Comtrol ISA User Manual

Introduction

RocketPort®ISA

Hardware Installation

This Hardware Installation document discusses the following RocketPort ISA-bus serial controllers:

This Hardware Installation document discusses the following information:

• Product overview

•

RocketPort terminology

• Before installing the hardware

• Installing the hardware

• Interface overview

• Interface connectors and building loopback plugs

-

DB9

- DB25

- RJ45 or RJ11

• Setting ISA DIP switches

• Hardware specifications

• FCC notices

• Troubleshooting and creating diagnostics

• Contacting Technical Support

Product Overview

The RocketPort ISA series multiportserial card fits into
the ISA or EISA slot of a personal computer, and uses a 36
MHz processor that is specifically designed to process
asynchronous serial communications.

The RocketPort ISA series uses Application Specific
Integrated Circuits (AS ICs) technology to replace most
hardware components, including:

•Theprocessor

• Serial controller

• Bus interface logic and other miscellaneous logic
To eliminate memory mapping conflicts, the RocketPort

ISAseriesisI/Omapped.

Name Ports Interface Type

4* 4 Requires one 4-port interface box.
4J 4

Quadcable* 4
8** 8 Requires one 8-port interface box.

8J 8

Octacable 8

16** 16

32** 32

* Some 4-port models have the capability to be 8-port

cards with an 8-port interface. Some drivers view the
4-port as an 8-port card.

** For interface information, see the RocketPort Interface

Overview discussion.

You can install up to four RocketPortISA cards in one PC,
for a total of 128 additional serial ports, and you can install
a combination of PCI-bus and ISA-bus RocketPort cards.

Fordriverinstallation,seethes

configuration documentation or the driver readme file for

your operating system.

Note: Red underlined text denotes URL jumps.

This model has four male RJ45 jacks
on the mounting bracket. Cables are
not included.

Includes a fanout cable with
standard DB25 or DB9 connectors.

This model has eight male RJ11
jacks on the mounting bracket. The
8J does not support NT RAS, as it
lacks the full set of modem control
lines. Cables are not included.

Includes a fanout cable with
standard DB25, DB9, or RJ45
connectors.

Requires one 16-port DB25
connector interface box, or one
RM16-RJ45 Rack Mount interface
box.

Requires two 16-port DB25 interface
boxes, or two 16-port RM16-RJ45
Rack Mount interface boxes, or one
RM32-RJ45 Rack Mount interface
box.

oftware installation and

RocketPort® ISA Hardware Installation 1of9

RocketPort Terminology

For the purposes of the following discussions, these
products are referred to as “RocketPort ISA” cards:

• RocketPort ISA-bus boards (any interface type
including 4J, 8J, Quadcable, and Octacable)

•RocketPort485

These products are referred to as “RocketPort PCI” cards:

• RocketPort PCI-bus boards (any interface type
including 4J, Quadcable, and Octacable)

•RocketPortPlus

•RocketPortPCI422

Before Installing the Hardware

Read this subsection:

• If you already have one or more RocketPort ISA cards
installed in your system.

• If you plan to install a combination of RocketPort ISA
and RocketPort P CI cards at this time.

Installing Both RocketPort ISA and PCI Cards:

You must complete the installation of all RocketPort PCI
cards before beginning to install any RocketPortISA cards.

Explanation:

I/O addressing for RocketPort PCI cards is handled
automaticallybythecomputer’sBIOSwhenyoufirst
power up the computer after installing the cards.

I/O addresses for RocketPort ISA cards are set manually
using DIP switches on the card. If you install an ISA card
before installing a RocketPort PCI card, the ISA card
addressing may interfere with the computer’s ability to
recognize the RocketPort PCI card w hich may prevent the
PCI card from functioning properly.

Additional Considerations:

If you are mixing RocketPort ISA and PCI cards, set the
DIP switches on the ISA cards so that the first ISA card
that you install is the “first” card for I/O addressing
purposes,even if it is physically the second,third,or fourth
card that you install. See the Setting the DIP Switches
discussion for switch information.

