TROY Group Serial Servers Quick Install Manual

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TROY

Serial Servers

Quick Install Manual

Part No. MANUAL-SERIAL Revision 3.0

September, 2003 Printed in U.S.A.

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Notice

TROY GROUP, INC. SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS OF THIS PRODUCT
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. TROY XCD shall not be liable for any errors
contained in this manual or for any damages resulting from loss of use, data profits,
or any incidental or consequential damages arising from the use of TROY products
or services.

Warning

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against such interference when operating in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with this guide, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications.

Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference in
which case the user, at his or her own expense, will be required to take whatever
measures will be required to correct the interference.

Trademarks

HP, HP/UX, LaserJet, DesignJet, DeskJet, PaintJet, JetDirect, and JetAdmin are
trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company. DEC, DECserver, VMS, LAT, and
ULTRIX are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. UNIX is a trademark of
UNIX Systems Laboratories. Ethernet is a trademark of Xerox Corporation.
PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. NetWare is a trademark
of Novell, Inc. Apple, Macintosh, LaserWriter, and AppleTalk are trademarks of
Apple Computer, Inc. IBM, LAN Server, and AIX are trademarks of International
Business Machines Corporation. LAN Manager, Windows, and MS-DOS are
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. VINES is a trademark of Banyan Systems
Inc. PrintKit is a trademark of Northlake Software. QADD is a trademark of
Network Compatibility Group. LAN Attached and UNIX Printing for VINES is a
trademark of Incognito Software Inc. XJet, XMark, XConnect, and XAdmin are
trademarks of TROY Group, Inc.

© Copyright 1992-2003 TROY Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Serial Server Models..........................................................................1-1

2. Installing the Hardware

Unpacking and Handling...................................................................2-1

Pushbutton Switch.............................................................................2-3

Connecting a Serial Server to a Serial Device...................................2-7

Ethernet Installation ...........................................................................2-7

Verifying Successful Installation.......................................................2-9

3. Management Methods

TROY XAdmin32 .............................................................................3-1

TROY XAdmin .................................................................................3-1

TROY WebXAdmin..........................................................................3-1

TROY Serial Server Console.............................................................3-1

HP JetAdmin......................................................................................3-2

HP Web JetAdmin.............................................................................3-2

4. Setting the IP Address.....................................................................4-1

5. Connecting the Serial Server to Devices Other than Printers

Overview ...........................................................................................5-1

Berkeley UNIX Host Configuration..................................................5-4

6. Customer Support ..........................................................................6-1

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Introduction 1-1

1

Introduction

The TROY Serial Server is designed to connect any RS-232 serial device to
an Ethernet network. It handles a wide range of different kinds of serial
devices, including printers, security devices, electronic signs, and much
more. This manual is specifically for quick installation of your Serial Server
with TROY recommended procedures. For more detailed configuration
instructions (including non-standard configurations), please refer to the
TROY Administrator’s Guide located on the CD-ROM supplied with your
Serial Server or on the TROY web site
(http://www.troygroup.com/wireless). Note that the Serial Server is
software compatible with TROY print servers, which means that operating
systems and programs that work with these serial servers will also work
with the Serial Server.

External Serial Server Models

The TROY Serial Server family includes the following models:

• Serial Server One-Port. These versions have a single RS-232 serial

port plus a 10baseT Ethernet port. Models include:

SS-8S-1 IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, AppleTalk, DLC/LLC,

NetBEUI/NetBIOS IP, Direct Mode IPX/IP,
http, SNMP

SS-8N-1 IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, AppleTalk, DLC/LLC,

NetBEUI/NetBIOS IP, Direct Mode IPX/IP,
LAT, VINES, http, SNMP

• Serial Server Two-Port. These versions have two RS-232 serial ports

plus a 10baseT Ethernet port. Models include:

SS-8S-2 IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, AppleTalk, DLC/LLC,

NetBEUI/NetBIOS IP, Direct Mode IPX/IP,
IP, http, SNMP

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1-2 Introduction

SS-8N-2 IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, AppleTalk, DLC/LLC,

NetBEUI/NetBIOS IP, Direct Mode IPX/IP,
LAT, VINES, http, SNMP

These devices comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) These devices may not cause harmful interference
and (2) these device must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.

