ClearCube C-Port MVX User Manual

C/Port and Multi Video Expander

User’s Guide

Technical Support

Please refer to our support website for technical updates, additional warranty
information and documentation, and software revisions:

Web: http://support.clearcube.com

Email: [e-mail]

Phone: [phone] or call toll free [phone] (United States)

ClearCube Technology Corporate Headquarters

Mailing and Shipping Address:

The ClearCube Building
8834 Capital of Texas Hwy N.
Austin, Texas 78759
Email: [e-mail]
Main Phone: [phone] or call toll free [phone] (United States)
Main Fax: [phone]
Or your local ClearCube Reseller or Authorized Service Provider

Copyrights

©2005–2008 by ClearCube Technology Inc. All rights reserved. Under copyright laws,
this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval
system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of
ClearCube Technology, Inc.

This information is subject to change without notice and ClearCube shall not be liable
for any direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages in connection
with the use of this material.

Trademarks

ClearCube™, Blade Switching BackPack™, PC Blade™, C/Port™, and I/Port™ are
trademarks of ClearCube Technology Inc. Product and company names mentioned
herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

Patents

The ClearCube Architecture and its components described in this user manual are
protected by numerous granted and pending U.S. and international patents.
Granted patents include: US05926172, US05966056, US05994952, US06012101,
US06020839, US06037884, US06038616, US06119146, US06148182,
US06167241, US06385666, US06421393, US06426970, US06633934,
US06708247, US06735658, and US06886055.

Patents pending include: US S/N 09/755378, US S/N 10/279475, US S/N 10/198719,
US S/N 10/198650, US S/N 10/409219, US S/N 09/728667, US S/N 09/728669, US
S/N 10/411804, US S/N 10/411908, US S/N 10/458853, US S/N 10/364584, US S/N
10/301536, US S/N 60/411066, US S/N 10/662933, US S/N 10/662889, US S/N
10/662932, US S/N 10/662968, US S/N 10/301563, US S/N 10/662936, US S/N
10/301518, US S/N 10/662955 and US S/N 10/662954.

Inquiries regarding patented technology should be directed to ClearCube Corporate
Headquarters.

Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

How to Use this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

FCC Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

California Proposition 65 Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

WEEE Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Warning Regarding Medical and Clinical Use of ClearCube Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

Safety Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Chapter 1. ClearCube C/Port Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Fiber Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

C7420 Fiber C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

F6150–160 Fiber Transceiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Multi-Video Expander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Chapter 2. C/Port Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Caution Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Orientation and Venting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Power Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

C7130 and C7120 C/Port Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Following Best Practices for Cabling and Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Identifying Your C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Identifying your Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Unpacking the C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Installing the C/Port on the Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Tuning the C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Before Tuning a C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Tuning a C7130 Connected to an R4300 Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Tuning a C7130 Connected to an R4200 Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Tuning a C7120 or Earlier Model Connected to an R4300 Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Tuning a C7120 or Earlier Model Connected to an R4200 Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Fine-Tuning Model C7130 C/Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Tuning Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Using the C7130 Blade Reset Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Using the Blade Reset Button on Earlier C/Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Locking out Mass Storage Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

iii

C7420 Fiber C/Port Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Setting up the C7420 Fiber C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Understanding C7420 LED Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Configuring the C7420 Fiber C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Understanding Default Network Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Setting up Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Direct Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

DHCP Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Sentral Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Chapter 3. MVX Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Hardware Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Installing the Video Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Installing the MVX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Software Installation and Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Removing Outdated NVIDIA Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Installing the NVIDIA Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Important Notes about MVX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Appendix A. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

C/Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Red link status indicator on PC blade and C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

No link status indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Poor video quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Loss of peripheral devices (USB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

No video or link lights at desktops and no power to blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

MVX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

No video is present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

The monitor’s Auto-Adjust does not give a clear, sharp image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

The video signal is lost after changing display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Fiber Optic Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

No video and/or digital link present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

The monitor’s Auto-Adjust does not give a clear, sharp image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Appendix B. Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

C7420 Fiber C/Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

MVX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Appendix C. Regulatory Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Emissions (Radio Frequency Interference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) Immunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Power Harmonics and Flicker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Safety Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

CE Marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

iv

Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

C7420 Fiber C/Port and F6150–160 Fiber Transceiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Emissions (Radio Frequency Interference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) Immunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Power Harmonics and Flicker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Safety Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

CE Marking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

v

vi

Preface

How to Use this Guide

Thank you for purchasing your quality ClearCube products. The ClearCube Architecture was
developed to bring you unprecedented levels of manageability, security, reliability, and space
savings. The ease of use of ClearCube’s products makes installation straightforward.

