Antona ANC-6204 User manual

Antona Corporation i(818)783-4299
Rev. B
$ 5.00
ANC – 6204
USB to RS-232, RS-485/422 and TTL
Serial Communications Adapter
Antona Corporation, Los Angeles, CA

Antona Corporation 1(818)783-4299
Antona Corporation
Copyright
Copyright (c) 2009-2014 by Antona Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or
translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the Antona Corporation of Los Angeles, California.
Warranty
Antona Corporation products are warranted to be free from defects in materials and
workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of original shipment to customer.
This warranty is limited to the replacement or repair of parts not subjected to misuse,
neglect, unauthorized repair, alteration (except card options), accident, or failure due to the
effects of static electricity discharge.
In no event shall Antona Corporation be liable to the purchaser for loss of use, profit, or
consequential damages, or damages of any kind, including, but not limited to, accidental loss or
damage to other equipment, arising out of use of Antona Corporation equipment, whether or not
said equipment was used properly.
Antona products are not suitable for any critical or life support functions.
Customers may use Antona's products in office, industrial or commercial applications
where a failure of the Antona product does not precipitate other damages.
The designer is responsible for the determining the suitability and use of the
product.
This warranty is in lieu of any other warranty, expressed, implied, or statutory, including,
without limitation, any implied warranty or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No
amendment of this warranty may be effected except in writing by an officer of the Antona
Corporation.
All repair services shall be performed at the Antona Corporation plant in Los
Angeles, Ca. THE PURCHASER MUST OBTAIN A RETURN AUTHORIZATION
FROM THE ANTONA CORPORATION PRIOR TO RETURNING ANY PIECE OF
EQUIPMENT. Shipment to the Antona Corporation will be at the expense of the
purchaser, return shipment will be at the expense of the Antona Corporation for all
warranty repairs.

Antona Corporation 2(818)783-4299
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEATURES.........................................................................................................................................................................................................3
OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................................................................................................3
MECHANICAL SPECIFICATIONS...........................................................................................................................................................................3
ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS.............................................................................................................................................................................3
ADAPTER JUMPER OPTIONS.......................................................................................................................................................................4
Figure 1 - ANC-6204 jumper locations...................................................................................................................................................4
OPENING THE PLASTIC ENCLOSURE....................................................................................................................................................................4
TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE CONTROL –JP1 AND JP3.............................................................................................................................................5
Figure 2 – transmit/receive control..........................................................................................................................................................5
Transmit Enable – JP1.................................................................................................................................................................................5
Photo 1 – Auto Transmit Operation.........................................................................................................................................................6
RECEIVE ENABLE -JP3......................................................................................................................................................................................6
RS-232 HANDSHAKE –JP2...............................................................................................................................................................................6
Figure 3 – RS-232 RTS/CTS...................................................................................................................................................................6
TTL INPUT /OUTPUT –JP4...............................................................................................................................................................................7
Figure 4 –TTL I/O jumpering..................................................................................................................................................................7
LOGIC LEVEL RESPONSE....................................................................................................................................................................................7
CABLE TERMINATION –JP5...............................................................................................................................................................................7
Figure 5 – terminating resister jumpering................................................................................................................................................7
TX -RX PIN REVERSE JUMPERS –JP6/JP7 .........................................................................................................................................................8
Figure 6 –Tx/Rc reversing jumpers.........................................................................................................................................................8
RECEIVE DATA SOURCE –JP8/JP9.....................................................................................................................................................................8
Figure 7 – USB receive source jumpers ..................................................................................................................................................8
2–WIRE /4–WIRE INTERFACE –JP10/JP11......................................................................................................................................................9
Figure 8 – 2/4 wire interfacing................................................................................................................................................................9
LED INDICATOR ENABLE –JP12 .......................................................................................................................................................................9
Figure 9 – LED enable ............................................................................................................................................................................9
ADAPTER INSTALLATION OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................................................................9
ADAPTER CONNECTOR INTERFACING.................................................................................................................................................10
ANC-6204 RS-232 CONNECTIONS (MALE DB-9) .....................................................................................................................................10
DB9 TO DB25 PIN TO PIN CHART -FOR USE OF ADAPTER ON A DB25 TYPE CONNECTOR ....................................................................................10
RS-422 CONNECTIONS TO THE ANC-6204 ..............................................................................................................................................10
DB9 FEMALE RS-422 SIGNALS FOR SERVER (MULTIMEDIA CONTROLLER) ......................................................................................................11
DB9 FEMALE RS-422 SIGNALS FOR CLIENT (RECEIVE FROM SERVER)..............................................................................................................11
RS-485 TWO AND FOUR WIRE INTERFACING ......................................................................................................................................11
2-WIRE RS-485................................................................................................................................................................................................11
DB9 RS-485 SIGNALS (MULTIPLE CLIENTS -MULTIDROP) ................................................................................................................................12
Photo 2 – 2-wire interface example.......................................................................................................................................................12
4-WIRE RS-485...............................................................................................................................................................................................12
TTL INTERFACE PIN OUTS ...............................................................................................................................................................................12
APPENDIX A – ANC-6204 SOFTWARE DRIVER / VIRTUAL COM PORT (VCP)..............................................................................14
APPENDIX B – ANC-6204 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE ......................................................................................................................16
Loopback Test............................................................................................................................................................................................16
CABLING (most common problem)...........................................................................................................................................................16
Pin Signal Definitions / Setting..................................................................................................................................................................16
Data Direction Jumpers.............................................................................................................................................................................17
Data Control Jumpers................................................................................................................................................................................17
Cable Termination.....................................................................................................................................................................................17
Powering....................................................................................................................................................................................................18
Program Operation....................................................................................................................................................................................18
Serial Equipment........................................................................................................................................................................................18
Now What?.................................................................................................................................................................................................18
APPENDIX C – ANC-6204 - TRANSMIT / RECEIVE LEDS.....................................................................................................................19
APPENDIX D -CIRCUIT BOARD SCHEMATIC........................................................................................................................................20

