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Any-port-to-any-port
serial communication.
No “master port” is
needed.
Mix, match, and
control peripherals
from one PC.
Configure each port
independently,
including the DTE
or DCE setting.
Converts between data
rates, data formats, and
types of flow control.
Supports up to two
(base unit) or four
(expanded)
simultaneous
connections.
Can be reset or
restored to default
settings remotely.
W
hat do you do if you have one
or more PCs, a few RS-232
peripherals, and data that needs
to flow between them, from Point
A to Point B, or Point A to Point C,
or sometimes even from Point D
to Point E?
The Code-Operated Matrix
Switch (COMS) might be just what
you need. It performs any-to-any
switching between its five ports
in response to ASCII-characterbased commands. If you have
more than five devices, you can
add the 4-Port Expansion Board
(SW541-C) to the base COMS unit
for a total of nine ports. Or you
can cascade multiple COMS units.
It doesn’t matter if your
devices aren’t absolutely
compatible. Each port on the
COMS can be independently
configured for data rate, data
format, flow control, and break
detection. You can also
independently set each port
as DTE or DCE, so you can use
straight-through-pinned cables
to connect most devices.
012345678 PWR
STATUS
CODE OPERATED
MATRIX SWITCH
Any-to-any switching without serial compatibility problems.
Key Features
CODE-OPERATED MA TRIX SWITCH
By sending the proper
commands, any port can connect
to and disconnect from any other
port, or (as a third party) make or
break a connection between any
two other ports. There can be as
many simultaneous connections
through the COMS as the number
of ports will permit. On the base
unit’s five ports, two simultaneous
connections are possible; on a
unit with the Expansion Board
installed, as many as four such
connections are possible. (The
COMS has a 31-KB buffer to keep
data intact, even with four devices
sending at once.)
In emergencies, or when John
and Jane leave without releasing
their peripherals, one command
can break all existing connections.
If you should ever have
problems, another command
resets the COMS. You can set
the unit’s DIP switches to clear
or maintain existing connections
when the unit is reset.
The control sequence of
the switch is a series of ASCII
characters: a user-defined
“attention string” from 1 to 8
characters long that prepares
the unit to receive a command,
followed by a “command
sequence” from 1 to 3 characters
long that tells the COMS what to
do.
Graphics data can include
almost any combination of
characters, including those of
the COMS’s control sequences.
For this reason, you can configure
any of the COMS’s ports to make
“transparent links” that ignore
control sequences. These links
can be broken from other ports
or by sending a break.
In addition to disconnecting
active links, COMS commands
enable you to save link states to
NVRAM, see help and status
screens, set port names, and
perform remote resets and
reloads.
NOTE: If the standard COMS
settings don’t meet the needs of
your application, we might be able
to custom-program it for you. For
details, call Black Box Tech
Support.
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.
12/08/2003 #10906
2
• During the day, one PC can receive orders through your modem
while another directs an RS-232 industrial controller to fill the
orders. At closing, the first PC can send reports to the printer while
the second uses the modem to relay info to HQ.
• Depending on the requirements of the job, each of your four PCs
can print to any of your five serial printers.
Typical applications
• Code-Operated Matrix Switch, with 31 KB of buffer memory and
5 ports
• Desktop power supply
• 5.25" diskette containing LinkUp software
• Users’ manual
Package includes:
• A snap-in 4-Port Expansion Board (SW541-C) for adding four
additional devices to your switched network. You can install this
circuit board in only minutes with just a screwdriver.
• An asynchronous RS-232 modem or line driver for long-distance
control of your devices
• RS-232 cable
• AC and data-line surge protectors
• Communications software
Y ou might also need:
Extend distances in your local RS-232 network.
Ordering Information
ITEM CODE
Code-Operated Matrix Switch
115-VAC..............................................................SW540A-R3
230-VAC...........................................................SW540AE-R3
Y
ou may also need…
4-Port Expansion Board..........................................SW541-C
Extended-Distance Data Cable (NEC
®
CL2),
12 Conductors (6 Pairs)–Pins 1–8, 15, 17, 20, 22
(NOTE: Specify gender and length) ...................EDN12C
PC
19,200-bps Modem
9600-bps Printer
Up to 50 ft. (15.2 m)
with RS-232 Cable
Up to 500 ft. (152.4 m) with
Extended-Distance Data Cable
9600-bps Host
PC
Code-Operated
Matrix Switch
Compliance: FCC Part 15 Class A,
DOC Class/MDC classe A
Code Set: ASCII
Data Format: 7 or 8 data bits with
even, odd, or no parity (userselectable); 1 stop bit (fixed)
Data Rates: 19,200, 9600, 4800, 2400,
1200, 600, 300, or 110 bps
Distance (Maximum): 50 ft. (15.2 m)
to any attached device using
standard cables, or 500 ft.
(152.4 m) using ExtendedDistance Data Cables
Flow Control: Hardware (DTR/ CTS)
or software (X-ON/ X-OFF),
user-selectable
Interface: EIA RS-232/ITU-TSS V.24;
each port can be set
independently as DTE or DCE
Internal Memory: 32-KB RAM
including 31-KB buffer; NVRAM
for link-state storage
Leads Supported: 1 through 8, 20,
and 22
MTBF: 20,000 hours (16,000 hours
with Expansion Board)
Operation: Full-duplex
Protocol: Asynchronous
User Controls: ASCII characters.;
(7) internal DIP switches:
(2) for system options,
(5 or 9*) for port options;
(5 or 9*) internal jumpers for
DTE/DCE
Diagnostics: Various self-tests
Connectors: (5) or (9*) rear-mounted
DB25 female
Indicators: (10) front-mounted LEDs:
(1) Power and (9) Status
Temperature Tolerance:
Operating: 32 to 113˚F
(0 to 45˚C);
Storage: -4 to +158˚F
(-20 to +70˚C)
Humidity Tolerance: Up to 95%
noncondensing
Enclosure: Steel
Power: Nondetachable desktop
power supply:
SW590A-R2: 115 VAC, 60 Hz;
SW590AE-R2: 230 VAC, 50 Hz
Size: 2.3"H x 12"W x 11.1"D
(5.8 x 30.5 x 28.2 cm)
Weight: Base unit with power
supply: 9.6 lb. (4.4 kg);
Expansion Board: 0.6 lb. (0.3 kg)
* (1) for each basic or expanded
port
Specifications
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