Advantech PCL-846 Series User manual

PCL-846/847
4-Port RS-422/485
Interface Card

Copyright Notice
This documentation and the software included with this product are
copyrighted 1998 by Advantech Co., Ltd. All rights are reserved.
Advantech Co., Ltd. reserves the right to make improvements to the
products described in this manual at any time without notice.
No part of this manual or software may be reproduced, copied,
translated or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the
prior written permission of Advantech Co., Ltd. Information provid-
ed in this manual is intended to be accurate and reliable. However,
Advantech Co., Ltd. assumes no responsibility for its use, nor for any
infringements of rights of third parties which may result from its use.
Acknowledgments
PC-LabCard is a trademark of Advantech Co., Ltd. IBM, PC and
PC/XT/AT are trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation. MS-DOS, MASM, QuickBASIC, Microsoft C and MS-
PASCAL are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel is a trade-
mark of Intel Corporation. Turbo C and Turbo PASCAL are trade-
marks of Borland International. MOXA is a trademark of Moxa
Technologies Inc.
Part No. 2000000300 1st Edition
Printed in Taiwan December 1998

Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................... 1
Description.................................................................................................2
Features......................................................................................................2
Specifications ............................................................................................. 3
Card Jumper Layout ................................................................................4
Chapter 2: Hardware Installation .................................... 7
Initial Inspection .......................................................................................8
Card Installation ....................................................................................... 9
Card Configuration ................................................................................10
Default Settings .......................................................................................10
RS-422/485 Selection (JP3, JP5, JP7, JP9) ..........................................10
I/O Address and Interrupt Setup .......................................................... 11
Speed Mode Selection .............................................................................17
Enable Mode Selection (JP4, JP6, JP8, JP10) .....................................18
Chapter 3: Software Installation ................................... 19
Operating Environment Selection.........................................................20
Driver Installation for DOS Users ........................................................20
Driver Installation for Windows 3.1 Users...........................................25
ICOM Utility Setup for Windows 95/98/NT Environments ...............26
Chapter 4: Wiring ........................................................... 29
Pin assignments .......................................................................................30
RS-422 signal wiring...............................................................................30
RS-485 signal wiring...............................................................................31
Appendix A: PC I/O Address Reference ......................... 33
PC I/O Address Usage ............................................................................34
Appendix B: Quick Reference ........................................ 35

1
Introduction
CHAPTER

2PCL-846/847 User's Manual
Description
PCL-846/847 series cards provide four independent RS-422/485 serial
ports on a card. Each port has a 16C550 UART with an on-chip 16-
byte FIFO buffer for reliable, high-speed serial I/O. The UART
buffers data into 16-byte packets before putting it on the bus. This
drastically reduces the CPU load and avoids data loss when the system
is busy and cannot process the interrupt quickly. The UART is
especially useful for high speed serial I/O under Windows.
PCL-846 cards differ from PCL-847 cards in that they utilize on-
board optical isolators to protect your PC and equipment against
damage from ground loops, increasing system reliability in harsh
environments. To further increase reliability, PCL-846B/847B cards
include surge protection technology, protecting your system from
abrupt high voltage surges (up to 2000 V). The PCL-846/847 series
has passed the CE test for environmental specifications.
An RS-485 Network with Automatic Data Flow Control Using RS-232
Software
The RS-485 mode automatically senses the direction of incoming data
and switches its transmission direction accordingly. This feature
means your network looks and acts just like an RS-232 network.
Application software written for half duplex RS-232 can be used
without modification. Moreover, you can simply and quickly build an
RS-485 network with just two wires.
Features
• Four independent RS-422/RS-485 serial ports
• Transmission speeds up to 921.6 Kbps
• Shared/Independent IRQ settings between each of the 4 serial ports
• Wide IRQ selection: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 15
• Supports standard DOS COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4
• Supports DOS/Windows 3.1 (PC-ComLIB), Windows 95, Windows NT
(ICOM Utility)
• Provides 1000 VDC isolation (PCL-846A/846B only)

Chapter 1 Introduction 3
• Provides 2000 VDC surge protection (PCL-846B/847B)
• Space reserved for termination resistors
• Supports 2 wire or 4 wire operation
• Supports Tx, Rx, RTS, and CTS signals
• Automatic RS-485 data flow control or RTS control
• RS-422 on Auto/RTS/On mode
Specifications
•Ports: 4
•UART: 4 x 16C550 with 16-byte FIFO
•Speed: 50 ~ 921.6 Kbps
•Parity: none, even, odd
•Signal support:
TxD+, TxD-, RxD+, RxD-, CTS+, CTS-, RTS+, RTS- and GND
•I/O address: From 200H to 3F8H
•IRQ: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 15
•Isolation voltage: 1000 VDC (PCL-846A/846B only)
•Surge protection: 2000 VDC (PCL-846B/847B)
•Power consumption: PCL-847; +5 V @ 460 mA typical, 570 mA max.
PCL-846; +5 V @ 970 mA typical, 1200 mA max.
•Cables: 30-cm male DB-37 to four male DB-9 (DTE)
•Operating temperature: 0 ~ 60°C (32 ~ 140°F) (refer to IEC-68-1.2.3)
•Storage temperature: -25 ~ 80°C (-13 ~ 176°F)
•Dimensions: 185 mm x 100 mm (7.3" x 3.9")
•MTBF: PCL-847A 126630 hrs at 25°C Ground, Fixed environment
PCL-847B 120992 hrs at 25°C Ground, Fixed environment
PCL-846A 105014 hrs at 25°C Ground, Fixed environment
PCL-846B 101107 hrs at 25°C Ground, Fixed environment
• For technical support and service please visit our support website at
http://support.advantech.com
and visit the "Industrial Automation Support" and "FAQ" sections.

