Avocent SwitchView User manual

SwitchView®
Installer/User Guide
Technology Corporation
Expert Solutions for the LAN Environment ™
®

©2000 Avocent Corporation. All rights reserved.
Avocent and the Avocent logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avocent Corporation. SwitchView is a registered
trademark of Cybex Computer Products Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Product Overview
Feature Overview
The SwitchView allows you to control multiple PCs,
easily and affordably, with just one keyboard, monitor
and mouse. There is no software to install or boards
to configure, so installation is simple. SwitchView works
with IBM PC/AT and PS/2 systems with support for
VGA and SVGA video. PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse
peripherals are supported through the rear of the unit.
When you turn on your PCs, the SwitchView will boot
up each one without interruption by sending out the
proper signal to eliminate keyboard errors. PCs may be
powered-up one-at-a-time or all at once. The first avail-
able channel is automatically selected upon power-up.
You can switch computer channels two ways: via the
Select button on the SwitchView front panel, or through a
short keyboard sequence if the SwitchView is out of reach.
The SwitchView supports the following additional features:
• PS/2 mouse translation - your PS/2 mouse will
work with any attached PC, regardless of whether
the computer is serial or PS/2 mouse compatible!
• Extensive Mouse Support - The SwitchView
offers full support for the Logitech MouseMan
Wheel, Logitech Trackman Marble Wheel, Logitech
Trackman Marble FX, Microsoft Explorer mouse and
the Microsoft IntelliMouse family.
• Standard cables - use either Avocent-supplied or
standard straight-through cables to attach comput-
ers to the SwitchView unit.
• Built-in scanning feature - scan through all of
your attached PCs automatically. Scan every PC for
2 to 60 seconds each.
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SwitchView User Manual
2
• Hot-pluggable - new PCs can be added or
removed without powering down the SwitchView
unit or other attached PCs.
• Status LEDs - two LEDs per computer give you
constant readings on the status of your Switch-
View unit.
Specifications
Mechanical
2-Port 4-Port
Height:1.9" (4.83 cm) Height:1.9" (4.83 cm)
Width: 8.1" (20.57 cm) Width: 8.1" (20.57 cm)
Depth: 5.0" (12.7 cm) Depth: 5.0" (12.7 cm)
Environmental/Power
Operating Temperature: 41° (5°C) to 104° (40°C)
Storage Temperature: -4° (-20°C) to 122° (50°C)
Optional Power Supply: 6VDC @ 700 mA
Supported Hardware
Computer: IBM PC/AT, PS/2 and 100% compatibles
Video Modes: VGA and SVGA
Maximum Resolution: 1600 x 1200 @ 75 Hz
Peripherals: PS/2 keyboard, PS/2 mouse
Regulatory Compliance Standards
UL 1950, CSA C22.2 No. 950, EN60950
FCC part 15B, EN55022, EN50082, CISPR22, ICES-003
Under certain circumstances it may be necessary to
power the SwitchView with an external power supply. If
this is necessary, the power supply should be a Listed
Direct Plug-In Transformer unit marked “Class 2” or
“L.P.S.” and rated at 6 VDC, 700 mA.

3
Installation
VGA VIDEO CABLE
PS/2 KEYBOARD CABLE
PS/2 MOUSE CABLE
Basic Install
Before you install
In order to connect your PCs to the SwitchView, you will
need the appropriate connecting cables. We recommend
these Avocent cable kits:
For PS/2 PSs: CPS2-6A For AT/serial PCs: CSER-6A
The SwitchView also accepts standard straight-through
cables for these connections.
Connecting your peripherals
1. Your VGA monitor, keyboard and mouse connect to
the SwitchView unit instead of your computer. Plug
your PS/2 keyboard cable into the purple port
on the back of your unit in the User Console section.
Plug your PS/2 mouse cable into the green port
and your VGA video cable into the blue port.

SwitchView User Manual
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Connecting your Computers
2. Power down all computers that will be part of your
SwitchView system.
3. Locate the appropriate cable kit to attach your first
computer to the SwitchView. Now, plug the key-
board cable from the kit into the purple con-
nector of any available port on your SwitchView.
Ports are labeled A-B on the 2-Port and A-D on
the 4-Port.
Next, plug your mouse cable into the green con-
nector of the same port.
Plug the video cable into the blue monitor connector.
Plug the remaining cable ends into the matching
ports on your computer. For serial computers,
use only Avocent provided adaptors. Tighten all
thumbscrews.
4. Repeat step 3 for each additional computer to be
attached and then power-up all attached computers.

