Black Box USB Director RS-232 User manual

1000 Park Drive • Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 • 724-746-5500 • Fax [phone]
© Copyright 1998. Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved.

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FEBRUARY 1998
IC812A
RS-232 to Keyboard Converter
RS232 SW2

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
AND
CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
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 the Canadian Department of Communications.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques
dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de
classe A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique
publié par le ministère des Communications du Canada.
TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL
IBM is a registered trademark, and PC/XT is a trademark, of
International Business Machines Corporation.
FCC AND DOC/MDC STATEMENTS

RS-232 TO KEYBOARD CONVERTER
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.

NOM STATEMENT
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.
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.

RS-232 TO KEYBOARD CONVERTER
Contents
Chapter Page
1. Specifications .......................................................................................... 1
2. Introduction ........................................................................................... 3
3. Configuration ......................................................................................... 4
4. Installation .............................................................................................. 5
5. Operation ............................................................................................... 7
5.1 Power-Up .......................................................................................... 7
5.2 Operating with No Translation ...................................................... 7
5.3 Operating with ASCII Translation ................................................. 7
5.4 The Self-Test .................................................................................... 8
6. Troubleshooting ................................................................................... 11
6.1 First Steps ....................................................................................... 11
6.2 Calling Your Supplier .................................................................... 11
6.3 Shipping and Packaging ............................................................... 11

1
CHAPTER 1: Specifications
Compliance — FCC Part 15 Class A, DOC Class/MDC classe A
Interfaces — IBM 6-pin keyboard, EIA RS-232 serial (DTE)
Protocol/
Code Set — Keyboard: Scan modes 1, 2, or 3 (autosensed);
Serial: Asynchronous; raw keyboard codes or ASCII
(user-selectable)
Data Format — Serial: Always 1 stop bit; either 8 data bits and no
parity or 7 data bits and even or odd parity (user-
selectable)
Flow Control — X-ON/X-OFF (software) only
Data Rates — Serial: 76,800, 38,400, 19,200, 9600, 4800, 2400,
1200, or 600 bps (user-selectable)
Maximum
Distance — Keyboard: 10 ft. (3 m) to PC’s keyboard port,
10 ft. (3 m) to optional keyboard;
Serial: 50 ft. (15.2 m) to connected device
User Controls — (1) Side-mounted 8-position DIP switch for data rate,
data format, PC type, translation mode
Diagnostic — User-triggerable “barber pole” self-test
Connectors — (1) DB25 female for serial input;
(2) 6-pin mini-DIN female:
(1) for output to computer’s keyboard port (male-
to-male keyboard-extension cable is included),
(1) for optional input from local keyboard
1. Specifications

2
RS-232 TO KEYBOARD CONVERTER
Leads/Signals
Supported — Serial: Pins 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 20 (TD, RD, RTS, CTS,
SGND, and DTR respectively)
Power — From PC: +4.75 to +5.25 VDC, 50 mA
MTBF — 100,000 hours
Altitude
Tolerance — 10,000 ft. (3048 m)
Temperature
Tolerance — Operating: 32 to 104˚ F (0 to 40˚ C);
Storage: –4 to 158˚ F (–20 to 70˚ C)
Humidity
Tolerance — Up to 95% noncondensing
Dimensions — 1"H x 5"W x 5"D (2.5 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm)
Weight — Net: 0.6 lb. (0.3 kg); Shipping: 1 lb. (0.5 kg)

3
CHAPTER 2: Introduction
With the RS-232 to Keyboard Converter, you can translate RS-232 data and
send it as input to an IBM®PC as if it were coming from the PC’s own
keyboard. For example, you can take RS-232 data from a sensor, alarm, bar-
code reader, or even another PC and pump it into a PC’s keyboard port, so
that the data goes directly into the software you want to handle it with. The
data can be the RS-232 equivalent of raw keyboard codes, or it can be
ASCII characters. When it converts the data to keyboard data, the
Converter automatically senses which keyboard scan mode to use.
The RS-232 to Keyboard Converter is powered by the attached PC, so you
don’t have to worry about an ungainly power supply. Also, users can select
a serial data rate ranging from 600 bps to 76,800 bps.
2. Introduction

