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RocketPort™ Serial Hub
Hardware Documentation
Product Overview
The RocketPort Serial Hub is based on the same
technology as the popular RocketPort series. The
RocketPort Serial Hub is a serial communications
device that easily connects to a 10Base- T Ethernet hub
or network interface card (NIC).
The RocketPort Serial Hub uses a 20 MHz processor
specifically designed to process asynchronous serial
communications, thereby maximizing pe rformance and
eliminating throughput bottlenecks.
The RocketPort Serial Hub uses Application Specific
Integrated Circuits (ASICs) technology. ASIC
technology increases reliability because it replaces
many hardware components, which in turn reduces the
number of parts that can fail.
RocketPort Serial Hub features include:
• Four or eight RJ45 asynchronous RS-232 serial
ports.
• A power supply that supports input voltages
between 100 and 240 and 50 or 60 Hz operation.
• “Hot-swapping,” which allows you to replace an
existing and configured RocketPort Serial Hub
with an identical unit, without downing the server
or reconfiguring ports.
• Diagnostic LEDs.
• Backup server, which permits you to configure
another server to take over the hub if the primary
server fails (not all drivers support this feature).
What This Document Contains
Use this document to:
• Connect
• Verify
hardware diagnostics during the power up phase.
• Add
Serial Hub environment.
• “Hot swap”
experienced a failure.
• Build cables or loopback plugs
- An Ethernet crossover cable, if connecting the
- Null-modem cable for the peripheral devices
- RS-232 loopback plug.
• Troubleshoot
problems.
• Review the RocketPort Serial Hub s
and agency notices.
• Contact
or documentation.
See the RocketPort Seri al Hub Software Installation
documentation or the device driver readme file for
software installation information. The software
installation documentation may also provide
information about supporting applications available
with the driver for your operating system.
The latest driver releases are available at:
•
http://www.comtrol.com/coperate.htm
• ftp://ftp.comtrol.com /readme.htm
Note: To use the red hyperlinks, you must be
the RocketPort Serial Hub to the network.
that the RocketPort Serial Hub passes the
additional units to an existing RocketPort
RocketPort Serial Hub units that have
, including:
RocketPort Serial Hub directly to a NIC card
(not included).
that you are connecting to the RocketPort
Serial Hub.
installation or configuration
pecifications
Comtrol™ or download updated software
connected to the internet.
Product Overview 1 of 6
Page 2
Installing the Mounting Brackets
1. On the bottom panel, remove tw o of the four screws that hold the box together.
2. Center the bracket over the holes and reinstall the screws.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the other bracket.
3. Connect the power adapter cable to the RocketPort
Serial Hub port labeled POWER. Connect the
power cord to the power adapter and plug the
power cord into a power source.
4. Go to the Running the Power On Diagnostics discussion.
After
you install and configure the driver, you can use
the Connecting Devices
232 serial devices.
discussion to connect your RS-
Running the Power On Diagnostics
After you have connected the RocketPort Serial Hub to
the NIC card or Ethernet hub, use the following
information to determine if your RocketPort Serial
Hub is working correctly.
1. Turn the power switch to the ON position.
2. Ve rify that the LEDs for Ports 1 through 4 or 8
(depending on the model) flash briefly after
applying power, to confirm that the hardware is
working properly.
Indicator Port LED Descriptions
Connecting to the Network
Use the following procedure to connect the RocketPort
Serial Hub to your server NIC card or Ethernet hub.
1. Record the media access control (MAC) address,
model number, and serial number of the RocketPort
Serial Hub.
Serial Number*
00 C0 4E 05
* ID tags are located on the bottom panel. You can write this
information on the sticker shipped with the RocketPort
Serial Hub.
2. Connect the cable from the Ethernet connection
(10Base-T) on the RocketPort Serial Hub to your
server NIC card or Ethernet hub.
Note: If connectin g the RocketPort Serial Hub directly
to a NIC, an
required. Comtrol does not supply this. See the
Building an Ethernet Crossover Cable
discussion.