Basic Operations
PCs may be powered-up one-at-a-time or all at once.
The green LEDs over each channel will light, indicating
that the attached computer is powered on. After
power-up, a lit amber LED indicates the selected com-
puter. Other PCs may now be selected for operation.
Selecting a PC
There are two ways to select a PC. One way is via
the Select push-button. This selects the next computer
in sequence. Holding the push-button down will enable
scanning of all available channels until the button is
released. The second way is by entering a short sequence
of keystrokes on the keyboard. This is called keyboard, or
hot-key, switching.
Press the Control key twice within one second to place
your SwitchView in Command Mode. Your keyboard
LEDs will flash to verify that you are operating in Com-
mand Mode. Now, whatever you type will be interpreted as
SwitchView system commands until Enter is pressed to
accept the command or Escape is pressed to cancel.
In Command Mode, type the letter for the PC you wish
to select. Press Enter to accept the new address (Addr).
See below.
Key Sequence Action
1. <CTRL><CTRL>B<Enter> Selects Channel B.
2. <CTRL><CTRL>C<Enter> Selects Channel C.
EXAMPLE
Key Sequence Action
<CTRL><CTRL>Addr<Enter> Selects an active channel via keyboard.
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SwitchView User Manual
Scanning PCs
The scanning feature allows you to automatically moni-
tor, or scan, each PC in your SwitchView system. If you
use the keyboard during scanning, the scan will pause
until you finish, then resume with the next PC. The
length of time each PC’s video remains on the screen, or
dwell time, can be changed at any time. Scanning will
be halted if the Halt command is entered or if another
PC is selected.
The following key sequences control scanning:
If you would like mouse and keyboard activity to sus-
pend scanning, see the commands below.
Key Sequence Action
<CTRL><CTRL>Dnn<Enter> Congures the dwell time. Substitute nn
with a value from 2 to 60 seconds. The
default value is 5 seconds.
<CTRL><CTRL>SG<Enter> Enables the scan Go command.
<CTRL><CTRL>SH<Enter> Enables the scan Halt command.
Key Sequence Action
<CTRL><CTRL>M+<Enter> Mouse will suspend scanning.
<CTRL><CTRL>M-<Enter> Mouse will not suspend scanning. (default)
EXAMPLE
Key Sequence Action
1. <CTRL><CTRL>D10<Enter> Each PC’s video will remain on the
screen for 10 seconds before the
next channel is displayed.
2. <CTRL><CTRL>SG<Enter> Scanning begins with the current
computer, then continues to the
next PC in sequence.
3. <CTRL><CTRL>SH<Enter> Scanning is halted until the Go
command is issued again.
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Unit
Green channel LED not lit
Verify that the computer is powered on. Check the
cabling between your computer and the SwitchView.
Verify that a keyboard works when plugged directly into
your PC. If the connection is to a laptop mouse, the
green LED will not light but the port can still be selected.
Unable to switch channels
Verify that all attached PCs are powered and correctly
connected to the unit.
Unable to hot-key
After a power loss, the unit will default to the <CTRL>
<CTRL> key sequence. Try using <CTRL> <CTRL> to hot-
key switch.
Video
No video
Verify that the video cable between the computer and
the SwitchView is connected to the selected port. Verify
that the monitor cable is correctly connected to the
SwitchView.
Power down the computer. Connect the monitor directly
to the computer and power up again. If the monitor does
not operate correctly direct to the computer, try another
monitor.
Verify that the cables from the computer to the Switch-
View are connected properly.
Troubleshooting
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SwitchView User Manual
Mouse
Mouse jumps or “hugs” screen
If the mouse has been hot-plugged while running in
Windows, you may need to close and restart Windows.
If the mouse still does not function, try the mouse resyn-
chronization command: <CTRL><CTRL>ZM<Enter>.
Mouse is inoperable on one or more channels
Try the mouse reset command: <CTRL><CTRL>MR<Enter>
or <CTRL><CTRL>MW<Enter> depending on the type of
mouse you have. Check the table below for the appropriate
keyboard sequence. If your mouse type is not listed, use the
MR keyboard sequence.
Verify that the mouse is plugged into the mouse port in
the User Console area on the rear panel of the unit.
Verify that the computer works properly with a mouse
connected directly to it. If not, try another mouse.
If you are using a serial mouse, verify that you are using
an Avocent Serial Mouse adaptor.
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Peripheral Mouse
Logitech
MouseWare
Driver
Microsoft
Intellipoint
Driver
Logitech MouseMan Wheel MW MR
Logitech Trackman Marble Wheel MW MR
Logitech Wheel Mouse MW MR
Logitech Trackman Marble FX MR MR
Logitech Marble Mouse MR MR
Three Button MR MR
Microsoft IntelliMouse MW MW
Microsoft Explorer MW MW