4
RS-232 TO KEYBOARD CONVERTER
Before you install your RS-232 to Keyboard Converter, configure it by set-
ting its DIP switch. (If you change the configuration settings later, you must
power the Converter down and back up for the changes to take effect.)
Referring to Table 3-1 below, set positions 1 through 3 for the desired
data rate, positions 4 and 5 for your desired data format, position 7 for the
desired PC type, and position 8 for your desired translation mode.
(Position 6 is used to trigger the unit’s self-test; see Section 5.4.)
Table 3-1. Possible Settings of the DIP Switch
FUNCTION DIP SWITCH POSITIONS
12345678
Data Rate (bps)
76,800 OFF OFF OFF
38,400 ON OFF OFF
19,200 OFF ON OFF
9600 ON ON OFF
4800 OFF OFF ON
2400 ON OFF ON
1200 OFF ON ON
600 ON ON ON
Data Format
8 data bits, no parity OFF OFF
8 data bits, no parity ON OFF
7 data bits, odd parity OFF ON
7 data bits, even parity ON ON
Operating Mode
Normal OFF
Self-Test ON
PC Type
AT or PS/2 OFF
PC/XT ON
Translation Mode
ASCII OFF
No Translation ON
3. Configuration

5
CHAPTER 4: Installation
Take these steps to install your RS-232 to Keyboard Converter:
1. Place the Converter in a dry place between the devices whose signals
you want to convert. It should be within 10 ft. (3 m) of the keyboard
port of the PC or other keyboard-input device you want to connect to
it. It should be within 50 ft. (15.2 m) of the RS-232 device you want to
connect to it. It should also be close enough to any optional keyboard
that you can plug the keyboard’s native cable directly into the
Converter—do not use an extension cable.
2. Make sure the PC or other keyboard-input device that you want to
connect is turned off. Then take the included keyboard-extension
cable with male 6-pin mini-DIN connectors. Plug one end of this cable
into the connector marked “PC” on the Converter. Plug the other end
into the keyboard port of the PC or other keyboard-input device.
If you are connecting the Converter to an older computer such as
a PC/XT™ that has 5-pin DIN keyboard connectors, use a 6-pin mini-
DIN female to 5-pin DIN male adapter (our product code FA212) to
make the connection between the extension cable and the PC’s
keyboard port.
3. Connect the RS-232 device by running cable between it and the
Converter. There must be a male DB25 connector on the Converter
end of the cable; plug this connector into the female DB25 connector
marked “RS-232” on the Converter.
Figure 4-1 on the next page shows the pinout of the Converter’s
RS-232 port.
4. Lastly, if you want to connect a keyboard, do so by plugging its native
output cable into the connector marked “KBD” on the Converter.
(The keyboard will be powered from the PC through the extension
cable and Converter.)
If you are connecting an older keyboard that has 5-pin DIN
connectors, use a 5-pin DIN female to 6-pin mini-DIN male adapter
(our product code FA212) to make the connection between the
keyboard cable and the Converter.
4. Installation

6
RS-232 TO KEYBOARD CONVERTER
Table 4-1. Pinout of the Converter’s RS-232 Port
Pin No. Signal Signal Name Direction Notes
Abbrev.
2 TD Transmit Data OUT
3 RD Receive Data IN
4 RTS Request to Send OUT Held high
5 CTS Clear to Send IN
7 SGND Signal Ground N/A
20 DTR Data Terminal Ready OUT Held high

7
CHAPTER 4: Operation
5.1 Power-Up
To turn on the RS-232 to Keyboard Converter, turn on the connected PC
or keyboard-input device, because the Converter draws its power from its
interface with that device. The Converter will begin either operating with
no translation (see Section 5.2), operating with ASCII translation (see
Section 5.3), or performing its self-test (see Section 5.4).
5.2 Operating with No Translation
When positions 6 and 8 of the RS-232 to Keyboard Converter’s DIP switch
are both set to OFF, the Converter accepts 8-bit data bytes as RS-232 input
to its connector marked “RS-232.” The Converter changes the
asynchronous RS-232 protocol and RS-232 voltages of these signals to the
bit-synchronous protocol and +5-volt level acceptable to a standard PC as
keyboard input. It then outputs these signals on its connector marked “PC.”
Since no translation takes place, the RS-232 data should be (for most
applications) the scan codes generated by a PC keyboard.
5.3 Operating with ASCII Translation
When position 8 of the RS-232 to Keyboard Converter’s DIP switch is set to
ON and position 6 is set to OFF, the Converter accepts ASCII codes as
RS-232 input to its connector marked “RS-232.” The Converter changes
these codes into the equivalent PC-keyboard scan codes, which it outputs
on its connector marked “PC.” While the Converter is in this operating
mode, RS-232 devices that transmit ASCII can drive a PC’s keyboard input.
Table 5-1 on pages 9 and 10 shows the correspondences between ASCII
codes and the keyboard keystrokes they are converted to.
5. Operation

