Black Box IC189C User manual

CUSTOMER
SUPPORT
INFORMATION
Order toll-free in the U.S. 24 hours, 7 A.M. Monday to midnight Friday: 877-877-BBOX
FREE technical support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax [phone]
Mail order: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive, Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
Web site: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: [email protected]
AUGUST 2001
IC141C-R2
IC189C
4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI

1
4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND INDUSTRY CANADA
RADIO-FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENTS
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy and if not
installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions, may cause interference to radio communication. It has been tested
and found to comply with the limits for a Class A computing device in accordance
with the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to
provide reasonable protection against such interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area is likely to cause interference, in which case the user at his own
expense will be required to take whatever measures may be necessary to correct the
interference.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emission from digital
apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulation of Industry Canada.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le
brouillage radioélectrique publié par Industrie Canada.
EUROPEAN UNION DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
Products bearing the label fulfill the requirements of the EMC directive
(89/336/EEC) and of the low-voltage directive (73/23/EEC) issued by the
European Commission. To obey these directives, the following European standards
must be met:
• EN55022 Class A - “Limits and methods of measurement of radio interference
characteristics of information technology equipment”
• EN50082-1 - “Electromagnetic compatibility - Generic immunity standard” Part
1: Residential, commercial and light industry
• EN60950 (IEC950) - “Safety of information technology equipment, including
electrical business equipment”
Always use cabling provided with this product if possible. If no cable is provided
or if an alternate cable is required, use high quality shielded cabling to maintain
compliance with FCC/EMC directives.

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
NORMAS OFICIALES MEXICANAS (NOM)
ELECTRICAL SAFETY STATEMENT
INSTRUCCIONES DE SEGURIDAD
1. Todas las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser leídas antes de
que el aparato eléctrico sea operado.
2. Las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser guardadas para
referencia futura.
3. Todas las advertencias en el aparato eléctrico y en sus instrucciones de
operación deben ser respetadas.
4. Todas las instrucciones de operación y uso deben ser seguidas.
5. El aparato eléctrico no deberá ser usado cerca del agua—por ejemplo, cerca
de la tina de baño, lavabo, sótano mojado o cerca de una alberca, etc..
6. El aparato eléctrico debe ser usado únicamente con carritos o pedestales que
sean recomendados por el fabricante.
7. El aparato eléctrico debe ser montado a la pared o al techo sólo como sea
recomendado por el fabricante.
8. Servicio—El usuario no debe intentar dar servicio al equipo eléctrico más allá
a lo descrito en las instrucciones de operación. Todo otro servicio deberá ser
referido a personal de servicio calificado.
9. El aparato eléctrico debe ser situado de tal manera que su posición no
interfiera su uso. La colocación del aparato eléctrico sobre una cama, sofá,
alfombra o superficie similar puede bloquea la ventilación, no se debe colocar
en libreros o gabinetes que impidan el flujo de aire por los orificios de
ventilación.
10. El equipo eléctrico deber ser situado fuera del alcance de fuentes de calor
como radiadores, registros de calor, estufas u otros aparatos (incluyendo
amplificadores) que producen calor.
11. El aparato eléctrico deberá ser connectado a una fuente de poder sólo del
tipo descrito en el instructivo de operación, o como se indique en el aparato.

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
12. Precaución debe ser tomada de tal manera que la tierra fisica y la polarización
del equipo no sea eliminada.
13. Los cables de la fuente de poder deben ser guiados de tal manera que no
sean pisados ni pellizcados por objetos colocados sobre o contra ellos,
poniendo particular atención a los contactos y receptáculos donde salen del
aparato.
14. El equipo eléctrico debe ser limpiado únicamente de acuerdo a las
recomendaciones del fabricante.
15. En caso de existir, una antena externa deberá ser localizada lejos de las lineas
de energia.
16. El cable de corriente deberá ser desconectado del cuando el equipo no sea
usado por un largo periodo de tiempo.
17. Cuidado debe ser tomado de tal manera que objectos liquidos no sean
derramados sobre la cubierta u orificios de ventilación.
18. Servicio por personal calificado deberá ser provisto cuando:
A: El cable de poder o el contacto ha sido dañado; u
B: Objectos han caído o líquido ha sido derramado dentro del aparato; o
C: El aparato ha sido expuesto a la lluvia; o
D: El aparato parece no operar normalmente o muestra un cambio en su
desempeño; o
E: El aparato ha sido tirado o su cubierta ha sido dañada.

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL
OS/2 is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Any other trademarks mentioned in this manual are acknowledged to be the property of the
trademark owners.