Installing the RocketPort Hardware

Hardware installation consists of:

• Configuring I/O addresses

• Installing the card in the system.

• Connecting the peripherals.

Note: After installing the hardware, you must install the

device driver for your operating system.

Note: If you are installing PCI and ISA Rocket Port cards,

install the PCI cards and driver before installing
and configuring the ISA cards. See the software

installation and configuration documentation or the

driver readme file for information.

Use the following procedure to install the card.

1. If required, change the DIP switches (default is 180
hexadecimal) on the card to the desired settings. See
the Setting the DIP Switches discussion.

2. Turn off your computer.

3. Remove the system cover.

4. Select an ISA or EISA expansion slot.

Note: You can install the RocketPort ISA card in an ISA

5. Remove the slot cover.

Note: You may want to write down the model number and

6. Insert the card into the slot, seating it securely.

7. Reinstall the expansion slot retaining screw.

Note: You may want to leavethe system unit cover off until

8. Attach the interface that came with your card using

or EISA slot. Drivers are available on the Comtrol
Software and Documentation CD or at the Comtrol
Web site ftp://ftp.comtrol.com

isa_only/eisa_cfg/ directory.

serial number of the card before installation.

the driver is installed and running, in case you need
to experiment with the DIP switch settings.

the appropriate procedure:

If you are installing a Quad/Octacable:

a. AttachthemaleendoftheQuadcableorOctacable

to the card.

b. Tighten the retaining screws.

Note: Quad and Octacable models support RS-232

exclusively.

c. Go to Step 9 to complete the installation.

If you are installing a standard interface box:

a. Attach the male end of the RocketPort cable to the

card and the femal e end to the connector labeled

Host on the interface box.

Note: ThemaleDB25portlabeledHost is reserved for

Comtrol use and no user accessible signals are
present at this port.

b. Tighten the retaining screws.

Note: If you have a RocketPort 32, the connector

labeled J1 corresponds to Ports 0—15 and the
connector labeled J2 (closest to the bus)
corresponds to Ports 16—31.

c. Ifapplicable,use the slide switchesonthe interface

box to set each port to either RS-232 or RS-422.

d. Go to Step 9 to complete the installation.

/legacy/rocket/

RocketPort® ISA Hardware Installation 2of9

If you are installing a rack mount interface box:

The RM16-RJ45 and RM32-RJ45 are sturdy enough to
allow you to stack several units on a shelf, or you can
mount it directly into a rack.

Make sure that you have installed the RocketPort card
or cards before connecting a rack mount interface.

a. Optionally:

- place the unit on a stable surface, or

- attach the L brackets to the interface using the
screws supplied with the unit, and attach the L
bracket into your rack.

RocketPort Interface Overview

The RocketPortseries provides several interface options:

Note: The ISA-only RocketPort 8J does not support NT

RAS, as it lacks the full set o f modem control lines.

• Quadcable and Octacable fanout cables, which are
available with the following configurations:

- Quadcable DB25 and DB9.

- Octacable DB25, DB9, and RJ45.

Octacable

DB9

Note: You can mount the unit facing in either

direction.

b. Optionally, for all rack mount interfaces, attach the

10-foot cable or the 3-foot cable to the interface and
the RocketPort card, or attach the 3-foot and 10­foot cables together.

Note: The cables are interchangeable. You may

connect either or both cables depending upon the
distance between the card and the rack. The
maximum distance p ermitted between the
interface box and card is 15 feet.

c. Optionally, for the RM32-RJ45, attach the two

cables to the card and the interface. The connector
labeledJ1 corresponds to HostA (Ports 0 - 15), and
the connector labeled J2 (closest to the bus)
corresponds to Host B (Ports 16 - 32).

Do not connect 16-port adapters located in
different machines to the RM32-RJ45. It is
possibletodamage the interface and adapter

Caution

card if the interface is connected to two PCs
using separate line power sources.

9. Connect your peripheral devices.

10. Use the software installation and configuration
documentation or device driver readme file to install
thedrivertocompleteyourinstallation.

