B&B Electronics 3PXCC4A User Manual

This manual covers the following B&B Electronics’ model serial
cards:

Four Port, Any Address, Any IRQ

RS-232/422/485 Serial Card

CE

Model 3PXCC4A

Documentation Number 3PXCC4A3001

Each of these models is an RS -232 serial card and uses the same printed
circuit board. The "1" and "2" suffix designates the number of ports on the card. The
model number of the card i s printed on a sticker on the board.

This product designed and manufactured in Ottawa, Illinois USA

of domestic and imported parts by

International Headquarters

B&B Electronics Mfg. Co. Inc.

707 Dayton Road -- P.O. Box 1040 -- Ottawa, IL 61350 USA

Phone [phone] -- General Fax [phone]

Home Page: www.bb-elec.com

Sales e-mail: orders@ bb-el ec.com

Technical Support e-mail : [e-mail]

-- Fax [phone]

-- Fax [phone]

European Headquarters

B&B Electronics Ltd.

Westlink Commercial P ark, Oranmore, Co. Galway, Ireland

Phone [phone] -- Fax [phone]

Home Page: www.bb-europe.com

Sales e-mail: orders@ bb-europe.com

Technical Support e-mail : [e-mail]

 B&B Electronics -- Revised August 2001

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B&B Electronics Mfg Co – 707 Dayton Rd - PO Box 1040 - Ottawa IL 61350 - Ph 815-433-5100 - Fax [phone]

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction and General Information ...........1

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

Specifications.........................................................................2

Chapter 2: Quick Installation Guide..................................3

Chapter 3: Windows Installation .......................................5

Checking Device Manager for Available Address/IRQ’s

(Windows 95/98)....................................................................5

Adding Serial Port(s) in Windows 95/98 8
Changing COM Port Resources in Windows 95/98 13

Checking Windows NT Diagnostics for Available

Address/IRQ’s (Windows NT 4.0)........................................16

Checking Windows 2000 for Available Address/IRQ’s ........19

Adding Serial Port(s) in Windows 2000 24

Chapter 4: Address and IRQ Setting...............................31

Address Switch Setup..........................................................31

Interrupt Jumper Setup ........................................................34

Shared IRQ Mode................................................................35

Chapter 5: Communication Jumper Settings.................36

RS-232 Mode.......................................................................36

RS-422 Mode.......................................................................36

RS-485 Mode.......................................................................37

RS-485 Operation..........................................................37

RS-422 and RS-485 Termination.........................................38

High Speed Mode ................................................................38

Chapter 6: Physical Hook-up and Troubleshooting......39

Pinouts.................................................................................39

RS-232 Pinouts..............................................................39

RS-422 Pinouts..............................................................40

RS-485 Pinouts..............................................................40

Communication Cable Data.................................................41

Troubleshooting ...................................................................42

Appendix A: Hardware I/O Map......................................A-1

Appendix B: Declaration of Conformity Statement.....B-1

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Chapter 1: Introduction and General Information

The B&B Electronics’ 3PXCC4A series serial interface cards are
designed for the IBM PC, XT, AT and compatibles. Ports are
configured as a standard DTE device, and connections are made on
RJ45 style connectors.

The 3PXCC4A cards offer exceptional setup flexibility. The
3PXCC4A series has the ability to use any I/O address and any
hardware interrupt. You can install as many serial ports as will
physically fit in a machine. To use one of the “non-standard”
addresses or interrupts, the serial software used must also offer that
flexibility. If you are writing your own application, be sure the
communications routines used support any address and IRQ. B&B
Electronics’ SimpCom Communications Drivers support these
features.

Features

Each port independently configurable for any hex address 0 to hex
3F8 including COM1 – COM4

Each port independently configurable for any interrupt: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15

Shared IRQ capability with Interrpt Status Register
Each port independently configurable for RS-232/RS-422 or RS-485
Jumper selectable interrupts: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15
Enhanced 16 bit Address Decoding
Baud rates up to 460.8K baud in RS-422/RS-485 Mode, 115.2K

baud in RS-232 Mode
16550A UARTs on all ports
RS-232 mode supports lines: TD, RD, RTS, CTS, DSR, DCD, and

DTR
RS-422/RS-485 mode supports lines: TD and RD
RTS control of RS-485 driver enable
Can be wired for half or full duplex RS-485 communications

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Specifications

Bus: IBM PC ISA Bus
Slot: Requires 1 full length slot for complete IRQ selectability. When

installed in a short slot, IRQ’s 10-15 will not be available.
Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 in (18 x 10.9cm)
I/O connection: RJ45 (8 conductor) connectors for all four ports
Character length: 5, 6, 7, or 8 bits
Parity: Even, odd or none
Stop bits: 1, 1.5, or 2
RS-232 Drivers:

Device: 75185 Transceiver
High level output voltage: 6.0 V minimum
Low level output voltage: -6.0 V minimum

Output current limited to

±10 mA

RS-232 Receivers:
Device: 75185 Transceiver
Input high threshold voltage: 1.5V
Input low threshold voltage: 0.75V
Device will withstand