This manual provides all the product and installation information needed to set up and run
ClearCube Technology’s C/Port Architecture for managed desktop environments. We
recommend that you familiarize yourself with the ClearCube Architecture and product
descriptions and read through the entire installation and setup procedures before beginning
installation.

If you encounter any problems, please contact our Technical Support using the contact
information provided on the inside front cover of this manual.

FCC Warning

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
strict accordance with the instructions in this manual, may cause interference to radio and
television reception. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by ClearCube
Technology could void the user's authority to operate the equipment under the FCC Rules.

California Proposition 65 Statement

WARNING: ClearCube products contain chemicals, including lead, known to the State of
California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after

handling.

ClearCube products should be disposed of in accordance with local laws governing computer
equipment disposal.

WEEE Information

The products described in this document are subject to regulation under the European Union
Directive 2002/96/EC, that mandates separate waste collection, treatment, and recycling of
electronic products. This directive is commonly known as WEEE, for Waste from Electrical
and Electronic Equipment, and its intent is to promote the safe and sensible disposal of
products that have outlived their usefulness.

The “crossed-out” trash bin symbol, shown to the left, identifies products that should be
recycled, not simply discarded. ClearCube Technology supports the reuse, recycling,
recovery, and responsible disposal of all products, not just our systems.

Preface • vii

ClearCube Technology is committed to meeting the requirements of the European Union
WEEE Directive and is currently developing country-specific implementation plans that
comply with the WEEE legislation. The goal of the directive is to reduce the environmental
impact due to the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment that has reached the end of its
useful service life. This directive goes into enforcement on August 13, 2005.

ClearCube products are sold exclusively to commercial and industrial customers and not to
private households. Under the WEEE legislation terms, commercial and industrial customers
have the responsibility to ensure that all electrical and electronic equipment is disposed of
properly and in accordance with all applicable laws and local regulations. For more
information, visit the ClearCube Technology web site at www.clearcube.com

[e-mail]

, or call at [phone] or [phone].

, email at

Materials used in this product, if not disposed of properly, could have adverse effects on the
environment and human health. Do not dispose of these products in unsorted municipal waste
containers. Deliver electronic waste only to an approved recycling, and/or treatment facility. If
one is not available, contact ClearCube for assistance.

Warning Regarding Medical and Clinical Use of ClearCube
Products

ClearCube products are not designed with components and testing for a level of reliability
suitable for use in or in connection with surgical implants or as critical components in any life
support systems whose failure to perform can reasonably be expected to cause significant
injury to a human. Applications of ClearCube products involving medical or clinical treatment
can create a potential for death or bodily injury caused by product failure, or by errors on the
part of the user. Because each end-user system environment is customized and differs from
ClearCube testing platforms and because a user may use ClearCube products in combination
with other products in a manner not evaluated or contemplated by ClearCube, the user is
ultimately responsible for verifying and validating the suitability of ClearCube products
whenever ClearCube products are incorporated in a system, including, without limitation, the
appropriate design, process and safety level of such system or application.

viii • Preface

Symbols

Symbols are used on the equipment to convey specific information to the operator and service
person. It is important to understand the intended meaning of these symbols. Below are the
graphical symbols that are used on ClearCube Technology, Inc. Products and their meaning.

Refer to Manual

Used on the equipment’s rating label to direct the operator or ser­vice person to the manual for additional information.

Stand By

One symbol used for each blade installed located on front of the
chassis. Soft Start switch used to power on that particular blade.

Fuse

Located on equipment rating label. Symbol is accompanied with
the specifications needed for replacement. Only qualified techni­cians should perform this operation.

Protective Earth Terminal

Identifies the terminal that is used to connect all metal parts of the
enclosure through an external conductor to ground for the protec­tion against electrical shock in a fault condition.

Equipment Protection Class II

May be located on the power adapter’s rating label. Indicates that
equipment is double insulated from hazardous voltages. Not to be
confused with “Class 2” that is a US National Electrical Code (NEC)
circuit classification.