Antona Corporation 3(818)783-4299
Features
General
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RS-422/RS-485
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RS-232
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TTL
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Overview
The ANC-6204 adapter converts the USB (Universal Serial Bus) port transmit/receive
signal on a personal computer (PC) or Apple computer (equipped with a USB type interface) into
an RS232 serial comport, a differential noise immune RS-422/485 compatible port or a TTL level
signal. The RS-422 interface pin outs on the DB-9F connector follow the SMPTE format used by
many types of multimedia equipment manufactures (Sony, Grass Valley, etc.).
The adapter interface voltage levels produced meet the EIA-232, TIA-232, RS-485 and RS-422
signals. The adapter finds wide use in high-speed long distance serial communications,
multidropped 2-wire interfaces or to interface a PC with equipment that uses an RS-485 or RS-
422 type input/output. The adapter also provides an RS-232 comport, with optional handshaking
signals on CTS and RTS for use with legacy serial equipment. In the lab, one additional mode
allows connection of TTL level signals for product design and debug. The adapter is powered by
the host USB port which eliminates the need for an external power supply. There is a 3 foot
USB cable included with the adapter to connect from a type A USB port to the OTG type B mini
receptacle on the ANC-6204 adapter.
Mechanical Specifications
Adapter case size: 2.9" X 1.3" (74mm X 33mm)
Connectors: Male DB9 for PC RS-232 serial comport emulation
Female DB9 for SMPTE RS485/422 and TTL interfacing
Electrical Specifications
Power requirements = 50 ma for short cable, non-terminated applications
100 ma for long and/or terminated cable applications
Voltage = +5v from USB port

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RS-485/422 output drive= short proof output, non-terminated operation to 150 feet,
terminated operation with external power supply to 4,000 feet.
RS232 output drive=short proof output, under worse case conditions, ±5v switching
to exceed ±3v EIA RS232 specification
Adapter Jumper Options
Figure 1 - ANC-6204 jumper locations
All references below to ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’ are in respect to figure 1 above. The
circuit board (PCB) is silk screened with letters or a single letter close to the 2mm jumper posts
due to space limitations. The silk screened letter(s) describe the function or setting.
Except for JP2 (‘HS’ Handshake) and JP9 (‘CM’ Comport), the jumpers effect the RS422,
RS485 and TTL interface only.
Only the JP12 (‘LD’ LED indicators) requires cutting the vertical trace between the 2 pads
on the back side of the PCB to disable the LEDs. Normally the LEDs are enabled and draw very
little current, but some environments require no sources of extraneous light so disabling the
indicators would be desirable.
Figure 1 also shows the jumper positions when the adapter is shipped. Additional 2mm
jumpers are on the adapter to enable JP5, JP10 and JP11. These three jumpers are in the
‘keeper’ position over 1 of the 2 pins used to enable a feature.
The schematic on the last page of this manual, gives another view of each jumper
showing the settings on isolated block drawings of each jumper function referenced to the circuit.
When shipped, the ANC-6204 is set for transmit (JP1) and receive (JP3) enabled
always. RTS is connected to CTS (JP2) to enable the handshaking lines of RS-232. TTL
output (JP4) on the DB-9 female connector is disabled. The terminating resister (JP5) is
disconnected and the output pins (JP6/7) are set for ‘server’ (sometimes referred to as
‘master’ in older literature). Both serial interface ports are receive enabled (JP8/9) and 4-
wire interfacing is connected (JP10/11). Jumper 12, silk screened ‘LD’ on the PCB, is
used to enable powering of the Tx and Rc LED indicators (enabled when shipped).
Opening the Plastic Enclosure
To open the enclosure hood use a small flat blade screwdriver and carefully pry the
plastic latches on one side of the enclosure and gently separate the sides slightly (about .020”).

