Black Box KV130A User manual

JANUARY 2003
KV130A
KV130DA
KV131A-R2
KV132A-R2
KV134A-R2
KV138A
KV138DA
KV139A
KV139DA
FREE tech support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax [phone].
Mailing address: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Dr., Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
World-Wide Web: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: [email protected]
© Copyright 2003. Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved.
Customer Support Information:

1
THE SERVSWITCH™ FAMILY
Welcome to the ServSwitchTM Family!
Thank you for purchasing a BLACK BOX®ServSwitch™Brand KVM switch! We
appreciate your business, and we think you’ll appreciate the many ways that your
new ServSwitch keyboard/video/mouse switch will save you money, time, and
effort.
That’s because our ServSwitch family is all about breaking away from the
traditional, expensive model of computer management. You know, the one-size-
fits-all-even-if-it-doesn’t model that says, “One computer gets one user station, no
more, no less.” Why not a single user station (monitor, keyboard, and mouse) for
multiple computers—even computers of different platforms? Why not a pair of
user stations, each of which can control multiple computers? Why not multiple
user stations for the same computer?
With our ServSwitch products, there’s no reason why not. We carry a broad line
of robust solutions for all these applications. Do you have just two PCs, and need
an economical alternative to keeping two monitors, keyboards, and mice on your
desk? Or do you need to share dozens of computers, including a mix of IBM®PC,
RS/6000®, Apple®Macintosh®, Sun Microsystems®, and SGI®compatibles among
multiple users with different access levels? Does your switch have to sit solidly on a
worktable and use regular everyday cables? Or does it have to be mounted in an
equipment rack and use convenient many-to-one cables? No matter how large or
small your setup is, no matter how simple or how complex, we’re confident we
have a ServSwitch system that’s just right for you.
The ServSwitch™family from Black Box—the one-stop answer for all your KVM-
switching needs!
*
This manual will tell you all about your new ServSwitch™ Affinity, including how
to install, operate, and troubleshoot it. For an introduction to the ServSwitch
Affinity, see Chapter 2. The ServSwitch Affinity product codes covered in this
manual are:
KV130A KV131A-R2 KV132A-R2 KV134A-R2 KV138A
KV139A KV130DA KV138DA KV139DA
This manual also includes information about the Affinity’s Port Cards,
Terminator Card, Expansion Cards, and Rackmount Kits, but these come with
their own installation guides. Their product codes are:
KV1300C KV1301C-R2 KV1304C KV1305C KV1306C
RMK19A RMK19A139 RMK23A RMK23A139 RMK24A RMK24A139

2
SERVSWITCH™ AFFINITY
TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL
BLACK BOX and the logo are registered trademarks, and ServSwitch and
ServSwitch Affinity are trademarks, of Black Box Corporation.
Apple, Mac, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
IBM, PC/AT, PS/2, RS/6000, and ThinkPad are registered trademarks, and
PC/XT is a trademark, of International Business Machines Corporation.
Microsoft, HyperTerminal, IntelliMouse, Windows, and Windows NT are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries.
Sun and Sun Microsystems are registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in
the United States and other countries.
Any other trademarks mentioned in this manual are acknowledged to be the property of the
trademark owners.

3
FCC/IC STATEMENTS
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 B 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.

4
SERVSWITCH™ AFFINITY
EUROPEAN UNION DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
This equipment complies with the requirements of the European EMC Directive
89/336/EEC with respect to EN55022 (Class B), EN50082-1/EN60555-2, and the
Low Voltage Directive.