Server
Ethernet crossover
Ethernet Connection
to Server or
Ethernet Hub
MAC*
00 C0 4E 05
__ __
cable is
xx xx
__ __
All LEDs flash during the power-on
test and then turn off. This indicates
a successful self-check.
Flashes
Briefly
1 LED Lit*
Solid
2 LEDs
Lit*
3 LEDs
Lit*
4 LEDs
Lit*
* The LEDs l ight up f or a about a minut e and then
the hardware resets and the same cycle repeats.
Note: The Port 1 LED blinks while
the RocketPort Serial Hub is
waiting and goes out when the
server initiates normal
program activity.
Hardware failure. A RAM self-test
failure or other mainboard error.
Hardware failure. An Ethernet
hardware initialization failure.
A hardware self-test failure.
A flash memory configuration error.
Installing the Mounting Brackets 2 of 6
Page 3
3. Ve rify th at the lower green Ethernet LED remains
on to determine that the 10Base-T connection and
the polarity are correct.
Ethernet Port
If the lower green LED is
lit, you have a working
Ethernet connection
LED Indicator 10Base-T LED Descriptions
Flashes
Briefly
Yellow
Upper
Flashing
Yellow
Upper
On
Green
Lower
Off
Green
Lower
4. Verify that the Port 1 LED is blinking. This
indicates that the RocketPort Serial Hub is waiting
for the server PC to download the driver.
Note: The Port 1 LED blinks while the RocketPort
5. If the port LEDs do not display an error condition,
then you are ready to install and configure the
software. You can find software installation
procedures in the Software Installation
documentation or the device driver readme file.
•
• Windows NT
• Windows 2000
You can download the most recent driver and
software installation document from the Comtrol
web/ftp sites:
•
• ftp://ftp.comtrol.com/readme.htm
Serial Hub is waiting and goes out when the
server initiates normal program activity.
Window 95/98
http://www.comtrol.com/coperate.htm
During the power on cycle (first
few seconds after the power is
turned on), this turns on briefly to
display correct link polarity.
The light flashes briefly during
transmissions as a general
indicator of activity .
RocketPort Serial Hub is correctly
attached to the LAN and the
Ethernet link is established.
The Ethernet link is not
established.
Adding a Unit to an Existing Installation
Use this procedure to add another Rocket Port Serial
Hub to an existing configuration.
1. Install the RocketPort Serial Hub using the
Connecting to the Network
2. Connect the RS-232 serial devices.
3. Connect the RocketPo rt Serial Hu b to you r server NIC card or Ethernet hub.
4. Power-up the new RocketPort Serial Hub and verify that it passes the power-on diagnostics.
5. Configure VS-Link to support the new RocketPort
Serial Hub. See the Software Installation
documentation or the driver readme file.
discussion.
6. Configure the serial ports to support the RS-232 devices.
7. Shut down and restart the server.
“Hot-Swapping” Hardware
Follow this procedure, to “hot-swap” a RocketPort
Serial Hub with another RocketPort Serial Hub in an
existing configuration.
1. Power-down th e Rock et Po rt Se rial Hub to be removed from service.
2. Install a new or spare RocketPort Serial Hub.
3. Connect the new RocketPort Serial Hub to the Ethernet hub or server NIC card.
4. Power-up the new RocketPort Serial Hub and verify that it passes the power-on self-test.
5. Change the driver to reflect the MAC address of the new RocketPort Serial Hub.
6. Transfer all cabling from the old RocketPort Serial Hub to the new RocketPort Serial Hub.
No port reconfiguration is needed.
7. Do not shut down and restart the server.
Troubleshooting
If you are having trouble with a RocketPort Serial Hub
try the following.
Note: Most customer problems reported to Comtrol
1. Verify that you are using the correct device driver.
2. Verify that the unit is powered on and that the
3. Turn the unit’s power switch off and on, while
4. Verify that the port polarity is correct. See the
5. Ve rify that you are using the corre ct types of cables
6. Verify that the Ethernet hub and any other
7. To isolate the unit from the network, use a
Technical Support are eventually traced to
cabling or network problems.