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Place a paper clip or coin between the separated side of the enclosure to keep it from re-latching
shut while you repeat the process on the two plastic latches on the other side of the hood. The
two sides of the hood should now come apart. Leave the enclosure off the adapter while
jumper changes are made and adapter is being tested in operation.
To reassemble the enclosure hood around the adapter electronics, place the circuit board
into the enclosure half that has the 2 holes for the LEDs with the LEDs aligned through them and
the back of the enclosure with the larger arrowhead icon by the “RS485/422/TTL” designation
toward the adapter end closest to the LEDs (the female DB-9 connector end).
Transmit and Receive Control – JP1 and JP3
Figure 2 – transmit/receive control
Transmit Enable – JP1
For single adapter 4-wire setups where the ANC-6204 is controlling one piece of
equipment, JP1 is set in the position for the transmit data RS-422 driver lines are always on.
This is how the adapter is shipped because it is the most commonly used mode – jumpers
between the silk screened TO and RO (Transmit On, Receive On) on the PCB as noted in fig 2
above (4-wire mode).
In applications where a 2-wire RS-485 type interface is required, the adapter needs to
turn off the transmit driver lines (+Tx and –Tx) to allow the reception of data by the adapter over
the same 2 wires. This also may be important to save current when there is no data being
transmitted in battery operated computers or even in 4 wire RS-422 type interfaces. Set jumper
JP1 between the AT to enable Auto Transmit. When using the auto transmit feature, the
adapter automatically enables the driver output only when data out is sensed. The lower 2 pin
position MUST be set and JP3, also pictured in figure 2, and described below should be set for
the desired receive control. See figure 1 above or the schematic for the location of JP1 and
JP3. Photo 1 below shows a dual scope trace demonstrating how the AutoXmit feature works.
The upper trace is +Tx on the adapter and the lower trace is the ‘AT’ pin of jumper 1. Note the
lower trace enables the transmit lines only when data is being sent.

Antona Corporation 6(818)783-4299
Photo 1 – Auto Transmit Operation
Receive Enable - JP3
The JP3 vertical 3-pin jumper can be set to enable receiving RS-485/422 data always (as
shipped) when the 2mm shunt is on the lower and middle pin (labeled RO – Receive On). JP3
can be set on the upper and middle pin (labeled AT – Auto Receive) to turn receive data off
whenever the transmit driver is active. See figure 1 or the schematic for the location of JP3. On
a 2-wire interface if data is being transmitted and the receiver is also enabled, anything
transmitted will be ‘looped-back’ into the serial port. Since the echoed signal is the actual data
that was transferred to the interface cable, being able to see the transmitted data echoed back
may be of use for testing, diagnostics or authenticating of the data output. Receiving back any
other data but the transmitted data would indicate that another device connected to the RS-485
network had transmitted at the same time (a contingency problem).
RS-232 Handshake – JP2
Figure 3 – RS-232 RTS/CTS
The two jumpers of JP2 are used to enable external operation of CTS and RTS. This
feature is only of interest to users of the RS-232 interface port. The jumpers should stay in the
horizontal ‘no handshaking’ position unless the user is connecting an older piece of RS232
equipment that supports hardware handshaking to control data flow. See figure 3 above or the
schematic for the location of JP2.

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TTL Input / Output – JP4
Figure 4 –TTL I/O jumpering
The ANC-6204 adapter can also be used in applications where a low voltage TTL serial
signal is needed for input and output. In addition to enabling JP4 (by removal), the user needs
to enable JP5 described below (by installing) to complete the TTL level circuitry. The input must
be negative true (the most common serial input sense), but both polarities of output digital signal
are available. This feature is probably most useful for the product designer, electronics
experimenter or in an electronics lab. If you enable AutoXmit (JP1) and set JP10/11 for 2-wire
interfacing, you can use 1 wire to transmit and receive TTL data. The adapter can be directly
interfaced with a microcontroller component or special purpose interface chip by enabling this
TTL input and output feature.
Logic Level Response
The table below gives the user an idea of how the adapter responds to TTL input, and the
corresponding output voltage levels. These values may vary by ±20%.
TTL Input Comment
Low < = +1.9v Inverted logic level
High > = +2.6v Inverted logic level
TTL Output Comment
+4.9v typical TTL output high
+.1v typical TTL output low
Cable Termination – JP5
Figure 5 – terminating resister jumpering
For cable lengths greater than 150 feet, resister termination across the remote receive
pair end of the cable may be necessary to dampen out a reflected data signal. The ANC-6204
has a ½W 120 ohm termination resister built in that can be placed across the receive wire pair
by setting jumper 5 (JP5) located over the transmit/receive setting jumpers (JP6/7). See figure 5
above or the schematic for the physical location. .