Note: If you are installing this on an EISA machine, you

may need the EISACFG

files.

Quadcable

DB25

Note: The RJ45 cable is not displayed.

• Standard interface boxes are available in several
configurations:

- RS-232 mode-only or switch-selectable RS-232/422;

both models have female DB25 connectors.

- Surge interface box that is switch-selectable

RS-232/422 with male DB25 connectors.

32-Port

16-Port

8-Port

4-Port

Note: RS-422 supports up to 10 multidrop devices.

RocketPort® ISA Hardware Installation 3of9

• Rack Mount Models are available with RJ45
connectors (back panels shown).

- 16 Port RS-232 (with Red LEDs)

- 16 Port RS-422 (with Red LEDs)

DB9 Interface Connectors

There are Quadcable and Octacable models available with DB9 connectors on a fanout cable.

DB9 Pinouts

- 16 Port RS-232 with integrated status LEDs. The

yellow LEDs show receiving activity. The green
LEDs show transmitting activity.

- 32 Port RS-232 with integrated status LEDs. The

yellow LEDs show receiving activity. The green
LEDs show transmitting activity.

• RocketPort 4J (RJ45) or 8J (RJ11):

8J

Port

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

4J

Port

0

1

2

3

Use this table and figure for information about the DB9
connectors that are used on the Quadcable and Octacable.

DB9 Male

Pin 1

Pin 6

Pin 5

DB9 Female

Pin 9

Pin 5

Pin 9

Pin 1

Pin 6

Pin DB9M RS-232 Signal

1CD
2RxD
3TxD
4DTR
5SignalGND
6DSR
7RTS
8CTS
9NotUsed

Building DB9 Female Loopback Plugs

Loopback plugs are used with the diagnostics to test serial ports.

This loopback is used with the
Quadcable and Octacable. Wire the
following pins together:

Pin 1

Pin 6

RS-232 (Back View)

Pin 5

Pin 9

•Pins1to4to6

•Pins2to3

•Pins7to8to9

RocketPort® ISA Hardware Installation 4of9

DB25 Interfaces

Use the following subsections for DB25 interface
connectors. Standard interface boxes use female DB25
connectors, while the Surge interface box, Quadcable, and
Octacable fanouts use male connectors.

DB25 Pinouts

The following figures and table illustrate connector information for DB25 connectors.

DB25 Female

Pin 13 Pin 1

Pin 25 Pin 14

Pin

RS-232 Signal RS-422 Signal

1 Not used Not used
2 TxD Not used*
3 RxD Not used*
4 RTS Not used*
5 CTS Not used*
6 DSR Not used*
7 Signal ground Signal ground*
8 DCD Not used*

9 to 14 Not used Not used

15 Not used RxD+
16 Not used Not used
17 Not used RxD­18 Not used Not used
19 Not used TxD+
20 DTR Not used*

21 to 24 Not used Not used

25 Not used TxD-

DB25 Male

Pin 1 Pin 13

Pin 14 Pin 25

Building DB25 Female Loopback Plugs

Loopback plugs are used with the diagnostics to test serial ports.

This loopback is used with
Quadcable, Octacable, and the

Pin 14

RS-232 Only (Back View)

Surge interface boxes. Wirethe
following pins together for an RS-232 plug.

•Pins2to3

•Pins4to5to22

•Pins6to8to20
Wire t he following pins

together for an RS-422
loopbackplug(Surgeinterface
box).

•Pins15to19

RS-422 Only (Back View)

•Pins17to25

Building DB25 Male Loopback Plugs

Loopback plugs areused with
the diagnostics to test serial

Pin 13 Pin 1

ports.
This loopback plug is used

with the standard 8- and 16­port DB25 interface boxes.

RS-232 Only (Back View)

•Pins2to3

•Pins4to5to22

•Pins6to8to20
Wire t he following pins

together for an RS-422
loopback plug.