These same symbols are used within this document where appropriate to indicate situations
that merit checking this or another manual, or situations that could result in damage to
equipment or physical injury.

CAUTION: A Caution notice in this manual indicates that equipment damage
or minor injury may result if proper procedures are not followed.

WARNING – A Warning notice
equipment damage, or serious injury including death may result if proper
procedures are not followed.

in this manual indicates that catastrophic

Safety Guidelines

Before undertaking any troubleshooting or maintenance procedure, read carefully all
WARNING and CAUTION notices. This equipment contains voltage hazardous to human
life and is capable of inflicting personal injury.

• Installations – ClearCube equipment is required to be installed in accordance with the
local electrical codes and may be subject to inspection by the authority having jurisdiction.

• Chassis Grounding – ClearCube’s chassis and Fiber Transceiver has been designed with
a three-conductor IEC 60320 appliance inlet that – with the proper power cord – connects
the building’s external protective earthing conductor to all accessible metal parts of the
enclosure. To minimize shock hazard, make sure your electrical power outlet has an
appropriate earth safety ground that is connected each time you power on the equipment.

—Apparaten skall anslutas till jordat uttag när den anslutas till ett nätuerk.—

• Power Cord Selection – ClearCube or ClearCube’s Distributors provides power cords
that are specifically designed for use with that particular piece of equipment and are
approved for use by the local authority having jurisdiction in the country where the

Preface • ix

equipment is put into service. Please refer to the installation sections of this manual for
specific power cord requirements. For replacement of power cords, refer to Appendix C –
Technical Support.

• Power Adapters – ClearCube or ClearCube’s Distributors provides power adapters that
are specifically designed for use with that particular piece of equipment and are approved
for use by the local authority having jurisdiction in the country where the equipment is put
into service. Please refer to the installation sections of this manual for specific power cord
requirements. For replacement of power cords, refer to Appendix C – Technical Support.

• IT Power Systems – ClearCube equipment has been evaluated and found to be
compatible with IT power distribution systems with a phase-to-phase voltage not to
exceed 240 V.

• Live Circuits – Operating personnel and service personnel must not remove protective
covers when operating the ClearCube chassis. Adjustments and service to internal
components must be undertaken by qualified service technicians. During any service of
this product other than replacing a PC blade or the fan tray, the main connector to the
premise wiring must be disconnected. Dangerous voltages may be present under certain
conditions. Use extreme caution.

• Explosive Atmosphere – Do not operate the chassis in conditions where flammable gases
are present. Under such conditions this equipment is unsafe and may ignite the gases or
gas fumes.

• Part Replacement – Only service equipment with parts that are exact replacements, both
electrically and mechanically. Contact ClearCube Technology for replacement part
information. Installation of parts that are not direct replacements will void the warranty
and may cause harm to personnel operating the chassis. Furthermore, damage or fire may
occur if replacement parts are unsuitable.

• Modification – Do not modify any part of the C/Port, chassis, or PC blade from its
original condition. Modifications may result in hazards.

• Laser Safety – The Fiber Transceiver and the Fiber C/Port have been evaluated and
certified to an EN 60825-1 – Safety of laser products.

x • Preface

ClearCube Technology products that use lasers display the following graphic on the rating
label:

Marked devices comply with the FDA code of Federal 21 CFR 1040 per Notice 50 and/or the
Canadian Radiation Emitting Devices Act REDR C1370.

CAUTION: Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures
other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation
exposure.

Chapter 1. ClearCube C/Port Overview

The ClearCube architecture delivers Intel-based PC functionality to the desktop from a secure,
centralized location. This results in dramatic increases in manageability and security while
providing mission-critical reliability, performance, and uptime improvements with lowered
costs. Replacing a traditional PC box with a ClearCube C/Port or I/Port in an office or cubicle
also saves space, eliminates fan noise and simplifies cabling resulting in a clear cube. The key
components of the ClearCube Architecture are:

• PC Blade – a remotely-located, Intel-based computer in a dense form factor.

• Chassis – a centralized PC blade housing that provides the power for each PC blade and

accepts a wide variety of chassis modules.

• Chassis Module – a modular interface card that plugs into a chassis and provides user

port, management, and network connections.