Antona Corporation 8(818)783-4299
Tx - Rx Pin Reverse Jumpers – JP6/JP7
Figure 6 –Tx/Rc reversing jumpers
These two jumper sets, designated JP6 and JP7 on the ANC-6204 schematic, allow the
designer to swap the transmit and receive pairs on the RS-422 side of the adapter. The jumpers
ONLY change what signals go to what pins on the DB-9 female connector – nothing more. The
jumpers only matter when a 4-wire RS-422 interface is involved and it is desired that the adapter
appear to be an RS-422 ‘client’. The configuration as shipped from Antona is set for ‘server’.
Figure 1 shows the jumper locations on the ANC-6204 circuit board and figure 6 above shows
an isolated view of the jumper settings. The user can move all four jumpers on the card from the
horizontal ‘server’ (controller) configuration to the vertical ‘client’ (remote) configuration. The
four jumpers must be either all horizontal or all vertical for adapter operation. For the
most common RS-422 interfacing, use the default jumpering of JP6/7 as shipped. The only
difference between the server and client function are the jumper positions of JP6 and JP7. The
electronics are exactly the same, the 2 transmit and 2 receive signal lines are exchanged on the
RS-485/422 side of the adapter by changing these 4 shunts.
Receive Data Source – JP8/JP9
Figure 7 – USB receive source jumpers
These jumpers offer a limited, but useful feature to the designer. The adapter will always
transmit data to both the RS232 male DB-9 and RS422/485 DB-9 female connector. For receive
data, JP8/9 allows the designer to receive data from both interfaces or disconnect the receive
signal from either of the sources. When shipped both interfaces are set to receive data input
into the USB port. The adapter can only input data from one source at a time. There are some
installations where disabling the unused port interface might be required. Note that the letters
‘DF’ are near to the Differential RS422/485 jumper 8, and that ‘CM’ is lettered near the jumper 9
Comport RS232 interface.

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2 –Wire / 4 – Wire Interface – JP10/JP11
Figure 8 – 2/4 wire interfacing
These two 2-pin jumpers connect the TX lines to the RC lines for configuring the ANC-
6204 for 2-wire multidrop interfacing. The jumpers are disabled when shipped for use with
separate transmit and receive wire pairs typical of 4-wire interfaces. Setting both jumpers to the
vertical position shown labeled ‘2-wire’ in figure 8 above, shorts +Tx to +Rc and –Tx to –Rc. The
user then connects pin 3 for +Data (+D) and pin 8 for –Data (-D) on the RS-485 multidrop
network. Be sure to set the transmit output jumper JP1 to ‘AT’ to automatically turn off the
transmit lines when using this interface mode and set JP3 for automatic receive turn on, or
always on as needed.
LED Indicator Enable – JP12
Figure 9 – LED enable
The LED transmit and receive indicators have been enabled by default. The 2 pads
located near the LD silk screened on the PCB may be used to enable or disable their operation.
Many times after the interface is installed and working, the LED indicators are not needed and in
some applications, a source of illumination within the work room or factory floor is not desired.
See Appendix C for more details on the LED circuit operation.
Adapter Installation Overview
Download the software drivers, un-zip them to a subdirectory before plugging in the
adapter. This is just the opposite of the usual instructions for adapter installations.
Plugging in the Antona USB adapter tells the PC or Apple operating system that a new
peripheral has been attached and needs a software driver installed. The adapter can be
plugged into any type ‘A’ USB receptacle. Follow the prompts to complete the driver installation.
The procedure for downloading the software, and installation instructions, is detailed in
Appendix A.
After the ANC-6204 is installed and working with the driver software, power down the PC
and power down the remote equipment to be connected to the ANC-6204. Attach the cable
required for the end application – RS322, RS422, RS485 or TTL between the peripheral and the
ANC-6204 adapter then re-power the computer and the attached equipment. A common

Antona Corporation 10 [phone]
example would be connecting a male-to-male DB9 6’ cable from the adapter to a Sony video
tape deck that uses an RS422 SMPTE interface.
The adapter may be attached to a type “A” extension cable from the computer or USB
hub to the Antona adapter. The USB cable extension should not exceed 12 feet.
Adapter Connector Interfacing
There are 3 distinct serial modes the ANC-6204 can be used in – noise immune
differential RS422/485, unipolar RS232 (PC ComPort) and TTL low voltage level interfacing for
use in prototyping and test application. The following pages detail the connector and pin
connections for each type.
ANC-6204 RS-232 connections (male DB-9)
Signal Function DB-9 Pin # Comment Data Direction
DCD Data Carrier Detect 1 Not connected
RX RECEIVE DATA 2 RS-232 level input input to adapter
TX TRANSMIT DATA 3 RS-232 level output output from adapter
DTR Data Term Ready 4 Tied to pin 6 output from adapter
GND GROUND 5 Signal ground ground
DSR Data Set Ready 6 Tied to pin 4 input to adapter
RTS Ready to Send 7 See jumper 2 output from adapter
CTS Clear to Send 8 See jumper 2 input to adapter
RI Ring Indicator 9 Not connected
DB9 to DB25 pin to pin chart - for use of adapter on a DB25 type connector
Signal Function DB-9 Pin # DB-25 Pin Comment
DCD/RLSD Data Carrier Detect 1 8
RX RECEIVE DATA 2 3 RS-232 level input
TX TRANSMIT DATA 3 2 RS-232 level output
DTR Data Term Ready 4 20 +v to power adapter
GND GROUND 5 7 signal ground
DSR Data Set Ready 6 6 tied to DTR (pin 4)
RTS Ready to Send 7 4 +v to power adapter
CTS Clear to Send 8 5
RI Ring Indicator 9 22
RS-422 connections to the ANC-6204
For a standard RS422, or multimedia interfacing, this is the mode the ANC-6204 is
shipped for. A 9-pin male to 9-pin male cable wired pin-to-pin is used to connect to the
multimedia device. For other interfaces, the user hand-wires a 9-pin cable assembly from the
RS-485/422 piece of equipment to the Antona adapter. The only difference between the server
and client tables below is the jumper positions of JP6 and JP7 within the adapter. The
electronics are exactly the same, only the 2 transmit and 2 receive signal lines are exchanged
on the RS-485/422 side of the adapter.