•Pins15to19

•Pins17to25

Pin 25 Pin 14

RS-422 Only (Back View)

Pin 13in 1

Pin 25

Pin 13Pin 1

Pin 25Pin 14

Pin 14Pin 25

Pin 1Pin 13

* All RS-232 signals are present in RS-422 mode. The

Quad/Octacables do not support RS-422 mode.

RocketPort® ISA Hardware Installation 5of9

RJ Interfaces

Setting the DIP Switches

The RocketPort 4J, an Octacable model, and the Rack
Mount interface boxes are available with RJ45 connectors.
The RocketPort 8J uses an RJ11 connector.

RJ Pinouts

Use the following table and figures for pinout information
on the

RJ connectors us ed on the 4J, 8J, Octacable, and

Rack Mount interface boxes.

RJ45

Pin

Pin 1

RJ45

RS-232

Pin 8

Pin 1

RJ45

RS-422

Receptacle

RJ11

1 RTS TxD+ DTR
2 DTR Not Used Signal Ground
3 Signal Ground Not Used* TxD
4TxD TxD- RxD
5 RxD RxD- DCD
6DCDNotUsedCTS
7DSRNotUsed N/A
8CTS RxD+ N/A

* Pin 3 is tied to ground on the card, but it is not used in

the cable.

Note: RJ11 connectors are standard telephone cables.

They appear similar to RJ45, but only have 6 pins.

Building RJ45/RJ11 Loopback Plugs

Loopback plugs are used with the diagnostics to test serial ports.

This RJ45 loopback is used with the
4J, Octacable, and Rack Mount
interfaces.

•Pins4to5

18

Plug

Top View

Cable

•Pins1to8

•Pins2to6to7

The 8J uses an RJ11 loopback, which looks similar but has
this pin wiring:

•Pins3to4

•Pins1to5to6

The RocketPort ISA card uses a DIP switch to set the base
I/O address range. The default value is 180 (hex). If you
are installing more than one RocketPort card, or if you
experience an I/O address conflict with another device, use
the DIP switches to change the I/O address.

For example, if you install two RocketPort cards and are
using the default address range:

Sample DIP Switch Settings

1st RocketPort

180 (hex)

2nd RocketPort

(Software address can be

any unused I/O address)

ON

ON

1st Card

87654321

2nd Card

87654321

The following table lists possible DIP switch settings. We
recommend starting with the default settings and making
changes only if the default values produce conflicts.

First ISA Card DIP Switch Settings (see Notes)

100 - 143 hex

ON

12345678

200 - 243 hex

ON

12345678

300 - 343 hex

ON

12345678

140 - 183 hex

ON

12345678

240 - 283 hex 280 - 2C3 hex

ON

12345678

340 - 383 hex 380 - 3C3 hex

ON

12345678

180 - 1C3 hex

ON

12345678

ON

12345678

ON

12345678

Notes:

1. Ifyouare installinga single RocketPort ISA card,set the
DIPswitchesasshowninthetable.

2. If you are installing two ISA cards, set the DIP switches
on the second card to be the same as the switches on the
first card, EXCEPT SWITCH 5 OFF.

3. If you are installing three ISA cards, follow Note 2 for
the second card, then set the DIP switches on the third
card to be the same as the switches on the first card,
EXCEPT SWITCH 6 OFF.

4. If you are installing four ISA cards, followNotes 2 and 3
for the second and third cards, then set the DIP switches
on the fourth card to be the same as on the first card,
EXCEPT SWITCHES 5 AND 6 OFF.

RocketPort® ISA Hardware Installation 6of9

Specifications

The following tables illustrate RocketPort conditions and specifications.

Environmental Condition Value

Air temperature:

System on
System off

0to40

-20 to 85oC

Humidity (non-condensing):

System on
System off

8% to 80%

20% to 80%

Altitude 0 to 10,000 feet

Electromagnetic Compliance Status

Emission:

Canadian EMC requirements
CISPR-22/EN55022 Class A
FCC PART 15: Class A

Immunity:

EN50082: 801-2 ESD, 801-3 RF,

801-4 FT

UL Recognized

RocketPort ISA Card Specification

Baud rate:

RS-232 DTE (4J, Quad/
Octacable models)

RS-232/422 (models
with interface box)

50 to 460.8K baud

(without interface box)

50 to 230.4K baud

(with interface box)

Note: Baud rate is dependent upon hardware and

operating system configuration.