4PCL-846/847 User's Manual
Figure 1-1: PCL-847 switch and jumper layout
Card Jumper Layout

Chapter 1 Introduction 5
Figure 1-2: PCL-846 switch and jumper layout

6PCL-846/847 User's Manual

2
Hardware
Installation
CHAPTER

8PCL-846/847 User's Manual
Initial Inspection
Depending on the option you ordered, in addition to this manual, you
should find the following items inside the shipping container:
• PCL-846(A/B) or 847(A/B) 4-port RS-422/485 card
• One 30-cm male DB-37 to four male DB-9 cable
• One diskette with PCLS-802 PC-ComLIB software
• One PC-ComLIB user's manual
• One diskette with Windows 95/98/NT drivers (Icom Utility)
• PCL-846/847 manual
We have carefully inspected the PCL-846/847 mechanically and
electrically before shipping. It should be free of marks and scratches
and in perfect working order on receipt.
As you unpack the PCL-846/847, check it for signs of shipping
damage (damaged box, scratches, dents, etc.). If it is damaged or it
fails to meet specifications, notify our service department or your
local sales representative immediately. Also notify the carrier. Retain
the shipping carton and packing material for inspection by the carrier.
After inspection we will make arrangements to repair or replace the
unit.
Remove the PCL-846/847 from its protective packaging by grasping
the rear metal panel. Keep the anti-vibration packing. Whenever you
remove the card from the PC, store it in this package for protection.
Warning! Discharge your body’s static electric charge by
touching the back of the grounded chassis of the
system unit (metal) before handling the board.You
should avoid contact with materials that hold a static
charge such as plastic, vinyl and styrofoam.Handle
the board only by its edges to avoid static damage to
its integrated circuits.Avoid touching the exposed
circuitconnectors.

Chapter 2 Hardware Installation 9
Card Installation
Warning! Turn off your PC’s power supply whenever you install
or remove the PCL-846/847 or its cables.Static
electricity can easily damage computer equipment.
Ground yourself by touching the chassis of the
computer (metal) before you touch any boards.
1. Turn off the computer. Turn the power off to any peripheral
devices (such as printers and monitors).
2. Disconnect the power cord and any other cables from the back of
the computer. Turn the PC if necessary to gain access to the
cables.
3. Remove the PC’s cover (refer to your user’s guide if necessary).
4. Locate the expansion slots or passive backplane (at the rear of the
PC) and choose any unused slot.
5. Remove the screw that secures the expansion slot cover to the PC
(save the screw to secure the interface card retaining bracket).
Remove the anti-vibration card clamp if supplied.
6. Carefully grasp the upper edge of the PCL-846/847 card. Align the
hole in the retaining bracket with the hole on top of the expansion
slot. Align the gold striped edge connector with the expansion slot
socket. Press the board firmly into the socket.
7. Replace the screw in the expansion slot retaining bracket. Replace
anti-vibration card holder.
8. Replace the PC’s cover. Connect the cables you removed in step 2.
9. Attach the DB-37 cable to the connector on the bracket. Turn the
computer power on.
The board is now installed in the computer. See Chapter 3 for infor-
mation on cabling.

10 PCL-846/847 User's Manual
Card Configuration
The ports on the PCL-846/847 card have jumpers and DIP switches
which require configuration before the card is used. DIP switches set
the port I/O addresses and speed modes. Jumpers set the port IRQs.
Default Settings
The board is shipped with default settings. If you need to change
these settings, however, see the following sections. Otherwise, you
can simply install the card. Note that you will need to disable your
CPU card's on-board COM ports, if any, or set them to alternate
addresses / IRQs.
PCL-846/847 Default Configuration
Setting Default function
JP11 IRQ 12
Speed mode 1x
IRQ mode Share
Base address Address 300H
Vector address Interrupt 280H
Address mode Enhance
RS-422/485 Selection (JP3, JP5, JP7, JP9)
You can set each port individually for either RS-422 (the default) or
RS-485 operation. Jumper JP3 configures Port 1, JP5 configures Port
2, JP7 configures Port 3, and JP9 configures Port 4. The figure below
shows the jumper settings. See the layout drawings on pages 4 and 5
for help locating the jumpers.
485
1
1
RS-422/485 RS-422 (default)
422 485 422