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DB9 Female RS-422 Signals for Server (Multimedia Controller)
DB9 female
CONN (J2) FUNCTION IDENTIFICATION
1 GROUND ground for RS-485/422
2 RC- RS-485/422 minus side input
3 TX+ RS-485/422 plus side output
4 GROUND ground for RS-485/422
5 -not used-
6 GROUND ground for RS-485/422
7 RC+ RS-485/422 plus side input
8 TX- RS-485/422 minus side output
9 SHIELD Connector shield ground
DB9 Female RS-422 Signals for Client (Receive from server)
DB9 female
CONN (J2) FUNCTION IDENTIFICATION
1 GROUND ground for RS-485/422
2 TX- RS-485/422 minus side output
3 RC+ RS-485/422 plus side input
4 GROUND ground for RS-485/422
5 -not used-
6 GROUND ground for RS-485/422
7 TX+ RS-485/422 plus side output
8 RC- RS-485/422 minus side input
9 SHIELD Connector shield ground
RS-485 Two and Four Wire Interfacing
2-wire RS-485
One of the key uses of a controlled transmit adapter, like the ANC-6204, is for applications using
multidrop 2-wire interfacing RS-485 type equipment. A two wire interface with multiple peripherals uses a
‘polled-response’ half-duplex software protocol where each device has a unique device code. The
designer should use twisted pair wire with an impedance of 100 to 120 ohms. Plain low-cost CAT-5 UTP
(Unshielded Twisted Pair) wire works fine.
Change the JP1 jumper as detailed in the Adapter Jumper Options for ‘AT’ (Auto Transmit).
JP3 gives the user the option to echo the data being transmitted (RO) or disable receiving when
transmitting (AR). The user must also set the JP10/11 jumpers (TX+ to RC+, TX- to RC-) to link the
transmit lines to the receive lines. The 2 conductor cable which connects to the outside world is then
wired to the ANC-6204 adapter’s TX+ (+DATA) and to TX- (-DATA). Match TX+ to the +DATA, or +D,
and TX- to –DATA, or –D, of the RS-485 compatible peripheral. Lastly, the JP5 jumper may be needed
to enable the 120 ohm terminating resistor across the data lines to dampen reflected noise.

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DB9 RS-485 Signals (multiple clients - multidrop)
DB9 female
CONN (J2) FUNCTION IDENTIFICATION
1 GROUND ground for RS-485/422
2 TX- -DATA, RS-485 minus input/output
3 -not used-
4 GROUND ground for RS-485/422
5 -not used-
6 GROUND ground for RS-485/422
7 TX+ +DATA, RS-485 plus input/output
8 -not used-
9 SHIELD Connector shield ground
Photo 2 below shows a typical transmission and reception sequence over an RS-485 2-wire
interface using the ‘AutoTransmit’ adapter feature. The top trace shows the data transmitted with a
scope probe on the TX+/RC+ (+DATA) combined line. The 2nd group of noisy looking characters is the
response received back from a remote device about 4 ms after the last character is sent. The lower trace
(#2) shows the signal after being cleaned up by the adapter. The ‘AutoTransmit’ feature was used to
perform the control in transmitting/receiving the 9600 baud data depicted through a MODCOM polled-
response protocol industrial controller.
Photo 2 – 2-wire interface example
4-Wire RS-485
A 4-wire RS-485 interface uses 2-wires to transmit to all connected peripheral receive data lines.
While 2 additional wires are connected from all peripheral controlled transmit pairs back to the server’s
receive wire pair. In such an arrangement, the server can does not need to use a ‘polled-response’
protocol. The client and server do not have to wait for a specific polling message. Only one connected
client device can transmit at a time, so the software must determine if two or more devices have
transmitted at the same time (collisions - detected as receive errors by the server) and then signal the
clients to stagger their transmissions. For systems where there are many clients that only occasionally
transmit to the server, this arrangement has the shortest latency between a client transmit to the
transmission of server data. Follow the “RS422 Connections to ANC-6204” table for pin connections.
TTL Interface Pin outs
The table below shows the signal pins for TTL use. Pin definitions per the factory set
jumpers except for removing JP4 and installing JP5 to enable TTL input.