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Hardware Installation 2-1

2

Installing the Hardware

Before You Start

The TROY Serial Servers connect to the serial port of a printer or other RS­232 compatible device. Before attempting to install a TROY Serial Server,
first make sure that you have completed installing your printer or other
device as described in the appropriate documentation for the device.

Unpacking and Handling

The TROY Serial Server shipping box contains the following items:

1. TROY Serial Server

2. TROY CD-ROM

3. TROY Serial Server Quick Installation Manual

4. Power supply

TROY Serial Servers are designed to withstand normal handling
procedures, however reasonable precautions should be exercised during
installation, particularly with regard to static discharge.

1. Make sure that you are adequately grounded by touching bare metal
while installing the Serial Server.

2. Avoid moving around the work area in order to eliminate static charge
buildup.

3. If possible, do not work on a carpeted area.

Serial Server Pushbutton Switch

The Serial Server has a single pushbutton test switch. It is used as follows:

1. To print a self-test page, press the switch in for at least one-eighth second but
less than five seconds.

2. To reset the unit back to factory default settings, press the switch and
hold it in for at least 5 seconds.

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2-2 Hardware Installation

 To enable console mode on port S1 for one-port models or on port S2

for two-port models, hold in the test switch while powering on the
Serial Server (see next section for additional details).

Connecting the Serial Server to an RS-232 Serial Device

The Serial Server has one or two standard PC-compatible 9-pin female D­connectors, depending on the model. These serial ports use PC-compatible
9-pin male D-connectors. Note that the standard off-the-shelf 9-pin female
to 25-pin male PC cables will require a null modem in order to connect to
most printers or terminals. The pin-outs are as follows:

DE9 DTE DCE
pin Signal Signal pin pin

1 Not used Not used - ­ 2 Receive Data Transmit Data 2 3
3 Transmit Data Receive Data 3 2
4 DTR out DSR in 6 20
5 Signal Ground Signal Ground 7 7
6 DSR in DTR out 20 6
7 RTS out CTS in 5 4
8 CTS in RTS out 4 5
9 Not used Not used - -

Basically, the cable must connect input signals (e.g., Receive Data) on the
TROY Serial Server to the equivalent output signals (e.g., Transmit Data)
on the device and vice-versa.

Port S1 on single-port Serial Server models or port S2 on two-port models
can be set to operate in console mode to allow you to configure and
diagnose the Serial Server via a serial terminal (or PC with a terminal
emulation program). To enable the console mode manual, unplug the
power supply from the serial server, hold down the Test switch and
simultaneously plug in the power supply. If no characters are received on
port S1 during this time, then console mode is enabled on the port (if
characters are received, then the unit goes into a special diagnostic mode).

The port will remain in console mode until the unit is power off.

6 7 8 9

1 2 3 4 5

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Hardware Installation 2-3

You may also remotely enable console mode by connecting remotely to the
Serial Server via WebXAdmin, TELNET, NCP, or XConfig (refer to
Chapter 3 for information on how to use these utilities). With WebXAdmin,
select Configure Port from the main menu, click on serial port S1 (for
single-port models) or port S2 (for two-port models), select Console Mode,
and click Submit. With TELNET or XCONFIG, use the following
command:

SET PORT serialport CONSOLE ENABLED

where serialport is S1 for single-port models or S2 for two-port models.

You can remotely restore the port to normal serial operation by unselecting

Console Mode from WebXAdmin or by using the console command SET
PORT serialport CONSOLE DISABLED.

The serial ports are factory set at 9600bps, 8-bit data, XON/XOFF flow
control, and no parity. If your printer requires different settings, you must
use WebXAdmin or a console terminal connected to port S1 as described in
the previous paragraph. With WebXAdmin, select Configure Port from
the main menu, click on the serial port (S1 for first serial port or S2 for the
second serial port, if present), choose the desired settings, and click
Submit. With the console terminal, use one or more of the following
commands (use S2 instead of S1 if you are using the second serial port):

SET PORT S1 SPEED baudrate

SET PORT S1 PARITY parity_type
SET PORT S1 FLOW flowctrl
SET PORT S1 CHARACTER charsize

Note that the serial port always operates at 9600bps when in console mode.