Chapter 2 Hardware Installation 11
I/O Address and Interrupt Setup
Next, you will need to select an I/O base address, and port IRQ
(interrupt request) numbers for the PCL-846/847 .
Mode Setup (base address setting, S2)
The card base address can be set using the DIP switches on the card.
The DIP switch labelled "MODE 1" will set the card to standard or
enhanced mode, as shown below.
Standard Mode
In this mode, each of the four ports has a pre-assigned address, as
shown below.
Port 1 Ch1 base address 3F8
Port 2 Ch2 base address 2F8
Port 3 Ch3 base address 3E8
Port 4 Ch4 base address 2E8

12 PCL-846/847 User's Manual
Enhanced Mode
In the enhanced mode, the card base address is set by the user. Select
an address which is not already being used by another card in the
system. If you are installing more than one PCL-846/847 card in your
system, set the cards to different base addresses. DIP switches on S1
control each card's base address, as shown below.
Port base address (S1)
Base Address A3A4A5A6A7A8
200-21F lllll l
208-227 ¡ll ll l
··········
2E8-307 ¡l¡¡¡ l
··········
*300-31F lllll ¡
··········
3E0-3FF ll¡¡¡ ¡
l: on ¡: off *= default
Default Settings
Mode Enhanced Mode
Port 1 IRQ12 Address 300H
Port 2 IRQ12 Address 308H
Port 3 IRQ12 Address 310H
Port 4 IRQ12 Address 318H

Chapter 2 Hardware Installation 13
The following example shows how to set the card base address to
2F8.
The switch sum is set to 2F8: 200 + 80 + 40 + 20 + 10 + 8 (HEX).
Note: On the PCL-846/847, the address line A9 does not appear on
the DIP switch, as it is permanently hardwired to hex 200.
Interrupt Level (IRQ) Setting
(S2, JP11, JP12, JP13, JP14)
The card's IRQ mode can be set using S2. Please note that the DIP
switch on S2 labelled MODE 0 is for setting the mode, as shown
below.
Shared IRQ Mode (default) Independent IRQ Mode

14 PCL-846/847 User's Manual
Independent IRQ Mode (JP11-JP14)
In this mode, each of the four ports can have IRQ channels set
individually. For each port, select an IRQ which is not already in use
by another card in the system. The mapping of jumpers to ports is as
shown below.
Port 1 àJP11
Port 2 àJP12
Port 3 àJP13
Port 4 àJP14
Shared IRQ Mode (JP11)
Select an IRQ which is not already in use by another card in the
system. If you are installing more than one PCL-846/847, set them to
different IRQ numbers. Jumper Bank JP11 controls the card IRQ.
Simply place the jumper on the desired interrupt level as shown in the
following figure.
Interrupt Status Register Setup
(S2, Vector address)
This feature on the PCL-846/847 is utilized in the IRQ sharing mode
only. When data arrives at one of the four ports, it generates an
interrupt in the interrupt register. The PC software can read this, and
identify immediately which port generated the interrupt. This saves
time, and makes programming easier.
When a data bit of the interrupt status register is set to 0, the corre-
sponding port is selected to generate an interrupt in DOS and
WIN 3.x, the corresponding interrupt register for Win 95/NT is 1. If
JP11

Chapter 2 Hardware Installation 15
the bit is 1, then no interrupt is generated. The following table shows
the correspondence between the status register bit which gets set to 0
and the port assigned to generate an interrupt.
Interrupt Status Register S2
Bit Function
0 Port 1
1 Port 2
2 Port 3
3 Port 4
4 Not Used
5 Not Used
6 Not Used
7 Not Used
A user may change the interrupt status registers' address using the DIP
switch S2. Please note that the address decoder will occupy a
continuous, 16-byte string of registers starting from the switch setting.
For example, if you set the switch to 210H, then the contents of the
registers from 210H to 21FH will all be decoded. The various DIP
switch settings (S2) and their corresponding interrupt status register
addresses are shown in the table on the following page. The figure
below shows the default setting of switch S2.

16 PCL-846/847 User's Manual
4A5A6A7A8A tpurretnI
retsigeR
NONONONONOH002
FFONONONONOH012
NOFFONONONOH022
FFOFFONONONOH032
NONOFFONONOH042
FFONOFFONONOH052
NOFFOFFONONOH062
FFOFFOFFONONOH072
NONONOFFONOH082
FFONONOFFONOH092
NOFFONOFFONOH0A2
FFOFFONOFFONOH0B2
NONOFFOFFONOH0C2
FFONOFFOFFONOH0D2
NOFFOFFOFFONOH0E2
FFOFFOFFOFFONOH0F2
NONONONOFFOH003
FFONONONOFFOH013
NOFFONONOFFOH023
FFOFFONONOFFOH033
NONOFFONOFFOH043
FFONOFFONOFFOH053
NOFFOFFONOFFOH063
FFOFFOFFONOFFOH073
NONONOFFOFFOH083
FFONONOFFOFFOH093
NOFFONOFFOFFOH0A3
FFOFFONOFFOFFOH0B3
NONOFFOFFOFFOH0C3
FFONOFFOFFOFFOH0D3
NOFFOFFOFFOFFOH0E3
FFOFFOFFOFFOFFOH0F3