• User Port – a remote desktop unit (C/Port or I/Port) to which standard peripherals are

connected.

• System Management – ClearCube Management Suite software and monitoring hardware

that is built into the blades, chassis, and user ports.

C/Port

This guide is devoted to the following C/Ports:

• C/Port – Copper-connected user port

• Fiber C/Port – Optical fiber-connected user port

• Multi-Video Expander (MVX) – Optional accessory that connects to a C/Port or Fiber

C/Port and allows using as many as four monitors at the desktop (optional video card may
be required).

The C/Port, shown in Figure 1 on page 2, is a desktop unit to which a user’s standard
peripherals are connected. The C/Port supports a 200–meter (660–foot) maximum connection
distance from the blade and has two USB ports, PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports, speaker and
microphone ports and video output port. Other C/Port options such as the Multi-Video
Expander (MVX) are also available from ClearCube.

C/Port • 1

Figure 1. ClearCube C/Port

C/Ports are connected via standard twisted-pair copper networking cables: CAT5, CAT5e,
CAT6, or CAT6e. Table 1

Cable Type Distance

CAT5 660 feet (200 meters)

CAT5e 660 feet (200 meters)

CAT6 * C7130: 330 feet (100 meters)

lists the distance limits for C/Port installations.

Table 1. C/Port Connection Limits

CAT6, CAT6e *

Cable certified for 45 nS / 100 meters delay skew or less.

*

Cable certified for 25 nS / 100 meters delay skew or less.

* *

Note: C/Port connections use all four twisted pairs in a straight-through connection.

Note: When configuring an Admin Daisy Chain connecting 9 or more R4300 chassis, the

Admin C/Port must be located within 100 meters of the equipment rack if using CAT5
or CAT5e cable, or within 50 meters of the equipment rack if using CAT6e. When the
Admin Daisy Chain has 8 R4300 chassis or fewer, or is composed entirely of R4200
chassis, the standard distance lengths for C/Port cabling apply.

C7120 or earlier: 330 feet (100 meters)

*

C7130: 660 feet (200 meters)

2 • ClearCube C/Port Overview

Fiber Solution

This section describes:

• C7420 Fiber C/Port

• F6150–160 fiber transceiver

C7420 Fiber C/Port

The C7420 is connected to an F6150–160 fiber transceiver, and the fiber transceiver is
connected to ClearCube PC blades. When deployed using a secure point-to-point fiber
connection, data displayed to the desktop does not commingle with any network traffic, and
users cannot disconnect the fiber desktop for use with a PC or notebook. C7420 does not
require special OS drivers.

The C7420 securely extends user desktops from centralized PC blades. This point-to-point
fiber optic solution supports existing fiber cabling infrastructures that employ a pair of
multi-mode fibers for each user. On the back-end, the C7420 connects to a F6150 fiber
transceiver chassis using a pair of 62.5µm or 50µm, multi-mode fibers through an LC connector.

ClearCube’s digital fiber optic extension technology leverages PCoIP™ technology to deliver:

• High-end PC experience for up to two monitors. You can configure each monitor

independently, specifying resolution and portrait or landscape orientation.

• Transparent USB redirection from the C7420 back to the PC blade. Standard peripheral

connections include:
– USB (including isochronous USB devices)

– HD audio input and output
– Digital and analog video

• Standard PC blade connection up 2,000 meters or greater

• Small form factor pluggable (SFP) single or multimode fiber optic modules

Fiber Solution • 3

Front

Power Indicator LED

Power

Connector

For more information about setting up your C7420, about connecting devices to the C7420,
and about understanding the indicator LEDs, see "C7420 Fiber C/Port Installation
page 20.

F6150–160 Fiber Transceiver

Fiber

Activity

Link Indicator

USB 1.1 Ports

Rear

LC Fiber

Figure 2. C7420 Fiber C/Port

Power Button

Audio In Audio OutDVI–I Port 1 DVI–I Port 2

USB 1.1

Ports

Remote Blade

Power Button

" on

The F6150–160 fiber transceiver converts signals sent between C7420 Fiber C/Ports and PC
blades. The F6150–160 provides the following features:

• 2U–chassis compatible with standard, 19–inch racks

• Sixteen F6151 media converters that convert 10/100BASE–TX to 100BASE–FX

• Front–panel LEDs indicating power status, link status, connection speed, connection
mode, activity status, and collision status

• Hot–swappable media converters

• Hot–swappable, redundant, load–sharing power supplies

For more information about the F6150–160 fiber transceiver, see the Quick Start Guide and
the User’s Guide included with the transceiver.