Don't forget to set the serial port settings on your printer or other device to
match the settings of the Serial Server.

Ethernet Installation

The Serial Server connects to a 10baseT unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
Ethernet network. To do this, you will need an Ethernet hub (with at least
one unused port installed on your network) and an appropriate length of
RJ45 modular cable is needed.

Connect one end of the RJ45 cable to the Serial Server connector labeled
"10baseT” and the other end to a port on the twisted pair Ethernet hub

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2-4 Hardware Installation

This completes the unshielded twisted pair Ethernet installation. Proceed to
the Verifying Successful Installation section.

Verifying Successful Installation

You are now ready to apply power to the Serial Server. Plug the power
supply into the wall, connect it to the Serial Server, and then turn on the
printer. The Serial Server will go through the following startup sequence:

1. It will run through a set of power-up diagnostics for a few seconds. If
the Serial Server is operating properly, the yellow TEST LED will
blink momentarily and then go out. If the TEST LED blinks
continuously in a regular pattern, there is a problem. If this is the case,
first verify that you have a good Ethernet connection and then try
powering the unit off and then on again. If the problem persists, refer
to the Troubleshooting chapter in the Administrator’s Guide on the
CD-ROM included with the Serial Server.

2. When the test LED goes out, the green LED on the Serial Server will
come on solid if there is a good 10baseT Ethernet connection. If this
LED does not come on, double check your cabling and make sure that
you have a good Ethernet hub.

Verifying the Connection to the Device

Before attempting to print, it is very important to verify the connection
between the Serial Server and the device. If this connection is not good you

will not be able to communicate!

To verify this connection with a serial printer or other device that can
display ASCII characters, make sure that both the Serial Server and the
printer are powered on and ready. Then print a test page as follows:

• Push the Test/Factory button in briefly (more than one-eighth second
but less than five seconds). If the connection is good, a test page will be
printed on the printer. If nothing prints out, make sure that the cable or
I/O connection is good and that it is securely fastened.

If you are connecting the Serial Server to a non-printing device that cannot
display ASCII characters, then it is a good idea to try temporarily
connecting a printer to the serial por t as described in the previous paragraph
in order to verify the connection.

_____________________________________________________________

Hardware Installation 2-5

The two biggest causes of connection problems are cabling and mismatched
serial port parameters. First, double check your cabling. The cable must
connect the transmit signal on the Serial Server to the receive signal on the
device, and connect the receive signal on the Serial server to the transmit
signal on the device. Also verify that the ground leads are connected
together, and if you are using modem controls, also verify that they are
correctly connected. (RTS goes to CTS and DTR goes to DSR).

Next, verify that the settings of the Serial Server's port exactly matches the
settings of the device's serial port. For example, if the Serial Server is set
for 19200bps, XON/XOFF flow control, 8-bit characters, and odd parity,
the device's serial port must also be set to these parameters.

If none of the above suggestions work, refer to the TROY Administrator’s
Guide on the CD supplied with the Serial Server for more information, or
contact TROY Technical Support (949-399-0820;

http://www.troygroup.com/wireless/support; e-mail:
[e-mail]) for additional assistance.

_____________________________________________________________

Management 3-1

3

Management Methods

TROY offers a wide variety of ways to configure and monitor the Serial
Server. These methods are:

 TROY XAdmin32

1. Compatible with 32-bit Windows operating systems running

TCP/IP or IPX/SPX Protocols

2. Included on CD-ROM

3. Can be downloaded from our web site (http://www.troy group.com )

4. Default password is ACCESS

 TROY XAdmin:

1. A 16-bit graphical utility

2. Compatible with Windows 3.1 and or later systems running

IPX/SPX or Banyan VINES protocols

3. Included on CD-ROM

4. Can be downloaded from our web site

(http://www.troygroup.com).