5
NOM STATEMENT
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.

6
SERVSWITCH™ AFFINITY
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.

7
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
Chapter Page
1. Specifications ........................................................................................... 11
2. Introduction ............................................................................................. 15
2.1 The Complete Package ..................................................................... 15
2.2 Features ............................................................................................. 16
2.3 The Rear Panel Illustrated ............................................................... 19
2.4 Cable Requirements ......................................................................... 22
2.5 Equipment Requirements ................................................................ 22
3. Installation and Preconfiguration ............................................................ 23
3.1 Quick Setup Guide ........................................................................... 23
3.2 Guidelines for Using the ServSwitch Affinity with Your Equipment .. 24
3.2.1 CPUs ....................................................................................... 24
3.2.2 Mouse and Keyboard ............................................................ 24
3.2.3 Monitor .................................................................................. 27
3.3 Installation Procedure ...................................................................... 30
3.3.1 Placement .............................................................................. 30
3.3.2 Setting and Installing Cards ................................................. 31
3.3.3 Rackmounting (Optional) .................................................... 31
3.3.4 Connecting the Monitors, Keyboards, and Mice ................ 31
3.3.5 Connecting CPUs .................................................................. 32
3.3.6 Connecting Devices’ Serial Ports (Optional) ...................... 33
3.3.7 Connecting Other Affinity Units (Optional) ...................... 34
3.3.8 Powering Up the Affinity Units ............................................ 34
3.3.9 Changing the Keyboard Setting of Windows NT 4.0 CPUs ... 35
3.3.10 Switching and Accessing the Display from the Keyboard ... 35
3.4 Daisychaining ServSwitch Affinity Units .......................................... 36
3.4.1 Expansion Cabling ................................................................ 36
3.4.2 Bus and User-Port (KVM) Numbering ................................ 37
3.4.2.A In 4-User Models ...................................................... 37
3.4.2.B In 8-User and 16-User Models ................................ 37
3.4.3 Topologies ............................................................................. 40
3.4.3.A Regular Bus .............................................................. 40
3.4.3.B Split Bus .................................................................... 43
3.4.3.C Ring .......................................................................... 45
3.4.4 Mixed Chains ......................................................................... 47

8
SERVSWITCH™ AFFINITY
Contents (continued)
Chapter Page
3. Installation and Preconfiguration (continued)
3.5 The Power-Up Procedure ................................................................. 48
3.5.1 The Power-Up Diagnostic Screen: Standard Messages ....... 49
3.5.2 Kernel-Halt Error Messages .................................................. 51
3.5.3 Kernel Serial-Port Messages .................................................. 54
3.6 Initial Configuration ......................................................................... 55
3.6.1 Initially Configuring a Single Unit ....................................... 55
3.6.2 Initially Configuring Multiple Daisychained Units ............. 56
4. Full Configuration ................................................................................... 58
4.1 Using the Menu ................................................................................ 59
4.1.1 Navigating the Configuration Pages .................................... 59
4.1.2 Choosing Names ................................................................... 59
4.1.3 Saving Configuration Changes ............................................. 59
4.2 Configuring the System .................................................................... 61
4.2.1 System Settings ...................................................................... 61
4.2.2 Keyboard Settings .................................................................. 62
4.2.3 Appearance ............................................................................ 63
4.3 Configuring Computers ................................................................... 65
4.4 Configuring User Stations ................................................................ 69
4.5 Configuring User Definitions ........................................................... 71
4.6 Configuring User Profiles ................................................................. 72
4.7 Configuring Groups .......................................................................... 75
4.8 The Status Page ................................................................................. 77
5. On-Screen Functions, Same-Slot Users, and Connection Modes ......... 79
5.1 Logging In ......................................................................................... 79
5.2 Connection-Status Messages ............................................................. 80
5.2.1 “Connection Successful” ....................................................... 80
5.2.2 “Connection Failed” .............................................................. 80
5.2.3 Disconnect Status .................................................................. 82
5.3 User Stations Attached to Same-Numbered Slots/Buses ............... 84
5.4 Connection Modes ............................................................................ 86
5.4.1 View Mode ............................................................................. 86
5.4.2 Share Mode ........................................................................... 86
5.4.3 Control Mode ........................................................................ 86
5.4.4 Private Mode .......................................................................... 87
5.4.5 Connection-Mode Behavior ................................................. 87