4 • ClearCube C/Port Overview

Multi-Video Expander

The ClearCube Multi-Video Expander (MVX) provides a revolutionary way to multi-task and
process information.

While the C/Port provides all the peripheral and USB connections, the multiplexed video
signal can be passed through to the MVX via a noise-limiting VGA connector cable. The
MVX distributes the individual video frames to the appropriate output connectors. The two
video outputs on the MVX are special, high-density connectors that can each drive two
monitors.

The MVX can be used with either the standard C/Port or the Fiber C/Port for connection over
copper or fiber optic cable (the MVX does not function with I/Ports). The MVX requires that
the PC blade have a multi-monitor graphics card and ClearCube-customized NVIDIA video
drivers installed. The centralized ClearCube architecture combined with multi-video
capabilities results in the ideal solution for space-constrained trading floors and other
applications requiring multiple displays.

Figure 3. ClearCube MVX Rear View

Shown in Figure 3
and can be stacked on top of a C/Port.

The ClearCube multi-video solution offers these features:

• Support for as many as four displays over a single C/Port cable or 62.5 micron,

multi-mode fiber

• NVIDIA-based graphics adapter for PC blade

• ClearView™ video driver/GUI based on NVIDIA’s award-winning nView video driver

• Analog and digital output (DVI) that provides resolution as high as 1280 x 1024 on each

monitor

on this page, the MVX is physically the same size as the standard C/Port

Multi-Video Expander • 5

Cable Requirements

The ClearCube chassis uses standard network cables with RJ45 connectors to connect to
C/Ports and to an Ethernet network. These can be CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6, or CAT6e cables.
C/Ports require straight-through cables with all four twisted pairs available. See Table 1
page 2 for a maximum distance chart for these cables for C/Ports. Network connections follow
standard Ethernet guidelines. In practice, identical copper media can be used for C/Ports and
for network connections, although ClearCube recommends using different cable colors for
C/Port and network connections to simplify installation and maintenance. Throughout this
guide, “C/Port cable” and “network cable” refer interchangeably to copper-media cable such
as CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6, or CAT6e.

Note: Obtaining the maximum cable distance requires the use of cables with a delay skew

specification of < 25 nS / 100m. CAT6e cables generally meet this requirement, but a
majority of CAT6 cables do not.

Each fully loaded chassis requires eight C/Port cables with RJ-45 connectors for connections
to C/Ports at the desktop and eight network cables for blade connections to the Ethernet
network hub or switch. Additionally, short color-coded C/Port cables (Green for Chassis
Management & Control, Red for Sparing, and Yellow for Admin Port) are provided to
configure and daisy-chain your chassis.

Note: The C/Port cable connections use all four-wire pairs for the connection from the PC

blade to the C/Port. If your installation currently splits out wire pairs for multiple uses,
you must ensure that all four twisted pairs are available for each blade to C/Port
connection.

on

Figure 4 on this page provides schematics of the cabling required to connect your chassis to

user ports and your Ethernet network.

Data CenterUser Desktops

with C/Ports

Admin C/Port

and Terminal

Homerun

C/Port Cables

Figure 4. C/Port Architecture Cabling Diagram

Chassis

Network

Switch

Ethernet

Cables

6 • ClearCube C/Port Overview

The following figure shows a typical cabling configuration to connect C7420 Fiber C/Ports to
an A3100 chassis. Note the recommended configuration, where the data network is separated
from the PCoIP network.

Sentral
Server

Sentral Switch

. . . .

PCoIP

PRI

SEC

BLADE 5

Network Switch

Fiber Transceiver

Fiber Connections

A3100 Chassis with 10 A1410 Blades

PCoIP

. . . .

PRI

SEC

BLADE 6

External Data Sources

Data

Network

and Entities

C7420 Fiber C/Ports and Peripherals

Figure 5. C7420 Cabling Diagram

Cable Requirements • 7

8 • ClearCube C/Port Overview