±30V

RS-422/485 Driver/Receiver:
Device: 75ALS180
Differential driver output voltage: 1.5 - 6 V
Differential input high-threshold voltage: 0.2 V
Differential input low-threshold voltage: -0.2 V

Power Consumption:
RS-422/485 Mode without termination on drivers

+5V, 175mA, 875mW
+12V, 60mA, 720mW

-12V, 60mA, 720mW

RS-232 Mode

+5V, 165mA, 825mW
+12V, 80mA, 960mW

-12V, 80mA, 960mW

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Chapter 2: Quick Installation Guide

The following steps will help you install the Model 3PXCC4A Serial
Card. Please follow (step-by-step) the following numbered
instructions and refer to any corresponding chapters for more
details.

Before removing the card from the anti-static protective packaging.

• Discharge any static electricity buildup on your body by touching

• Avoid touching the gold connectors or other parts on the card

• Remove AC power from the computer and unplug the power

• Retain the ESD bag for handling the card.

Save the packaging for storage or shipping.

CAUTION: Electrostatic Sensitive Device.
Use ESD precautions for safe handling.

a large grounded metal surface or the metal chassis on
equipment connected to earth ground by a 3-wire power cord.

except as necessary. After setting the jumper, ground yourself
to the computer chassis before and while inserting the card.

cord before inserting the card.

1. Make sure you have an available ISA slot for installing your B&B

Electronics Serial Card. You may have to remove the cover of
your PC.

2. Determine what addresses and IRQ’s are free to use on your

PC by checking your operating system for unused addresses
and IRQ’s. Each port uses eight I/O address spaces starting at
the base address that you select. Each port I/O address and
interrupt request (IRQ) must be set as well. See “Checking
Device Manager for Available Address/IRQ’s” in Chapter 3 for
your operating system. Refer to Chapter 4 (Table 3) for
frequently unused I/O addresses and IRQ’s. Write down the
address and IRQ you select to use. Do not physically install the
ISA card at this point.

3. Add New Hardware – This consists of adding a port or ports to

your operating system. See “Adding Serial Ports” in Chapter 3
for specific instructions for your operating system.

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4. Assign Address and IRQ – The address and IRQ are set in the

operating system that you are using. This is the final step of
adding new hardware. See Chapter 4 for more details.

5. Set up the address (with dipswitches) and IRQ (jumpers) on the

serial card to reflect unused addresses and IRQ’s that you want
to use. The address dipswitch setting consists of configuring
seven dipswitches that reflect a particular hex address. The IRQ
is set via a little black jumper. See Chapter 4 for an explanation
of address and IRQ settings as well as details on configuring the
card itself.

6. Set serial card hardware jumpers for the communication

parameters that you desire. See Chapter 5 for an explanation of
serial parameters and details on how to configure them.

7. Shut down the PC before installing the serial card.

8. Install ISA serial card into an available ISA slot in the PC.

9. Physical Hook-up and Troubleshooting – pinout, cable data, and

troubleshooting information. See Chapter 6 for more details.

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Chapter 3: Windows Installation
Checking Device Manager for Available

Address/IRQ’s (Windows 95/98)

Click on Start / Settings / Control Panel and double-click on System
Properties.

Left-click on Device Manager.

Double-click on Computer.

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Left-click on Interrupt Request.

Find a free IRQ in the displayed list. Any number that is seen on

the left hand side of this screen is an IRQ that is currently being
used. The object is to find a number of IRQ(s) that are not listed and
set your port(s) using those IRQ’s.

Left-click on Input/Output (I/O).

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Scroll through the list, check 03F8H, 02F8H, 03E8H, 02E8H. If

one of these is available, use it. If not, check alternates.

Find a free address in the list. Most desktop PC’s have a COM1
and possibly a COM2 already on their system which will be seen in
the list. You might have to start at COM3 or COM4 to begin
addressing the ISA card. If these addresses are used you may have
to resort to the Frequently Unused Port Addresses (found in Chapter
4, Table 3) of this manual. Write these open addresses and IRQ’s
down for later reference.

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Adding Serial Port(s) in Windows 95/98

Go to Start Menu / Settings / Control Panel.
Run the Windows Add New Hardware utility found in the control

panel. Click Next.

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Click Next.

Select Yes/No for the device in the list. Click Next.

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Select No (you do not want Windows to search for your new
hardware). Click Next.

Select Ports (COM & LPT). Click Next.

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Select (Standard port types) and Communication Port. Click Next.

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The next screen will show the address and interrupt request of
the port. These may not match your configuration. For now, simply
click Next. Windows may ask for the Windows 95/98 disk/CD to be
inserted.

Finally, click Finish.

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Changing COM Port Resources in Windows 95/98

Click Start / Settings / Control Panel and double-click on System
Properties.

Click on Device Manager (make sure “View devices by type” is
enabled.

Double-click on Ports (COM & LPT).
Double-click on the new port that has been added.

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