.2 describes this method’s configurable items for each serial port.

Raw TCP server

The raw TCP server connection method allows a remote client to make a TCP socket connection to a serial port on the ESP hub and then transmit/receive data using standard TCP. The remote client initiates the TCP session, using a predefined IP port number.

When this method is enabled, the TCP server will accept a connection from any valid remote IP address. There is no filtering of remote addresses. When a remote raw TCP client attempts to establish a connection, the raw TCP server will accept the connection only if the port is not already

Table 3.2: Telnet Server Connection Method Configurable Items

Item Description

Enable/disable

Enables or disables the Telnet server connection method on the port. (See Exclusivity and restrictions on page 15.)

The default value is disabled.

Local IP port number [base]

Specifies the IP port number on which the Telnet server will listen. If the all ports option is being used for configuration, this value specifies the local IP port

base. Each port’s actual local IP port number will be the base plus the port number. For example, if 6000 is specified as the base, the local IP port number for port 1 will be 6001, port 2 will be 6002 and so on.

This value (or its result when using the all ports option) must meet the following criteria:

• It cannot conflict with the port numbers specified for other enabled connection methods on any port.

• Valid values are 1024-65535, except 4000 and 4100, which are reserved.

• When using the all ports option, 4000 or 4100 may be used as the base. However, you cannot specify a base that, when added to a port number, will equal 4000 or 4100.

When using the all ports option, all ports must be valid or the entire selection will not be accepted.

The default value is 3001 for port 1, 3002 for port 2 and so on.

Inactivity timeout

Specifies the length of time before the Telnet session is disconnected if there is no activity. Valid values are 0-65535 seconds. A 0 value disables the inactivity time-out.

For example, a value of 60 indicates the Telnet session will be disconnected if there is no activity for a period of 60 seconds.

The default value is 0 (disabled).

Serial buffering

Specifies the length of time accumulated serial data should be buffered before being sent across the network to the Telnet client. Valid values are 0-65535 hundredths of a second. A 0 value indicates that data will be sent as soon as it is available.

For example, a value of 100 indicates that once serial data is received, it will remain buffered up to 1 second (100 hundredths of a second), at which time all data will be sent.

If the buffer becomes half full, the time is ignored and the data is sent. The default value is 0 (send immediately).

18 ESP Serial Hub Installer/User Guide

open and in use by any connection method, including an existing raw TCP server connection on that port. If the port is currently in use, the connection request will be rejected.

The TCP session will remain active until the remote client closes the TCP socket, the TCP connection is broken or the inactivity time-out (if enabled) occurs.

Table 3.3 describes this method’s configurable items for each serial port.

Table 3.3: Raw TCP Server Connection Method Configurable Items

Item Description

Enable/disable

Enables or disables the raw TCP server connection method on the port. (See Exclusivity and restrictions on page 15.)

The default value is disabled.

Local IP port number [base]

Specifies the IP port number on which the TCP server will listen. If the all ports option is being used for configuration, this value specifies the local IP port

This value (or its result when using the all ports option) must meet the following criteria:

• It cannot conflict with the port numbers specified for other enabled connection methods on any port.

• Valid values are 1024-65535, except 4000 and 4100, which are reserved.

• When using the all ports option, 4000 or 4100 may be used as the base. However, you cannot specify a base that, when added to a port number, will equal 4000 or 4100.

When using the all ports option, all ports must be valid or the entire selection will not be accepted.

The default value is 4001 for port 1, 4002 for port 2 and so on.

Inactivity timeout

Specifies the length of time before the TCP session is disconnected if there is no activity. Valid values are 0-65535 seconds. A 0 value disables the inactivity time-out.

For example, a value of 60 indicates the TCP session will be disconnected if there is no activity for a period of 60 seconds.

The default value is 0 (disabled).

Monitor DCD

(Valid only on RS-232 ports.) Enables or disables monitoring of the DCD signal, which is an indication that a serial device is attached and powered on. When enabled, the TCP server will refuse the TCP connection if the inbound DCD signal is logically low at the time the connection is initiated. If the inbound DCD signal changes from logically high to low while a TCP session is active, the TCP connection will be closed.

The default value is disabled.

Chapter 3: Connection Methods, Attributes and Configurable Features 19

Raw TCP client

The raw TCP client connection method allows the ESP hub to make a TCP-based connection to a remote server and then transmit/receive data using standard TCP. The client hub initiates the TCP session.

When this method is enabled, the raw TCP client will attempt to establish a connection with the configured server when the connection mode requirement has been satisfied. The TCP session will remain active until the client closes the TCP socket, the TCP connection is broken, the inactivity time-out (if enabled) occurs or if the connection mode is Connect on DCD and the DCD signal is lowered.

Table 3.4 describes this method’s configurable items for each serial port.

Serial buffering

For example, a value of 100 indicates that once serial data is received, it will remain buffered up to 1 second (100 hundredths of a second), at which time all data will be sent.

If the buffer becomes half full, the time is ignored and the data is sent. The default value is 0 (send immediately).

Idle TCP buffering

Enables or disables buffering of received serial data while waiting for a TCP connection to be established. When enabled, the most recent 20K bytes of data are held in an internal buffer. After the connection is established, the buf fered serial data is sent to the TCP client. When this option and this connection method are enabled, you may not enable any other connection method for the port.

The default value is disabled.

Table 3.3: Raw TCP Server Connection Method Configurable Items (Continued)

Item Description

Table 3.4: Raw TCP Client Connection Meth od Configurable Items

Item Description

Enable/disable

Enables or disables the raw TCP client connection method on the port. (See Exclusivity and restrictions on page 15.)

The default value is disabled.

Destination IP address

Specifies the IP address of the raw TCP server. This is a required item; there is no default value. Only one destination address can be configured for each serial port. The address cannot be 0.0.x.x, 127.x.x.x, 192.1.1.1, 248-255.x.x.x or the IP address of the ESP hub.

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