Device drivers for the RocketPort Serial Hub and
the RocketPort Serial Hub Si are different.
Note: If you want to run both devices, you must
Power LED is lit.
watching the LED diagnostics. For LED
information, see the Running the Power On
Diagnostics discussion.
Note: If the Port 1 is flashing, this indicates that
Connecting to the Network
in the correct places and that all cables are
connected securely.
network devices between the server and
RocketPort Serial Hub are powered up and
operating.
“crossover” Ethernet cable to connect the unit
directly to the NIC card in the server.
install and configure both drivers.
the driver has not downloaded to the unit.
discussion.
Adding a Unit to an Existing Installation 3 of 6
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8. If you are operating in a multiple-server
environment, make sure that you are controlling
the RocketPort Serial Hub from its primary server,
that there is only one primary server assigned to
this RocketPort Serial Hub, and that no backup
server has pre-empted the primary server.
9. Backup-to-primary switching is not automatic.
Once a backup server takes over control of a
RocketPort Serial Hub, you must restore the
primary server to operation, then cycle the power
on the RocketPort Serial Hub in order to force the
RocketPort Serial Hub to reattach itself to the
primary server.
10. See the Software Installation
information on operatin g sy st em spe c ific
troubleshooting procedures.
11. If you have a spare RocketPort Serial Hub, try
“hot-swapping” RocketPort Serial Hub units. See
the “Hot-Swapping” Hardware
Note: If this corrects the problem, the RocketPort
Serial Hub that you have removed from
service may be defective or in need of repair.
12. Reboot the server.
13. Remove and reinstall the driver.
14. If you are unable to resolve the problem, contact
Technical Support.
documentation for
discussion.
Connecting Devices
Use the following discussion to connect RS-232
asynchronous devices to the RocketPort Serial Hub
ports.
1. Connect your RS-232 devices to Ports 1 through 4 or
8 (depending on the model), for each RocketPort
Serial Hub. RJ45 to DB25 cables are available from
Comtrol or you can build your own cables using the
cabling discussions .
Note: Use the hardware manufacturer’s installation
documentation if you need help with connector
pinouts or cabling for the peripheral device.
2. Install or reconfigure the driver using the Software
Installation documentation or the driver readme
file.
RS-232 Cabling
Use the following for pinout
information for the RJ45 serial
port connectors on the
RocketPort Serial Hub.
RJ45
Pin
1RTS
2DTR
3GND
4TxD
5RxD
6DCD
7DSR
8CTS
RS-232
Signals
Pin 1
Pin 8
Receptacle
Pin 1
Building Additional Loopback Plugs
Loopback connectors are RJ45 female serial port plugs,
with pins wired together as shown, that are used in
conjunction with the diagnostic software to test serial
ports. The RocketPort Serial Hub is shipped with a
single loopback plug.
This information can help you build addi tional plugs or
replace a missing loopback.
Use the following information
to build loopback plugs.
• Pins 4 to 5
• Pins 1 to 8
• Pins 2 to 6 to 7
Note: Do not insert the serial
port loopback plug into
the 10Base-T Ethernet
connector.
Signal
RTS
DTR
GND
TxD
RxD
DCD
DSR
CTS
Pin
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Building an Ethernet Crossover Cable
If you are connecting from the
10Base-T connector on the
RocketPort Serial Hub directly
to the NIC card in the server,
you need a crossover cable. Use
the following information to
build or purchase a cable.
Pin
Connecting Devices 4 of 6
Connects to
Pin
13
26
31
62
Pin 1 Pin 6
Receptacle
Pin 1
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Building an RJ45 to DB25 Cable
Use the following f igures if you need inf ormation about
building a general-purpose DTE-to-DTE null modem
cable or a DTE-to-DCE modem cable.