Antona Corporation 13 [phone]
Pin # Function RS422 Designation Comment
7 Inverted TTL input to adapter RC+ Inverted RS232 level
input
3 Inverted TTL output from
adapter TX+ Inverted RS232 level TTL output
8 TTL output from adapter TX- In-phase RS232 level
TTL output
1 Ground ground Signal ground
reference
The author has used the TTL interface and notes there is one additional mode the ANC-6204
offers if JP1 and JP3 are set for AutoXmit as described above. The user can then multiplex both TTL
transmit and receive over a single wire (plus ground line).

Antona Corporation 14 [phone]
Appendix A – ANC-6204 Software Driver / Virtual Com Port (VCP)
Unlike other serial adapters that Antona manufactures, the ANC-6204 requires software
to be loaded to complete the installation. The installation and application of the software is, in
most cases, straightforward and a one-time operation.
Note that if you attach multiple adapters to a system, a separate driver must be installed
for each. You will be prompted to do this whenever you install a new adapter or swap an
adapter. This is because each adapter has a unique serial number so the driver software can
determine which serial device the user is interfacing to on the USB port. The user may have one
adapter directing output to an RS232 printer and another adapter running an RS422 SMPTE
compatible tape deck. Separate drivers insure that the data is being routed to the proper serial
device. Remember also that if you do a system restore to a date before the USB drivers were
installed, they will have to be re-installed for operation.
The process is:
1. Download and un-ZIP the appropriate driver and virtual comport (VCP) for your system.
2. Plug in the ANC-6204 to a USB port connected to your system directly or through a USB hub.
3. The computer will detect the new hardware and prompt you through the software installation.
4. Set up your application software to direct serial communication through the new USB adapter.
For the most common use - using the adapter in an application where it emulates a serial
port, you need to install the driver software and then install the comport software (VCP).
1. Select the software driver based on your operating system
The latest driver and VCP (Virtual Com Port) software is available at:
http://www.ftdichip.com/FTDrivers.htm
On the FTDI website, most operating systems offer two types of driver software, a virtual
COM Port (VCP) drivers and direct (D2XX) drivers. The VCP driver emulates a standard PC
serial port such that the USB device may be communicated with as a standard RS232 device.
The D2XX driver allows direct access to a USB device via a DLL interface.
To locate the drivers you want to install for a device, select which of the driver types you
wish to use (VCP or D2XX) and then locate the appropriate operating systems. With the
exception of Windows 98 and Windows ME, all devices are supported in each driver package.
Create a subdirectory on your system’s hard drive, download the appropriate software
into it and then un-zip the files.
2. Plug the ANC-6204 adapter into a type ‘A’ receptacle on the PC, Mac or attached USB
hub. This should cause the system to detect and prompt you through the software installation.
If you are not prompted after plugging in the adapter, check the USB cable connections and
insure that you have not previously installed the software on the system.
3. Installation guides for the various software drivers are available at:
http://www.ftdichip.com/Documents/InstallGuides.htm
Download the appropriate guide in PDF format and follow the instructions as detailed. Be sure
to make copies of the software and user guides then archive them for future reference.

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4. Locate the ‘device manager‘ by pressing ‘start’, ‘settings’ then ‘control panel’. Double click
‘system’, click on the ‘hardware’ tab, then click on the ‘device manager’ button. Locate the ‘ports
(COM & LPT)’ entry and click on the ‘+’ sign in front of that heading. The window should display
something like this:
Look for the ‘USB Serial Port (COMx) line to determine what comport the ANC-6204 has been
assigned to. In the example highlighted above, the adapter has been set for COM8.
The user needs to go into the specific user application (set up or menu item), and redirect the
serial I/O to the comport assigned by the software driver. This process will vary according to the
user application software, but usually means clicking on a ‘settings’ or ‘preferences’ tab within
the application software in Windows. The user can set up a simple test using ‘HyperTerminal’
on a Windows based system to check the adapter for operation.
5. Bring up HyperTerminal (or the equivalent MAC program for serial communication) and set
the ‘connect using’ drop down menu to select the USB comport assignment (COM8 in this
example). Set the baud rate, parity, etc., click ‘OK’ and then type on the keyboard. The Tx LED
on the ANC-6204 should blink as you type if the adapter and software are working correctly.
Both LEDs will blink if the adapter’s JP3 jumper is set for ‘RO’ and the JP10/11 jumpers
have been set for 2 wire RS485 operation.