9
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
6. Keyboard Commands .............................................................................. 88
6.1 Command Summary ....................................................................... 88
6.2 Display Configuration Menu: [Ctrl] [F12] .................................... 90
6.3 Display CPU List: [Ctrl] [Esc] ........................................................ 90
6.4 Select Computer: [Ctrl] xxxx [Enter] ............................................ 91
6.5 Switch to the Next Port in Sequence: [Ctrl] [+] ........................... 91
6.6 Switch to the Previous Port in Sequence: [Ctrl] [–] ..................... 91
6.7 Switch to the Prior Port: [Ctrl] [←] or [Ctrl] [Backspace] ......... 91
6.8 Display User-Station Status: [Ctrl] D ............................................. 92
6.9 Log Out: [Ctrl] L ............................................................................ 92
6.10 Disconnect: [Ctrl] Q ....................................................................... 92
6.11 Reset Keyboard and Mouse: [Ctrl] R ............................................. 92
6.12 Reset/Enable Mouse in Windows NT and UNIX: [Ctrl] O ......... 93
6.13 Send Null Byte to PS/2 Type Mouse: [Ctrl] N .............................. 93
6.14 Identify Firmware Revision: [Ctrl] I ............................................... 94
6.15 Start Scan: [Ctrl] S .......................................................................... 94
6.16 End Scan: [Ctrl] X .......................................................................... 95
6.17 Pass This Command Through: [Ctrl] X or [Ctrl] [Tab] .............. 95
7. Using the Dedicated Serial Ports ............................................................ 96
7.1 Basic Setup: Establishing a Serial Connection ................................ 96
7.2 The Serial Options Menu ................................................................. 97
7.2.1 Option 1. Change Starting Computer ................................. 98
7.2.2 Option 2. Change Serial Port Baud Rate (Data Rate) ........ 98
7.2.3 Option 3. Receive New Kernel or Main Program
(Upgrade Firmware) .......................................................... 99
7.2.4 Options 4 and 5. Send Main Program/Send Kernel
(Distribute Upgraded Firmware) .................................... 101
7.2.5 Option 6. Reset to Factory Defaults ................................... 102
7.2.6 Option 7. Save Changes ...................................................... 102
7.2.7 Option 8. Exit and Restart Unit ......................................... 103
8. Using the CPU Ports as Serial Ports ...................................................... 104
9. Troubleshooting .................................................................................... 106
9.1 Common Problems ......................................................................... 106
9.2 Replacing a Power Supply in a Dual-Powered Affinity ................. 112
9.3 Calling Black Box ............................................................................ 112
9.4 Shipping and Packaging ................................................................ 112

10
SERVSWITCH™ AFFINITY
Contents (continued)
Appendix Page
Appendix A: NVRAM Factory Defaults ....................................................... 113
Appendix B: Cable Product Codes .............................................................. 115
Appendix C: Pinout of the Dedicated Serial Ports ..................................... 118
Appendix D: The LK461 Keyboard ............................................................. 119
Appendix E: Installing Cards in the ServSwitch Affinity ............................ 120
E.1 Adding a Port Card ......................................................................... 120
E.2 Installing or Swapping In a Terminator Card
(4-User Chassis Only) .................................................................. 121
E.3 Setting the RING/BUS Jumper on an Expansion Card ............... 122
E.4 Setting the JP1 and JP2 (User-Number) Jumpers on
8-Port Expansion Cards ............................................................... 123
E.4.1 Setting JP1 and JP2 on a Card That Will Be Installed
in an 8-User Affinity ......................................................... 123
E.4.2 Setting JP1 and JP2 on a Pair of Cards That Will Be
Installed in a 16-User Affinity ......................................... 123
E.5 Installing or Swapping In an Expansion Card .............................. 125
Appendix F: Upgrading a Non-R2 Affinity with -R2 Serial Features ......... 126
Appendix G: Rackmounting the Affinity .................................................... 129