Bus interface ISA

Note: EISA files are on the FTP site or Comtrol CD.

Control by device driver:

Data bits
Parity
Stop bits

Current consumption:

RocketPort 4
4J/8J/Quad/Octacable
RocketPort 8
RocketPort 16
32-Port

+5V

700mA 65mA 80mA
350 mA 100 mA 160 mA
700 mA 105 mA 115 mA
950 mA 210 mA 330 mA

1.9 A 420 mA 660 mA

7or8

Odd, Even, None

1or2

+12V -12V

Dimensions:

4J/8J/Quad/Octacable
4/8/16-Port
32-Port

6.25” by 4.2”

8.1” by 4.2”
13” by 4.2”

Heat output:

4/8-Port
4J/8J/Quad/Octacable
16-Port
32-Port

17.9 BTU/Hr

16.6 BTU/Hr

26.6 BTU/Hr

53.3 BTU/Hr

o

C

Yes

Yes

Yes

RocketPort ISA Card Specification

Note: Interface heat output is approximately 25% of this

total.

I/O ports/expansion slot From 4 t o 32
Interfaces:

All models except 422
With optional switch-

selectable interface box

Interrupt (software

selectable)

None,3,4,5,9,10,11,12,15

RS-232
RS-422

Mean time between

failures (MTBF):
4-Port, 8-Port
4J
Quad/Octacable
8J
16-Port (Standard)
16-Port (Rack)
32-Port

78.5 Years

85.3 Years

28.8 Years

84.4 Years

56.4 Years

42.8 Years

33.6 Years
RocketPort cards/system 4
Surge protection

with standard and rack
mount interface boxes

Surge protection
with Surge interface box

Provides ESD surge
protection exceeding 10 KV.

Meets standard EIA-232-E
and provides ESD surge
protection exceeding 25 KV.

Surge Interface Box Operating Specifications

Description Limit

Maximum surge current (8x20uS) 100 amps (total)
Capacitance <350pf
Clamping voltage 30 volts
Clamping response time <5 nanoseconds
Transient energy (10/1000 MS) 300 mJ
Inductance <1.5 nh
ESD withstand (surge-protection) 25KV

RocketPort® ISA Hardware Installation 7of9

Interface Box

Type

RS-232 only,

8-Port

RS-232 only,

16-Port

RS-232
16-Port

(Rack Mount)*

RS-422
16-Port

(Rack Mount)*

RS-232
16-Port

(Rack Mount)**

RS-232
32-Port

(Rack Mount)**

RS-232/422,

4-Port

Mounting

Dimensions

Overall

Dimensions

3.2” x 6.48” 5.8” x 5.35” x 0.65”

3.0” x 6.17” 5.8” x 8.5” x 0.65”

19” x 1.74” x 8.0”

(with brackets)

19” x 1.74” x 8.0”

(with brackets)

19” x 1.74” x 8.0”

(with brackets)

19” x 1.74” x 8.0”

(with brackets)

16.75” x 1.74” x

8.0”

(without brackets)

17.25” x 1.74” x

8.0”

(without brackets)

17.25” x 1.74” x

8.0”

(without brackets)

17.25” x 1.74” x

8.0”

(without brackets)

3.2” x 6.48” 5.8” x 5.35” x 0.65”

RS-232/422,

8-Port

3.2” x 6.48” 5.8” x 5.35” x 0.65”

(All models)
RS-232/422,

16-Port

3.0” x 6.48” 5.8” x 8.5” x 0.65”

(All Models)

*withredLEDs
** with integrated yellow and green LEDs

FCC Notices

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) (FCC 15.105)

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for Class A digital devices pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules.

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. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try and correct the interference
by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the distance between the e quipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for
help.

Labeling Requirements (FCC 15.19)

This equipmentcomplieswith Part 15 of FCC Rules.Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:

• This device may not cause harmful interference, and

• This device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.