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
Contents
Chapter Page
1. Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1 Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2 What’s Included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3 Factory-Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3. Card Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.1 RS-485 Enable Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2 Interface Mode Examples J1B –J4B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.3 Address and IRQ Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.4 Line Termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.5 Clock Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.5.1 Baud Rates and Divisors for the “DIV1” Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.5.2 Baud Rates and Divisors for the “DIV2” Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4. Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.1 Setting Up the Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.1.1 Windows 3.1x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.1.2 Windows 95/98 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.1.3 Windows NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.1.4 DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.1.5 Other Operating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.2 Installing the Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5. Technical Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.1 Interrupts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.2 Why Use an ISP? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.3 Connector Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Appendix A: Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
A.1 Using the Serial Utility Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
A.2 Calling for Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Appendix B: Electrical Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
B.1 RS-422 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
B.2 RS-485 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Appendix C: Asynchronous Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Appendix D: Board Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
1. Specifications
Communications Chip—IC141C-R2: 16550 UART (you can remove this UART and
install a 16850 or 16950 UART for better performance); IC189C: 16850 UART
Maximum Distance—5000 ft. (1524 m)
Operation—RS-422/485
Protocol—Asynchronous
Speed—460.8 kbps
CE Approval—Yes
Connectors—(1) DB37 male on card, (1) DB37 female and (4) DB9 male on
included octopus cable
Cable Length—36" (91.4 cm)
Power—From the interface: +5V @ 250 mA; +12 V @ 60 mA; -12 V @ 100 mA
Size—Half-card

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
2. Introduction
2.1 Overview
The 4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI (IC141C-R2) is a four-channel PCI Bus serial
I/O adapter for the PC and compatibles supporting data rates up to 460.8 kbps.
The IC141C-R2 Adapter uses the 16550 UART. This chip features
programmable baud rates, data format, and interrupt control, and a 16-byte input
and output FIFO. Or, you can remove the 16550 UART on the board and install a
16850 or 16950 UART in its place. The 128-byte FIFO you get with the 16850 or
16950 UART allows the card to deliver better performance than with the 16550
UART. The IC189C Adapter already has the 16850 UART installed.
RS-422 provides excellent communications for long-distance device connections
up to 4000 ft. (1219.2 m), where noise immunity and high data integrity are
essential. Select RS-485 and capture data from multiple peripherals in an RS-485
multidrop network.
In both RS-485 and RS-422 modes, the card works seamlessly with the standard
operating system serial driver. In RS-485 mode, our special auto-enable feature
allows the operating system to view the RS-485 ports as COM ports. This lets you
use the standard COM driver for RS-485 communications. Our on-board hardware
automatically handles the RS-485 driver enable.
2.2 What’s Included
The 4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI is shipped with the following items. If any of
these items are missing or damaged, contact Black Box immediately at
724-746-5500.
• 4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI
• (3) Serial Utility Software Diskettes: (1) DOS/Linux/Win 3.1, (2) Win
95/98/2000/Me/Windows NT
• Octopus Cable providing (4) DB9 connectors
• This Manual

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
2.3 Factory-Default Settings
The factory-default settings are described in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1. Factory-Default Settings.
Port # Clock DIV Mode Enable Mode
Port 1 4 Auto
Port 2 4 Auto
Port 3 4 Auto
Port 4 4 Auto
To install the 4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI using factory-default settings, skip
Chapter 3 and go on to Chapter 4.
For your reference, record installed 4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI settings in
Table 2-2.
Table 2-2. Installed Settings.
Port # Clock DIV Mode Enable Mode
Port 1
Port 2
Port 3
Port 4

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
3. Card Setup
NOTE
In all cases J1x is for port 1, J2x for port 2, J3x for port 3, and J4x for
port 4.
3.1 RS-485 Enable Modes
RS-485 is ideal for multi-drop or network environments. It requires a tri-state driver
that will allow the electrical presence of the driver to be removed from the line.
The driver is in a tri-state or high-impedance condition when this occurs. Only one
driver may be active at a time; the other driver(s) must be tri-stated. The output
modem-control signal Request To Send (RTS) is typically used to control the state
of the driver. Some communication software packages refer to RS-485 as RTS
enable or RTS block-mode transfer.
One of the unique features of the 4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI is the ability to
be RS-485 compatible without the need for special software or drivers. This ability
is especially useful in Windows®, Windows NT®, and OS/2®environments, where
the lower-level I/O control is abstracted from the application program. This ability
means that you can effectively use the 4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI in an RS-485
application with existing (standard RS-232) software drivers.
Headers J1B – J4B are used to control the RS-485 mode functions for the driver
circuit. The selections are “RTS” enable (marked “RT”) or “Auto” enable (marked
“AT”). The “Auto” enable feature automatically enables/disables the RS-485
interface. The “RTS” mode uses the “RTS” modem-control signal to enable the
RS-485 interface and provides backward compatibility with existing software
products.
Position 3 (marked “NE”) of J1B – J4B is used to control the RS-485
enable/disable functions for the receiver circuit and determine the state of the
RS-422/485 driver. The RS-485 “Echo” is the result of connecting the receiver
inputs to the transmitter outputs. Every time a character is transmitted, it is also
received. This can be beneficial if the software can handle echoing (i.e. using
received characters to throttle the transmitter), but it can confuse the system if the
software does not. To select the “No Echo” mode, select position “NE.”
For RS-422/530/449 compatibility, remove the jumpers at J1B – J4B.
Examples on the following pages describe all of the valid settings for J1B – J4B.