 TROY WebXAdmin

1. Allows the user to configure the Serial Server with a standard web

browser like Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

2. Can be used on any operating system that supports web browser

capabilities

3. Both Serial Server and PC must be configured with an IP address

in order to use WebXAdmin

 TROY Serial Server Console

1. A command-line oriented console

2. Contains features not available through XAdmin or WebXAdmin

3. Default password is ACCESS

4. Can be accessed via:

• TELNET

• Serial port (console mode must be enabled)

• WebXAdmin

SS-8S-1 and SS-8S-2 models can also access the console via:

_____________________________________________________________

3-2 Management

• TROY XConfig NetWare Utility

SS-8N-1 and SS-8N-2 models have the same console access
methods as the SS-8S-1 and SS-8S-2 models, plus:

• DEC NCP

• DEC NCL

• ULTRIX ccr

Note: In all cases, when you are connected, hit RETURN or ENTER

to get the “#” prompt, enter password ACCESS (it will not echo) and
type anything in response to the “Enter Username>” prompt. When
you get the “Local>” prompt, you are ready to enter commands.

 HP JetAdmin:

1. HP Windows-based utility (TROY Serial Servers work

transparently with JetAdmin).

2. Can be downloaded from the HP web site (http://www.hp.com).

Notes:

The TROY Serial Server will not appear in the list of configured
servers unless:

• TCP/IP or IPX is running on the computer

• The Serial Server has been configured with a valid IP address.

 HP Web JetAdmin:

1. An HP utility for Windows NT Advanced Server and Windows

2000

2. Can be downloaded from the HP web site (http://www.hp.com).

3. Once it is installed, a web browser on any computer that has access

to the Windows NT/2000 server may be used to access the TROY
Serial Server.

Refer to the Administrator’s Guide on the CD-ROM included with Serial
Server or on the TROY web site (http://www.troygroup.com) for detailed
steps on how to use the above utilities.

_____________________________________________________________

Setting the IP Address 4-1

4

Setting the IP Address

In order to use a TROY serial server with TCP/IP, NetBIOS IP,
WebXAdmin, or PrintraNet, you must first configure an IP address into the
serial server. TROY serial servers provide a variety of methods for setting
this address.

Important Note: Consult your system manager before assigning an IP
address to your serial server in order to avoid duplicate addresses. If your
network does not have an officially assigned block of IP addresses, you may
use any unique address between 192.168.254.1 and 192.168.254.254 (this
is a reserved range of Class C addresses for private networks that are not
connected to the Internet per RFC 1918; note that you must also assign
your computer an IP address in this range). You may use a subnet mask of

255.255.255.0 with no gateway address.

The serial server IP address can be assigned in any one of the following ways:

DHCP

Serial servers with firmware version above 3.40 will automatically pick up the
next available IP address if there is an active DHCP server on the network.

XAdmin32 Utility

The address can be set using the XAdmin32 Windows-based management
program (see chapter 3 of the Administrator’s Guide on the CD-ROM for
more details):

 Start the XAdmin32 program (the default password is ACCESS)
 Select Devices
 Select Set Up Unconfigured Devices
 Click on the Ethernet Address of the serial server (this address is

printed on the label that is affixed to the serial server).

 Click on Configure
 Enter the IP address, subnet mask and router/gateway address
 Click OK.

Remote or Local Console

The serial server console can be accessed via the DEC NCP, NCL or ccr
utilities, XCONFIG, or the serial port. WebXAdmin and TELNET can be

_____________________________________________________________

4-2 Setting the IP Address

used to reset the IP address after it has been set. The default password for
the console is ACCESS.

At the “Local” prompt, type the commands:

SET IP ADDRESS xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
SET IP SUBNET xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
SET IP ROUTER xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
INIT
EXIT

ARP/PING

To use arp and ping to set the IP address, enter the following commands at
the Windows command prompt or UNIX system prompt:

arp –s ipaddress ethernetaddress
ping ipaddress

where:

“ipaddress” is the IP address you wish to assign
“ethernetaddress” is the ethernet address of the serial server.