Modifications (FCC 15.21)

Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly
approved by Comtrol Corporation may void the user’s authority to
operate this equipment.

Serial Cables (FCC 15.27)

This equipment is certified for Class A operation when used with
shielded cables.

Troubleshooting and Running Diagnostics

The first step to troubleshooting a problem is to determine
that your RocketPort is functioning properly. To do so , you
can create a bootable diskette.

You need two files to create a bootable floppy diagnostic
diskette:

•TheRawrite utility that creates a bootable diagnostics
diskette

• The diskette image file (*.i).

YoucanfindbothfilesontheComtrol Software and
Documentation CD or download

Note: If you have the Comtrol Software and

Documentation CD, you can use the Quick Start
Card for procedures for your operating system.

Creating a Bootable Diagnostics Diskette

This discussion outlines how to create a bootable
diagnostics diskette. You can use our Web site ftp://

ftp.comtrol.com/bootdiag.htm to:

• Download the necessary files.

• Easily find specific procedures for your operating
system to create the bootable diskette.

Diagnostics Overview

After you create a bootable diagnostic diskette, you can use the diagnostic program to:

• Confirm that the hardware is functioning.

• Determine resolutions to conflicts during installation.

• Provide you with the ability to stress test the cards.

For example, you may want to run the dia gnostics
overnight to evaluate a possible problem. You will need
loopback plugs for each port that you want to stress test. If
you need additional loopback plugs, you can use the
appropriate Building Loopback Plugs discussion in this
document to build additional loopback plugs.

Running the Diagnostics

You can run the diagnostics using one of the following methods:

• Execute the rocket.exe file on the diskette in a native
DOS environment.

Note: The diagnostic occasionally fails when running in

Windows MS-DOS

®

• Boot the system from diagnostics diskette you created.

them from the ftp site.

windows.

RocketPort® ISA Hardware Installation 8of9

Use the following procedure to run the diagnostics:

1. Restart your machine in DOS mode or insert the diagnostics diskette.

2. Execute rocket.exe or start the machine. The diagnostic starts automatically,

3. EntertheappropriateletterforthebaseI/Orangeand IRQ used for the first card.

Note: Only the firstcard requires that the I/Oaddress

matches the physical DIP switch setting. For
each subsequent card, select any unused I/O
address available in your system.

4. Follow the remainder of the on-line instructions.

If the diagnostics did not pass you may want to use the
following discussion to diagnose your problem.

Resolving Failures

If the diagnostics could not find the card:

• Make sure that you have entered the correct I/O base
address and IRQ.

• Select a different unused I/O address (also reset the
DIP switch to the new selection).

• Turn off the power and reseat the card into the slot.

• Check for proper cable connections.

• Check for proper installation of the loopback plug.

Try running the diagnostics again. If they fail again, you
may have a bad port. Contact Technical Support

.

Technical Support

Comtrol has a staffof supporttechnicians available to help
you. Before you call, please have the following information
available:

Item Your System Information

Model number
Serial number
Interface type
I/O address and IRQ
Operating system

type and release
Device driver version
PC make, model, and

speed
List other devices in

the PC and their
addresses

Comtrol Headquarters Europe

Phone [phone] [phone]

FAX [phone] [phone]

E-mail [e-mail]

Web

support
Web site www.comtrol.com www.comtrol.co.uk
FTP site ftp.comtrol.com

Online Technical Support

[e-mail]

Sixth Edition, January 25, 2002
Copyright © 1999 - 2002 Comtrol Corporation
All Rights Reserved.

RocketPort is a registered trademark of the Comtrol
Corporation. Other product and company names
mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their
respective owners.

Comtrol Corporation makes no representations or
warranties with regard to the contents of this reference
card or to the suitability of any Comtrol product for any
particular purpose. Specifications subject to change
without notice. Some software or features may not be
available at the time of publication. Contact your reseller
for current product information.

2000044 Rev. F

RocketPort® ISA Hardware Installation 9of9