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
3.2 Interface Mode Examples J1B – J4B
Figure 3-1. Headers J1B – J4B, RS-422.
Figure 3-2. Headers J1B – J4B, RS-485 “Auto” Enabled, with “No Echo.”
Figure 3-3. Headers J1B – J4B, RS-485 “Auto” Enabled, with “Echo.”
AT RT
NE
AT RT
NE
AT RT
NE

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
Figure 3-4. Headers J1B – J4B, RS-485 “RTS” Enabled, with “No Echo.”
Figure 3-5. Headers J1B – J4B, RS-485 “RTS” Enabled, with “Echo.”
3.3 Address and IRQ Selection
The 4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI is automatically assigned I/O addresses and
IRQs by your motherboard BIOS. Only the I/O addresses may be modified by the
user. Adding or removing other hardware may change the assignment of I/O
addresses and IRQs.
3.4 Line Termination
Typically, each end of the RS-485 bus must have line terminating resistors (RS-422
terminates the receive end only). A 120-ohm resistor is across each
RS-530/422/485 input in addition to a 1 K-ohm pull-up/pull-down combination
that biases the receiver inputs. Headers J1A – J4A allow you to customize this
interface to your specific requirements. Each jumper position corresponds to a
specific portion of the interface. If multiple 4-Port Serial Host Adapters are
configured in an RS-485 network, only the boards on each end should have
jumpers T, P, and P ON. Refer to the following table for each position’s operation:
AT RT
NE
AT RT
NE

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
Table 3-1. Line Termination Jumper Position Functions.
Name Function
P Adds or removes the 1K-ohm pull-down resistor in the RS-422/RS-485
receiver circuit (Receive data only).
P Adds or removes the 1K-ohm pull-up resistor in the RS-422/RS-485
receiver circuit (Receive data only).
T Adds or removes the 120-ohm termination.
L Connects the TX+ to RX+ for RS-485 two-wire operation.
L Connects the TX- to RX- for RS-485 two-wire operation.
Figure 3-6. Headers J1A – J4A, Line Termination.
3.5 Clock Modes
The 4-Port Serial Host Adapter PCI employs a unique clocking option that allows
you to select from divide-by-4, divide-by-2 and divide-by-1 clocking modes. These
modes are selected at Headers J1C through J4C.
To select the baud rates commonly associated with COM ports (2400, 4800, 9600,
19.2, … 115.2 kbps), place the jumper in the divide-by-4 mode (marked DIV4).
PPTLL

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
Figure 3-7. Clocking Mode “Divide By 4.”
To double these rates up to a maximum rate of 230.4 kbps, place the jumper in
the divide-by-2 (marked DIV2) position.
Figure 3-8. Clocking Mode “Divide By 2.”
DIV1 DIV2 DIV4
DIV1 DIV2 DIV4

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
3.5.1 B AUD R ATES AND D IVISORS FOR THE “DIV1” M ODE
Table 3-2 shows some common data rates and the rates you should choose to
match them if using the adapter in the “DIV1” mode.
Table 3-2. Baud Rates for the “DIV1” Mode.
For This Data Rate Choose This Data Rate
1200 bps 300 bps
2400 bps 600 bps
4800 bps 1200 bps
9600 bps 2400 bps
19.2 kbps 4800 bps
57.6 kbps 14.4 kbps
115.2 kbps 28.8 kbps
230.4 kbps 57.6 kbps
460.8 kbps 115.2 kbps

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
If your communications package allows the use of baud-rate divisors, choose the
appropriate divisor from Table 3-3.
Table 3-3. Baud-Rate Divisors for the “DIV1” Mode.
For This Data Rate Choose This Divisor
1200 bps 384
2400 bps 192
4800 bps 96
9600 bps 48
19.2 kbps 24
38.4 kbps 12
57.6 kbps 8
115.2 kbps 4
230.4 kbps 2
460.8 kbps 1