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Appendix B – ANC-6204 Troubleshooting Guide
RS232 and RS422/RS485 Serial Interfaces
Here are the most common sources of interfacing problems and tests you can make to
diagnose your interface:
Loopback Test
You can verify that the Antona adapter is working by doing a simple loopback test. Set
JP10/11 for a 2-wire interface, as described in the manual. That will set TX+ to TX- and RC+ to
RC- ‘looping back’ the transmitted data as received data. Put the signal control jumpers (JP1/3)
back to the ‘as shipped’ position if they have been moved to insure that transmit and receive are
enabled always. If there is any question that the adapter powering may be causing a problem,
now would be a good time to read the paragraph below on POWERING. Use a simple terminal
program to test that characters sent out the serial port are echoed back through the adapter. If
you use a different terminal program and that the program is set to control the serial port the
adapter is addressed for. This is a very simple test of the adapter. The adapter operation in
loopback does not rely on baud rate, parity, stop bits - but the actual application program you are
using will (see PROGRAM OPERATION below).
CABLING (most common problem)
If one of the interface wires is not connected (open) or shorted, the whole interface will
appear not to be working. Try using another cable, or try the loopback test described above at
the end of the cable to verify operation. If you can not get the loopback test to work through the
cable, it will not work in your application. Even cables purchased with molded ends can be
damaged.
Pin Signal Definitions / Setting
RS-422 (4-wire interfaces)
Make sure that the JP6/7 jumpers are set for desired interfacing per the manual’s jumper
option section. Take a look at the manual of the RS422/485 equipment that you are trying to
control. Be sure that the pin definitions on the equipment tell you the signal names, not what
they are suppose to connect to. This sounds simple, but unless you know which direction the
pinouts are defined from, you will connect TX+ to TX+ which is incorrect in RS422 interfacing.
Make sure that you have the TX+ on the Antona adapter connected to the RC+ on the
RS422 equipment and TX- connected to RC- (same for the signal coming back from the
RS422 side - make sure that the Antona adapter's RC+ is connected to the TX+ and that
the RC- is connected to the TX- on the RS422 equipment side. Pin 1 on the adapter should
be connected to the ground of the RS422/485 equipment.
Multidrop Cabling RS-485 (2-wire interface)
JP1 MUST be set to the ‘AT’ position when using a 2-wire interface. That jumper
function enables the transmit function on/off control – and the adapter transmit pair must be
turned off in order to receive data through the adapter in 2-wire installations. Check to make
sure you have connected the ‘plus’ signal lines to the ‘plus’ (+D, +Data) signal lines and ditto for
the ‘negative’ to the ‘negative’ (-D, -Data) signals. This is the opposite of the 4-wire interface
above. Try connecting just one piece of equipment to the adapter for debugging both the
cabling and the software interfacing. Make sure that the JP10/11 jumpers are set for 2-wire
interfacing as described in the manual’s jumper option section. Remember that multidropped
peripherals must each be assigned a unique ‘device code’. Check with the specific equipment’s

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User’s Manual for setting this, along with protocol, baudrate, character length, parity and stop
bits to match your PC’s application software.
RS-232 Serial Interfacing
Pin signal definition is important – the ANC-6204 schematic and the “ANC-6204 RS-232
connections” table shows the signals as defined coming from the adapter. Tx from the adapter
is connected to RECEIVE on the attached equipment (and Rc is connected to the equipment
TRANSMIT). Any RS232 device that plugs into a PC comport will work with the adapters
pinouts. The two HS (HandShake) jumpers of JP2 are set for no hardware handshaking, but
older or specialized equipment may require enabling the RS232 signals CTS (Clear To Send)
and RTS (Ready To Send) signals for synchronization of transmit and receive.
Data Direction Jumpers
When shipped the Antona adapter is set for a SERVER (sometimes called MASTER or
CONTROLLER) interface. Connector pin outs are shown in this manual for both SERVER and
CLIENT mode, so be sure you are looking at the correct table. You may also want to open the
adapter enclosure to verify the jumpers JP6/7 are set for the mode you desire. All 4 jumpers
should be installed, they represent each of the 4 signals being transmitted and received. The
Schematic Appendix (last page of this manual) shows how and where these jumpers are
located.
Data Control Jumpers
There are two main jumpers – JP1 and JP3 that control the operation of the signal
switching on the ANC-6204 for transmit and receive enabling. Double check that you have set
the jumpers correctly for your application. Both jumpers must be installed for the adapter to
work properly and it is possible to have one set incorrectly cause the adapter to be non-
operational. Check the adapter jumper settings against the schematic. As a baseline, restore all
jumper settings to the factory defaults shown on the schematic and do a loopback test.
Cable Termination
Reflected signal produced by cabling that is not terminated properly will cause data
transmission errors. A terminated cable matched to the impedance of the cable wire produces
the maximum signal transfer and dampens the ringing of a reflected signal. Cable with nominal
120 ohm impedance will work the best (low cost UTP CAT-5 works good).
If you are using the adapter to interface with one piece of equipment, a short cable run (under
150 feet), in an electrically clean environment (like an office) then you probably do not need the
cable to be terminated. If you are using the ANC-6204 to interface with 2 or more RS-485
devices in an industrial environment with hundreds of feet of cable – terminating both ends of the
cable at the end points would be required. The adapter has a jumper enabled 120 ohm resister
(JP5 near R on the PCB) that takes care of the adapter end of the cable termination. The user
must connect a similar resister at the far end of the cable run. An unterminated cable will not
work generally with long cable runs, and baud rates above 19.2Kbaud. The best way to
determine if termination is causing your interface not to work is to enable the ANC-6204
terminating resister and install a 120 ohm resister onto the last piece of RS-485 equipment on
the cable. Check also, that you have not over-terminated the cable by having more than two
resisters installed other than one at each end of the cable run. Access one end of the cable and
use a multimeter set to the 200 ohm scale. You should measure about 60 ohms if there are two
120 ohm resisters in parallel across the cable. If you are using multiple Antona adapters, only
one at each end of the cable run should have JP5 enabled. Likewise, check any other piece(s)
of equipment on the cable (if they contain termination resisters) to make sure that only one of
them is enabled at the ends of the cable run.

