Advantech USB-4600 Series User manual

User Manual
USB-4600 Series
2/4-port RS-232/422/485 to USB
Converters with ESD Surge
Protection

USB-4600 Series User Manual ii
Copyright
The documentation and the software included with this product are copyrighted 2006
by Advantech Co., Ltd. All rights are reserved. Advantech Co., Ltd. reserves the right
to make improvements in the products described in this manual at any time without
notice. No part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, translated or transmitted
in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Advantech Co.,
Ltd. Information provided in this manual is intended to be accurate and reliable. How-
ever, Advantech Co., Ltd. assumes no responsibility for its use, nor for any infringe-
ments of the rights of third parties, which may result from its use.
Acknowledgements
Intel and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corporation.
Microsoft Windows and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
All other product names or trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Product Warranty (2 years)
Advantech warrants to you, the original purchaser, that each of its products will be
free from defects in materials and workmanship for two years from the date of pur-
chase.
This warranty does not apply to any products which have been repaired or altered by
persons other than repair personnel authorized by Advantech, or which have been
subject to misuse, abuse, accident or improper installation. Advantech assumes no
liability under the terms of this warranty as a consequence of such events.
Because of Advantech’s high quality-control standards and rigorous testing, most of
our customers never need to use our repair service. If an Advantech product is defec-
tive, it will be repaired or replaced at no charge during the warranty period. For out-
of-warranty repairs, you will be billed according to the cost of replacement materials,
service time and freight. Please consult your dealer for more details.
If you think you have a defective product, follow these steps:
1. Collect all the information about the problem encountered. (For example, CPU
speed, Advantech products used, other hardware and software used, etc.) Note
anything abnormal and list any onscreen messages you get when the problem
occurs.
2. Call your dealer and describe the problem. Please have your manual, product,
and any helpful information readily available.
3. If your product is diagnosed as defective, obtain an RMA (return merchandize
authorization) number from your dealer. This allows us to process your return
more quickly.
4. Carefully pack the defective product, a fully-completed Repair and Replacement
Order Card and a photocopy proof of purchase date (such as your sales receipt)
in a shippable container. A product returned without proof of the purchase date
is not eligible for warranty service.
5. Write the RMA number visibly on the outside of the package and ship it prepaid
to your dealer.
Part No. XXXXXXXXXX Edition 1
Printed in Taiwan May 2009

iii USB-4600 Series User Manual
Declaration of Conformity
CE
This product has passed the CE test for environmental specifications when shielded
cables are used for external wiring. We recommend the use of shielded cables. This
kind of cable is available from Advantech. Please contact your local supplier for
ordering information.
FCC Class A
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. 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. Opera-
tion of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Technical Support and Assistance
1. Visit the Advantech web site at www.advantech.com/support where you can find
the latest information about the product.
2. Contact your distributor, sales representative, or Advantech's customer service
center for technical support if you need additional assistance. Please have the
following information ready before you call:
–Product name and serial number
–Description of your peripheral attachments
–Description of your software (operating system, version, application software,
etc.)
–A complete description of the problem
–The exact wording of any error messages

USB-4600 Series User Manual iv
Safety Instructions
1. Read these safety instructions carefully.
2. Keep this User Manual for later reference.
3. Disconnect this equipment from any AC outlet before cleaning. Use a damp
cloth. Do not use liquid or spray detergents for cleaning.
4. For plug-in equipment, the power outlet socket must be located near the equip-
ment and must be easily accessible.
5. Keep this equipment away from humidity.
6. Put this equipment on a reliable surface during installation. Dropping it or letting
it fall may cause damage.
7. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection. Protect the equipment
from overheating. DO NOT COVER THE OPENINGS.
8. Make sure the voltage of the power source is correct before connecting the
equipment to the power outlet.
9. Position the power cord so that people cannot step on it. Do not place anything
over the power cord.
10. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.
11. If the equipment is not used for a long time, disconnect it from the power source
to avoid damage by transient overvoltage.
12. Never pour any liquid into an opening. This may cause fire or electrical shock.
13. Never open the equipment. For safety reasons, the equipment should be
opened only by qualified service personnel.
14. If one of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by service
personnel:
15. The power cord or plug is damaged.
16. Liquid has penetrated into the equipment.
17. The equipment has been exposed to moisture.
18. The equipment does not work well, or you cannot get it to work according to the
user's manual.
19. The equipment has been dropped and damaged.
20. The equipment has obvious signs of breakage.
21. DO NOT LEAVE THIS EQUIPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE
STORAGE TEMPERATURE MAY GO BELOW -20° C (-4° F) OR ABOVE 60° C
(140° F). THIS COULD DAMAGE THE EQUIPMENT. THE EQUIPMENT
SHOULD BE IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.
22. CAUTION: DANGER OF EXPLOSION IF BATTERY IS INCORRECTLY
REPLACED. REPLACE ONLY WITH THE SAME OR EQUIVALENT TYPE
RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER, DISCARD USED BATTERIES
ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS.
23. The sound pressure level at the operator's position according to IEC 704-1:1982
is no more than 70 dB (A).
DISCLAIMER: This set of instructions is given according to IEC 704-1. Advantech
disclaims all responsibility for the accuracy of any statements contained herein.