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
3.5.2 B AUD R ATES AND D IVISORS FOR THE “DIV2” M ODE
Table 3-43 shows some common data rates and the rates you should choose to
match them if using the adapter in the “DIV2” mode.
Table 3-4. Baud Rates for the “DIV2” Mode.
For This Data Rate Choose This Data Rate
1200 bps 600 bps
2400 bps 1200 bps
4800 bps 2400 bps
9600 bps 4800 bps
19.2 kbps 9600 bps
38.4 kbps 19.2 kbps
57.6 kbps 28.8 kbps
115.2 kbps 57.6 kbps
230.4 kbps 115.2 kbps

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
If your communications package allows the use of baud-rate divisors, choose the
appropriate divisor from Table 3-5.
Table 3-5. Baud-Rate Divisors for the “DIV2” Mode.
For This Data Rate Choose This Divisor
1200 bps 192
2400 bps 96
4800 bps 48
9600 bps 24
19.2 kbps 12
38.4 kbps 8
57.6 kbps 4
115.2 kbps 2
230.4 kbps 1

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
4. Installation
IMPORTANT
You MUST set up the operating system BEFORE you physically install
the Card.
4.1 Setting Up the Operating System
If you are installing the PCI adapter in DOS, OS/2®, or QNX, please refer to the
appropriate directory on one of the Serial Utilities Disks for instructions.
4.1.1 W INDOWS 3.1 X
Refer to the Win3x.hlp file in the \Win31 directory on the appropriate Serial
Utilities disk.
4.1.2 W INDOWS 95/98 U SERS
If you are installing the PCI card in Windows 95/98, run setup on the appropriate
Serial Utilities Diskette before installing the card. Power down the computer and
install the adapter. The resources are automatically configured for the PCI card.
Refer to the appropriate help file in the Black Box folder located in the Start,
Programs menu for changing those resources.
Selecting the PCI COM Number in Windows 95 or 98
On a 4-port board, Windows will by default define the ports sequencing in
ascending order starting at COM5 if no COM5 exists. If there is a COM5, etc., the
next available COM number will be assigned to the first port with all additional
ports following in ascending order.
However, some software packages are limited to recognizing COM numbers
from COM1 through COM4. If you’re using one of these packages, you might want
to reassign ports 3 and 4 to COM3 and COM4. (Remember that Windows has
already assigned ports 1 and 2 to addresses arbitrarily chosen for COM5 and
COM6.)
Follow the steps listed below to change the first two ports so that Windows
assigns them COM3 and COM4.
1. Double-click the “Systems” icon in the control panel or right-click on “My
Computer” and choose “Properties” to bring you to “System Properties.”

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4-PORT SERIAL HOST ADAPTER PCI
2. Choose the Device Manager tab and double-click on the “Multi-Function
Adapter” heading. This will show all the information concerning the Adapter.
3. Choose the “Resources” tab, which will show all resources assigned to the
Adapter. Uncheck the “Use Automatic Settings” box.
4. There are five input/output (I/O) ranges listed. The first I/O range is for the
PCI bus and should not be changed. The fourth and fifth I/O ranges (the last
addresses in the list) are the ones that you need to change in order to have
the ports on the board numbered as COM3, COM4, COM5, and COM6.
Double-click on the fourth I/O range, which will allow you to change the
address. Highlight the entire I/O range and type 03e8-03ef for COM3. Click
OK. Windows will inform you that you have made modifications that may
affect other devices. Click OK.
5. Next, double-click on the fifth I/O range. Highlight the entire I/O range and
type 02e8-02ef for COM4. Again, Windows will inform you that you have
made modifications that may affect other devices. Click OK.
6. Port 1 is COM5, Port 2 is COM6, Port 3 is COM3, and Port 4 is COM4.
4.1.3 W INDOWS NT
If you are installing a PCI card in Windows NT, run setup on the appropriate Serial
Utilities Diskette before installing the card. After the software installation is
complete, power down the computer, install the card, then power up. Since
resource allocation is automatic, the installation is now complete.
4.1.4 DOS
Refer to the Readme.txt file found in the \DOS directory on the appropriate Serial
Utilities disk.
4.1.5 O THER O PERATING S YSTEMS
Refer to the appropriate directory on the Serial Utilities software.
4.2 Installing the Hardware
You can install the Serial Interface Adapter in any of the PCI expansion slots. It
contains several jumper straps for each port that you must set for proper
operation.
1. Power off the PC. Disconnect the power cord.