1
Switches to a backup
line when lapses in
the primary line are
detected.
Available with RS-232,
V.35, and RS-530
interfaces.
Switch using a
console command
or manual pushbutton,
or automatically upon
alarm.
8-position modular
cable included to
connect the switch to
an ASCII terminal.
Can be managed
remotely via modem.
Password-protected
control interface.
P
ut an end to leased line lapses
with the BLACK BOX
®
Fallback
Switch (FBS), Industrial. With this
standalone, remotely controllable
A/B switch, you can establish a
redundant line to carry your data
if your primary line fails. Automatic
switching occurs when the
Fallback Switch detects a lapse
on the primary line.
Available for RS-232/V.24, V.35,
or RS-530 circuits, the Fallback
Switch has three user data
connectors (labeled “common,”
“A,” and “B”) as well as one 8-wire
modular jack that supports 4-wire
cabling for console control.
The type of user connectors
depends on the model you order:
you get DB25 female ports with the
RS-232 and RS-530 versions, and
M/34 female connectors with the
V.35 models.
All offer switching flexibility.
You can switch via console
commands or manually by
pressing a front-panel pushbutton,
or by setting it up so it switches
Keep leased-line failures from
costing you downtime—and money.
Key Features
FALLBACK SWITCH (FBS),INDUSTRIAL
automatically upon an alarm
condition.
An LED on the unit’s front panel
indicates the current Fallback
Switch position, regardless of
whether you switch with the button
or from the console. The switch
also has LEDs that indicate activity
of the interface leads.
Its control interface firmware
functions as the logical bridge
between a management console
(any ASCII terminal) and the
Fallback Switch module, accepting
switching commands from the
console and relaying these
commands to the module.
You can even use a single
management console to control
multiple switches—the Fallback
Switch’s addressing enables
support up to eight units (although,
because of signal loading, the
practical limit may be as few as
three units).
DIP switches on the Fallback
Switch’s main circuit board control
its configuration parameters. With
these, you can assign a unique
address to each unit at a location,
determine if multiple units will be
supported, and determine the
control port command-signaling
rate. Configured as a DTE, the
switch includes control signaling
that may be required by a DCE,
such as a modem.
Alarm-activated switching
Through the management
console, you can program each
data line to alarm on various
interface leads, such as send or
receive data, serial clock transmit
and receive, request to send, and
clear to send.
When you program the
Fallback Switch to switch
automatically upon alarm, the
switch alerts you (or the operator)
when a condition occurs on a
specific interface. Or it can be set
to switch automatically to a backup
link upon alarm. Program it, for
example, so a loss of carrier detect
on the “A” connector triggers
automatic switching to the “B”
Black Box Corporation • 1000 Park Drive • Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 • Tech Support: 724-746-5500 • www.blackbox.com • e-mail: info@blackbox.com
© 2003. All rights reserved.
Black Box Corporation.
10/24/2003 #20273
2
• Fallback Switch (FBS), Industrial
• (1) modular 25-pin adapter (for the control port)
• (1) 6-ft. (1.8-m) 4-wire straight-through modular cable (for
connecting a DB25 terminal/PC connector to a single switch)
• (1) power cord
NOTE: If you use a PC with a 9-pin connector, you’ll need a a special
adapter. Also, to cable a terminal or PC directly to a group of
switches, use a DB25 ribbon cable. For ordering information on
these, contact Black Box Tech Support.
Approvals: FCC Part 15, UL®, CSA,
CE
Leads Supported: 1 through 25
Maximum Data Rate: Depends
upon cabling
Switches: (1) 2-position mode
selector
Energy Rate: 6 VA
Receptacle: 3-prong grounding
Interface: SW111A: RS-232/V.24;
SW115A: V.35;
SW116A: RS-530
Connectors: All: (1) 8-pin RJ-45;
SW111A, SW116A: (3) DB25 F;
SW115A: (3) M/34 F
Indicators: (1) A, (1) B, (1) SD, (1) RD,
(1) CD, (1) DTR, (1) RTS
Power: 100–120 VAC, 60 Hz
Size: 1.6"H x 8.4"W x 10.8"D
(4.1 x 21.3 x 27.4 cm)
Weight: 4.8 lb. (2.2 kg)
What’s included
Specifications
Ordering Information
ITEM CODE
Fallback Switch (FBS), Industrial
RS-232/V.24..............................................................SW111A
V.35 ............................................................................SW115A
RS-530.......................................................................SW116A
Y
ou might also want to order cables:
RS-232 Cable (NEC®CL2)........................ECM25C-0010-MF
side and a return of carrier detect
on “A” triggers automatic
switching back to “A.”
The Fallback Switch even
enables you to specify at what
point an alarm is reported. Set it up
so the condition causing the alarm
must be present for a certain
period of time (the “Time to
Alarm”) before the switch sends
an alarm to the console. Likewise,
you can also specify the time it
takes to clear an alarm that‘s
reported. With this function, the
switch issues a “clear” report after
the original alarm condition has
been clear for a user-definable
period of time.
Console-controlled data circuit
alarming on both “A” and “B”
connectors occurs independent
of switch position.
Console-driven operation
To determine the status of any
interface or switch the circuit, just
access the Fallback Switch
through the management console
connection. You can view the
physical-layer status of eight
signals on the “A” connector and
on the “B” connector regardless
of the current switch position.
User-friendly help screens
guide you through the process,
and you use password-protected
menus to access groups of switch
commands.
These include groups for
displaying and configuring switch
alarms and defining alarms per
interface; for switching and
displaying switch status; and for
turning on or off the leads status
display on the management
console. You can even disable
front-panel control to ensure that
all switching control comes from
the console’s user.
Also use the console menus
to set up remote control of the
Fallback Switch through a modem
connection. The switch can be
programmed to use this modem
link to automatically dial a remote
management terminal when an
alarm occurs and ”hang up” the
modem when the transmission is
completed.
The Fallback Switch stores all
configuration-related commands,
including switch settings, in
battery-backed RAM.
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