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Powering
Be sure that the USB port or USB hub connected to the adapter is powered. Many newer
laptop, portable or notebook computers have battery power saving modes that turn off USB
ports if no activity is detected. Check to be sure that the USB port or USB hub is being
powered for adapter operation.
Program Operation
The application program you are using will need some setup performed - selecting the
serial comport, baud rate, parity, number of data bits, stop bits and setting the level of the
handshaking signals. Usually, for multimedia type interfaces, the baud rate is 38.4 Kbaud, Odd
parity, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit. For many RS-485 multidrop industrial control applications, the
baud rate is much slower, like 9600, no parity, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit. Here again, if the
program is not setup right, the adapter will appear not to be working at all.
Serial Equipment
Try to verify the operation of the target equipment independent of the Antona adapter by
using another setup - a different cable connected to another RS422/485 signal generating
device would be the best. Using a different computer with the Antona adapter would also be a
good test.
Now What?
If none of the above seems to fix the problem, but the loopback test works, the adapter is
working. You now need to connect an oscilloscope up to examine and monitor the RS422/485
signals or the RS232 signals being generated by the adapter with the plastic cover removed,
running with your device and program. Refer to the schematic, Appendix D in this manual. It is
easy to put a scope probe onto the tops of the 4 jumpers (JP6/7) and verify that RS422/485
signals are coming and going to the adapter. Test the +power to the adapter by attaching a
probe to the +lead of the 4.7uf capacitor near the +5v FET. Look for excess noise on any of the
lines that might be fouling up the transmissions.
If the loopback test does not work, check the adapter on another computer. Each adapter is
tested prior to shipment with every combination of character transmitted and received at 38.4
Kbaud, but like everything, occasionally they can go bad. Of the thousands we have shipped,
there have been around 20 that arrived non-operational. Damaged in shipping or infant
component burnout, but most returns have incorrect jumper settings. We do warranty our
adapters, so if it still does not work, call Antona and we will work out an adapter exchange. We
can not ship out a replacement adapter before receiving back an adapter. You can have us ship
a replacement adapter, charge your credit card and then charge back the credit card for the
original adapter purchase price (shipping can not be refunded).

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Appendix C – ANC-6204 - Transmit / Receive LEDs
The LED transmit (Tx) and receive (Rc) indicators help in setting up and debugging initial
installations of the ANC-6204 adapter by providing a quick visual check of data flow. In both 4-
wire and 2-wire applications, the LEDs will read the individual transmit and receive states. The
added LED circuitry is very simple consisting of 2 ultra bright LEDs and 2 – 10K current limiting
resisters that monitor the transmit and receive electronics. At 5V, each LED draws about 100
microamps (.0001 Amp). The light produced is easy to see in a normally lighted room with the
plastic enclosure on or off the adapter.
Sending or receiving a single character at 38.4 Kbaud would normally be hard to see due to the
very brief LED flash produced. The adapter stretches the LED ‘on’ time to make even one
character sent or received visible to the user.
The LED jumper (JP12 or LD - described in the jumper option section) allows disabling the
LEDs if desired after the installation process is complete. The current savings is not important,
but may be desired on portable or battery powered installations. Some locations restrict sources
of illumination due to specific environmental or operational requirements.
The following (JP12 enabled) table will help in interpreting the LEDs:
Indication Meaning
Tx LED pulsing on/off Normal indication for transmit data. This is the
most useful indication of adapter operation.
Tx LED always on Check wiring, jumper settings and the attached
equipment for operation and connection. Unplug
the adapter, and plug back in to reset.
Tx LED always off – when transmitting Check that the USB serial port is powered – hub
powered, etc. Check the driver, virtual comport and
application software for correct settings and the
serial port through the VCP software.
Rc LED pulsing on/off Normal indication for receive data
Rc LED always on Check that the Rc+ and Rc- polarity of the attached
equipment is correct and check attached device(s).
Rc LED always off – when receiving Check wiring, jumpers settings and that the
connected device(s) is transmitting to the adapter
at the proper baud rate, parity, data bits, etc.