8
RS-232 TO KEYBOARD CONVERTER
5.4 The Self-Test
When position 6 of the RS-232 to Keyboard Converter’s DIP switch is set to
ON and the Converter is powered down and then back up again, the
Converter begins performing a barber-pole self-test and sends the test data
(continuously repeating strings of the basic ASCII character set) out of its
RS-232 port.) The first line of the self-test shows the Converter’s product
name, the version number of its software, and a binary representation of
the current settings of its DIP switch.

9
CHAPTER 4: Operation
Table 5-1. ASCII to Keyboard-Scan-Code Conversion
To read this table, read across to the first hex digit, then down to the
second hex digit, to find the keyboard character represented by a
particular ASCII code. For example, ASCII 6B will be converted to the
keyboard code for lowercase “k.” This page covers codes 00 to 7F; see
page 10 for 80 to DF.
HEX01234567
0[Space] 0@P` p
1!1AQaq
2"2BRbr
3#3CScs
4$4DTdt
5%5 E Ue u
6&6FVf v
7'7GWgw
8[Back- (8HXhx
space]
9[Tab] )9IYiy
A*:JZjz
B[Escape] +; K[ k{
C,<L\l|
D[Enter] - = M] m}
E.>N^n~
F/?O_o
[Delete]

10
RS-232 TO KEYBOARD CONVERTER
This page covers “extended ASCII” codes 80 to DF. The Converter does
not do anything with codes E0 to FF. The characters from C0 to CF,
marked with an (N), are the characters generated by the numeric keypad.
HEX89ABCD
0[Ctrl/ [F1] [Num [Enter] (N) [Insert]
Alt/ Lock]
Delete]
1[Make [Break [F2] [Caps / (N) [Home]
Left Left Lock]
Ctrl] Ctrl]
2[Make [Break [F3] [Scroll * (N) [End]
Left Left Lock]
Shift] Shift]
3[Make [Break [F4] 9 (N) [Page
Left Left Up]
Alt] Alt]
4[Make [Break [F5] 8 (N) [Page
Right Right Down]
Ctrl] Ctrl]
5[Make [Break [F6] 7 (N) [Up
Right Right Arrow]
Shift] Shift]
6[Make [Break [F7] 6 (N) [Down
Right Right Arrow]
Alt] Alt]
7[F8] 5 (N) [Left
Arrow]
8[F9] 4 (N) [Right
Arrow]
9[F10] 3 (N) [Print
Screen]
A[F11] 2 (N) [Pause]
B[F12] 1 (N)
C0 (N)
D- (N)
E.+(N)
F[Del] (N)

11
CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting
6.1 First Steps
If you have difficulty with the RS-232 to Keyboard Converter, first make
sure that its DIP switch is set correctly and that all cables connected to it
are firmly and securely attached at both ends. If these things are OK, have
the Converter perform its self-test as described in Section 5.4. If the
Converter fails its self-test, or if if passes but problems persist, call your
supplier as described in Section 6.2.
6.2 Calling Your Supplier
If you determine that your RS-232 to Keyboard Converter is
malfunctioning, do not attempt to alter or repair it. Contact your supplier. The
problem might be solvable over the phone.
Before you do, make a record of the history of the problem. Your
supplier will be able to provide more efficient and accurate assistance if
you have a complete description, including:
• The nature and duration of the problem.
• When the problem occurs.
• The components involved in the problem.
• Any particular application that, when used, appears to create the
problem or make it worse.
6.3 Shipping and Packaging
If you need to transport or ship your RS-232 to Keyboard Converter:
• Package it carefully. We recommend that you use the original
container.
• Before you ship a unit for repair or return, contact your supplier to get
a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number, and make sure you
include everything you received with the unit when you ship it.
6. Troubleshooting

12
RS-232 TO KEYBOARD CONVERTER