v USB-4600 Series User Manual
Chapter 1 Introduction..........................................1
1.1 Overview ................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Features .................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Specifications ............................................................................................ 2
1.3.1 General ......................................................................................... 2
1.3.2 Insert ............................................................................................. 2
1.3.3 Communications ........................................................................... 2
1.3.4 Mechanism.................................................................................... 3
1.3.5 Protection...................................................................................... 3
1.3.6 Software........................................................................................ 3
1.3.7 Environment.................................................................................. 3
1.4 Dimensions ............................................................................................... 3
Chapter 2 Installation............................................5
2.1 Driver Installation ...................................................................................... 6
2.1.1 Steps for Driver Setup................................................................... 6
2.2 Hardware Installation ................................................................................ 8
2.3 Verifying Driver Setup ............................................................................... 9
2.4 Limitations ............................................................................................... 10
2.5 Unplugging the Converters ..................................................................... 10
2.6 Updating the Drivers ............................................................................... 10
2.7 Uninstalling the Drivers ........................................................................... 11
Chapter 3 Settings ..............................................13
3.1 Serial Configuration................................................................................. 14
3.2 Changing the Port Number ..................................................................... 15
Chapter 4 Signal Connection .............................17
4.1 Pin Assignment ....................................................................................... 18
4.2 LED Status .............................................................................................. 18
Table 4.1: LED Indicator Status Description.............................. 18

USB-4600 Series User Manual vi

Chapter 1
1Introduction

USB-4600 Series User Manual 2
1.1 Overview
Advantech’s USB-4600 Series of serial to USB converters are the easies, the most
reliable way to add serial ports to a PC. To attach the USB-4602B/4602BM/4604B/
4604BM to a PC, you don’t need to open the chassis or power down your PC. After
installing the driver, connect the USB converters to your computer, will instantly get
extra high-speed RS-232/422/485 ports. By simply plugging in a USB-hub, USB-
4600 series eliminate the configuration issues associated with high-priced, elder card
solutions. You only have to install the driver, no need to set cards slot, IRQ
addresses, or device addresses. This reduces programming effort.
USB-4600 series products are compliant with USB 2.0 and 1.1 specifications, and up
to 480M bps high-speed requirement. USB-4600 series supports for transmission
speeds up to 921.6k bps, which meets the demand for high speed data exchange.
1.2 Features
USB-4600 Series products have the following features:
Full compliance with USB V1.1 and V2.0 specifications.
RS-232/422/485 port supported
Serial Transmission speed up to 921.6 kbps
Automatic RS-485 data flow control
No external power supply necessary; the hub derives its power from USB port
Plug & Play installation
No additional IRQs or I/O ports required
Hot swap function supported
1.3 Specifications
1.3.1 General
Certifications CE, FCC
Connectors 1 x USB Type B (Type A to Type B cable provided)
2 x DB9
Enclosure ABS+PS
USB Cable Max. 15ft (4.6 m)
Mounting DIN 35 rail, stack, wall
1.3.2 Insert
Power Input 10 to 48 VDC (external) or 5 VDC (Bus Power)
Power Consumption 100 mA @ 5 V (Typical)
150 mA @ 5 V (Max.)
1.3.3 Communications
Data Bits 5, 6, 7, 8
Parity Bits Odd, even, none, space, mark
Stop Bits 1, 1.5, 2
Transmission Speed Up to 921.6 kbps

3 USB-4600 Series User Manual
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.3.4 Mechanism
Dimensions 132 x 80 x 32 mm
Enclosure ABS+PC
Mounting DIN-rail, panel
1.3.5 Protection
EFT Protection 2,500 VDC
ESD Surge Protection IC Embedded 16KV
1.3.6 Software
Driver Support Windows 2000/XP/2003
1.3.7 Environment
Operating Temperature 0 ~ 55° C (32 ~ 131° F)
Storage Temperature -25 ~ 80° C (-13 ~ 176° F)
Operating Humidity 20 ~ 95% (non-condensing)
Storage Humidity 5 ~ 95% (non-condensing)
1.4 Dimensions