Modem Cable
DTE-to-DCE Modem Cable*
Pin
4
20
7
2
3
8
6
5
Signal
RTS
DTR
GND
TxD
RxD
DCD
DSR
CTS
DB25
RJ45
Signal
RTS
DTR
GND
TxD
RxD
DCD
DSR
CTS
Pin
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
* Can be ordered from Comtrol.
General-Purpose DTE-to-DTE Null Modem Cable
Pin
2
3
4
5
20
8
6
7
Signal
TxD
RxD
RTS
CTS
DTR
DCD
DSR
SGND
DB25
RJ45
Signal
TxD
RxD
RTS
CTS
DSR
DCD
DTR
SGND
Pin
4
5
1
8
7
6
2
3
Hardware Specifications
This table illustrates environmental conditions.
Environmental Conditions Value
Air temperature:
System on
System off
0 to 40
-20 to 85oC
Altitude 0 to 10,000 feet
Heat output:
4-Port
8-Port
17.1
20.5
Humidity (non-condensing):
System on
System off
8% to 80%
20% to 80%
Mean Time between F ailures:
4-Port
8-Port
27.2 years
24.5 years
o
C
BTU/Hr
BTU/Hr
The following table lists electromagnetic compliance
certifications.
Electromagnetic
Compliances
Status
Emission:
Canadian EMC requirements
CISPR-22/EN55022
Class A
Yes
FCC Part 15 Class A
Immunity:
EN50082
(801-2
and 801-4
FT)
, 801-3 RF,
ESD
Yes
Safety:
EN60950
Yes
UL Listed
The following table illustrates hardware specifications.
Topic
Hardware
Specifications
Baud rate (maximum) 230.4 Kbps
Current consumption:
4-Port
8-Port
42 mA (at 120 VAC)
50 mA (at 120 VAC)
Dimensions
4-port
8-port
6” x 9” x 1.5”
6” x 9” x 2.4”
Driver Control:
Data bits
Parity
Stop bits
7 or 8
Odd, Even, None
1 or 2
Ethernet host interface 10Base-T (10 Mbps)
Hubs per server
Dependent on OS. See the
software documentation.
Line frequency 50 - 60 Hz
Line voltage 100 - 240 VAC
Number of ports 4 or 8
Power consumption:
4-Port
8-Port
5.0 W
6.0 W
Weight 1 lb 4 oz
Building an RJ45 to DB25 Cable 5 of 6
Page 6
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, t he user is encouraged t o try and
correct the interference by one or more of the fo llowing
measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment
and the receiver.
• Connect the equipment into 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 equipment complies with 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 opera te this equipment.
Serial Cables (FCC 15.27)
This equipment is certified for Class A operation when
used with unshielded cables.
Important Safety Information
Warning
To avoid contact with electrical current:
• Never install electrical wiring during an electrical
storm.
• Never install the power plug in wet locations.
• Use a screwdriver and other tools with insulated
handles.
Technical Support
If you need technical support, contact Comtrol using
one of the following methods.
Corporate Headquarters:
• E-mail: support@comtrol.com
• FTP Site: f tp://ftp.comtrol.com
•Web Site: http://www.comtrol.com
• FAX: (763) 494-4199
• Phone: (763) 494-4100
Comtrol Europe:
• E-mail: support@comtrol.co.uk
•Web Site: http://www.comtrol.co.uk
•
• Phone: +44 (0) 1 869-323-220
Comtrol has a staff of technical support
representatives to help you.
Trademark Notices
Comtrol, RocketPort, and VS-Link are trademarks of
Comtrol Corporation.
Windows, MS-DOS, and Microsoft are registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Other product names mentioned herein may be
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
: +44 (0) 1 869-323-211
FAX
Underwriters Laboratory
This equipment is Underwriters Laboratory “UL”
listed.
Notices 6 of 6
Second Edition, February 27, 2001
Copyright © 1998 - 2001. Comtrol Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Comtrol Corporation makes no representations or
warranties with regard to the contents of this
document or to the suitability of the 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.
2000109 Revision C
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