Other Methods:

The IP address can also be set via BOOTP, rarp, and JetAdmin. These
methods are described in the Administrator’s Guide, which can be found on
the CD-ROM included with the serial server, or on the TROY XCD web
site (http://www.troygroup.com)

Verify the connection:

Before proceeding to the host communication setup, verify the connection
between the host and the serial server using the “ping” command from the
UNIX or DOS system prompt. For example:

ping 192.189.207.3

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PrintraNet Internet Printing Configuration 12-1

5

Connecting the Serial Server to Devices
other than Printers

The TROY Serial Server provides a general-purpose method for connecting
RS-232 serial devices to Ethernet networks. It provides a transparent
bidirectional communicati ons path from the RS-232 devi ce t o the computer.
In other words, it makes the device look like as though it is directly
connected to the serial port of the computer, even though it is actually
communicating over the Ethernet.

Before using the serial server in this type of application, you must first
make sure that your computer system is running the TCP/IP protocol and
has a valid IP address (refer to your computer's documentation if you do not
know how to do this). You must also enter an IP address, gateway, and
subnet mask into the Serial Server as described in Chapter 4 of this manual.

To establish the communications path to the Serial Server (and therefore to
the RS-232 device), a program on the computer must open a TCP
connection to the IP address of the Serial Server. If you are using
Windows, this can be done by calls to the WINSOCK API. If you are using
UNIX or other operating systems, this can be done by using the appropriate
TCP/IP API supplied by the operating system.

As an alternative, you can use third party Serial Port Emulation software.
This software allows you to use almost any Windows application that
communicates with a standard PC serial port (for example, COM3).
Basically, it looks to the application program like a COM port, but actually
redirects the input/output TCP/IP and Ethernet instead of a hardwired RS­232 connection.

_____________________________________________________________

Customer Support 6-1

6

Obtaining Technical Assistance

TROY technical support is available to assist you with any questions
concerning the setup, operation, or maintenance of your TROY print server.

Worldwide Web Support

Located at <http://www.troygroup.com/wireless

>, the TROY web site
provides answers to many common technical questions and also includes
copies of product manuals and literature, as well as utilities and firmware
load images.

Technical Support

North and South America
If you need to talk to one of our Technical Support Specialists, our support

line is open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM, Eastern Standard
Time.

U.S. 48 contiguous States: [phone]
Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and South America: [phone]
E-Mail: <[e-mail]

>

Europe
Technical support is available in either German or English from Monday

through Thursday, 9 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 5 PM, and on Friday from
9 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 4 PM.

Phone: [phone]
E-Mail: <[e-mail]>
Web: <http://www.troygroup.de

>

_____________________________________________________________

6-2 Customer Support

Returning Products

If you need to return a TROY product for any reason (failures, incorrect
shipments, etc.), follow the steps below:

1. Contact the TROY Technical Support group at [phone]

to request a Return Goods Authorization (RGA) number (for
North and South American customers), or call [phone]­21 (for European customers) and request a Return Material
Authorization (RMA) number.

2. Be prepared with the serial number of the unit you are returning.

You will be asked for the serial number to verify warranty
coverage.

Please record these serial numbers in the space provided below for future
reference.

Model #: ________________________________

S/N: ____________________________________

Make sure that you write the RMA or RGA number on the outside of the
shipping container you use to return the product. Please ship the defective
product(s) to the appropriate address below:

North and South America

: Europe:

TROY Group, Inc. TROY GmbH
RGA# _________ RMA# _________
3 Bryan Drive Schwarzwaldstr. 99
Wheeling, WV 26003 D-71083 Herrenberg,

Germany

_____________________________________________________________

Customer Support 6-3

Contacts

Corporate Headquarters
TROY Group, Inc.

2331 South Pullman Street
Santa Ana, CA 92705 USA
[phone]

Technical Support

North and South America
U.S. 48 contiguous States: [phone]

Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and South America: [phone]
E-Mail: <[e-mail]

>

Europe
Phone: [phone]

E-Mail: <[e-mail]

>

Web: <http://www.troygroup.de>