USB-4600 Series User Manual 4

Chapter 2
2Installation

USB-4600 Series User Manual 6
2.1 Driver Installation
We strongly recommend you install the driver before you insert the USB-4600 Series
into USB port of your PC, since this will guarantee a smooth installation process.
2.1.1 Steps for Driver Setup
1. Insert your companion CD-ROM disc into your CD-RAM drive and double click-
ing the small icon on the companion CD
2. After executing the USB_ICOM.exe, the InstallShield Wizard starts to install the
driver.
3. Click “Next” to start

7 USB-4600 Series User Manual
Chapter 2 Installation
4. The computer reports that the system has enough memory to install and click
“Next” to Continue.
5. Then the driver installation is done.
After the installation, you will find the readme.htm in the following path.
C:\Program Files\Advantech\ICOM\USB ICOM\Readme\Readme.htm
There are some FAQs about how to install / uninstall / configure the module.

USB-4600 Series User Manual 8
2.2 Hardware Installation
When the USB-4600 Series plug into the USB port, the Found New Hardware Wizard
would show up. Through the Wizard, the module could be installed step by step.
1. Windows will automatically detect the USB devices and try to install the driver.
2. Select to Install the software automatically and click “Next.”
3. The driver detects the Advantech USB Serial Port and click “Continue Anyway.”

9 USB-4600 Series User Manual
Chapter 2 Installation
4. The installation of one COM port is finished.
It would take four times to install the COM ports if you are using USB-4604B/4604BM
due to 4 COM ports.
2.3 Verifying Driver Setup
After you have installed your card, go to Control Panel/System/Device Manager to
look for the Device Name that will appear after you have installed the driver.
Note! If your device has not been properly installed, there will be an exclama-
tion mark (!) on the device name to indicatea conflicting device. If this is
the case, just remove that device and start the driver installation process
all over again.

USB-4600 Series User Manual 10
2.4 Limitations
USB-4600 Series might need the external power input (10~48VDC) when the USB
port can not provide enough current. Typically, USB-4604B/4604BM and USB-
4602B/4602BM requires at least 130mA@5VDC and 100mA@5VDC from USB bus
power.
If the current is not enough, you would observe the system keeps showing connec-
tion / disconnection to the USB devices. In this situation, it is necessary to input the
external voltage to the 2-pin green connector for power input.
Generally, if you attach several USB-4600 Series Converters on your PC and the
serial ports are running at high speed such as 921.6 kbps, the CPU loading would
become too high to run smoothly. It is recommended to apply the proper amount of
USB-4600 Series modules to your PC depending on the CPU performance of your
system.
2.5 Unplugging the Converters
Though the Advantech USB to Serial Converter are hot-swappable, we still recom-
mend you to follow the hardware un-installation procedure to avoid any unpredictable
damages to your device or your system.
1. Close the applications with any opened port of USB to Serial Converter.
2. Click the “Safely Remove Hardware” in windows task bar
3. Click "Stop Advantech USB-xxxx USB2Serial Converter".
4. Click "OK" on the Safe to Remove Hardware dialog box.
5. Unplug the USB to Serial Converter from the USB port.
2.6 Updating the Drivers
1. Close the applications with any opened port of the USB to Serial Converter.
2. Open "Windows Device Manager". Double click on the "Advantech USB-xxxx
USB2Serial Converter".
3. Click "Update Driver" button

11 USB-4600 Series User Manual
Chapter 2 Installation
4. The "Upgrade Device Driver Wizard" will help you to upgrade device driver.
2.7 Uninstalling the Drivers
1. Close the applications with any opened port of Advantech USB to Serial Con-
verter and unplug Advantech USB to Series Converter from USB port.
2. Open “Add or Remove Programs” from “Control Panel”
3. Choose “Advantech USB ICOM Driver” and click “Change/Remove” button
4. InstallShield Wizard show up
Note! If you have 2 or more Advantech USB to Serial Converter installed, the
above upgrade method won't take effect. You can do follow below steps:
a. Unplug all Advantech USB to Serial Converters.
b. Install new driver
c. Plug in the Advantech USB to Serial Converter.

USB-4600 Series User Manual 12
5. Choose “Remove” and click “Next ” button
6. Click “OK” button to confirm uninstall message.
7. The driver uninstallation is complete.

Chapter 3
3Settings

USB-4600 Series User Manual 14
3.1 Serial Configuration
1. Choose “Advantech USB Serial Port” in Control Panel/System/Device Manager
2. Press right button and choose “Properties”
3. You can change the serial configuration setting “Bits per second/Data bits/
Parity/Stop bits/Flow control” in here.
If your product model is USB-4602BM or USB-4604BM, you can choose Serial port
Type on the setting tab.