11
CHAPTER 1: Specifications
1. Specifications
Hardware
Required: Monitor that supports your computers’ highest video
standard; in multiplatform applications, should be a
multisync model capable of forming video from either
composite sync or separate horizontal and vertical sync
signals (see Section 3.2.3)
Compliance: CE, FCC Part 15 Subpart B Class A, IC Class/classe A
Standards: With original Serv cabling: VGA (color or monochrome/
page white) video;
With original Serv cabling (minimal) or coaxial cabling
(recommended): SVGA and (with KV99MA adapter)
Mac video;
With coaxial cabling: XGA (color or monochrome), Sun,
RS/6000, or SGI video
Interfaces: On CPU and user ports of Port Cards and IN 1 and
OUT 1 ports on primary Expansion Cards:
Proprietary composite of:
• IBM PS/2, PC/AT, or Sun compatible keyboard;
• PS/2, RS-232, or Sun compatible mouse; and
• Video (standards listed above);
With the KV99MCON adapter, also supports ADB
(Mac compatible) keyboard and mouse ports;
The CPU ports can also carry serial data to and from
serial devices;
The IN 1 and OUT 1 ports also carry system-control
information;
On Expansion Cards’ other IN and OUT ports:
Proprietary video composite (standards listed above);
On serial ports of Port Cards: EIA/TIA RS-232
proprietarily pinned on RJ-12 (“6-wire RJ-11”)
connectors, DTE
Resolution: Up to 1280 x 1024, but refer to Section 3.2.3
Protocol: RS-232: Asynchronous
Data Format: RS-232: 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity (fixed)

12
SERVSWITCH™ AFFINITY
Data Rate: RS-232: User-selectable:
On serial ports: 9600 or 57,600 bps;
On CPU ports: 50, 110, 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, or
9600 bps
Flow Control: RS-232 on CPU ports: Transparent to software flow
control; doesn’t support hardware flow control
Maximum
Distance: 20 ft. (6.1 m) of CPU or User Cable—possibly as much as
100 ft. (30.5 m) of coaxial CPU or User Cable,
depending on CPUs, monitor, and video resolution
(see Section 3.2.3)—from any Affinity Port Card to any
device attached to it except serial devices;
100 ft. (30.5 m) of Expansion Cable between any two
Affinity units or from an Affinity to a Matrix
ServSwitch;
50 ft. (15.2 m) of serial cable from the RS-232 port of any
Affinity Port Card to a computer’s serial port;
100 ft. (30.5 m) of serial cable from the CPU port of any
Affinity Port Card to a device’s serial port
User Controls: For system: Keyboard commands and on-screen menus;
On Affinity chassis: Rear-mounted ON/OFF rocker
switch(es):
KV130DA, KV138DA, KV139DA: (2);
All other models: (1);
On all Expansion Cards (KV1305C and KV1306C):
Board-mounted BUS/RING jumper;
On 8-User Expansion Cards (KV1306C):
(2) Board-mounted jumpers for user-port numbering
Indicators: All models: ON/OFF switch(es) are dark when
ServSwitch Affinity is OFF, backlit when Affinity is ON;
KV130DA, KV138DA, KV139DA:
(3) Front-mounted power-supply status LEDs:
(1) for supply 1 (the upper transformer), lit while
supply is outputting power;
(1) for supply 2 (the lower transformer), lit while
supply is outputting power;
(1) for the Affinity chassis (marked “SYSTEM”), lit
while either supply is outputting power unless
internal diodes have failed;

13
CHAPTER 1: Specifications
Connectors: All rear-mounted;
On Affinity chassis: Rear-mounted IEC 320 male power
inlet(s):
KV130DA, KV138DA, KV139DA: (2);
All other models: (1);
On all Affinity Port Cards (KV1300C and KV1301C-R2):
(4) DB25 female for CPU connections,
(1) RJ-12 (“6-wire RJ-11”) female for serial management;
On 1 x 4 Port Cards (KV1301C-R2):
(1) DB25 female for user connections;
On 4-User Expansion Cards (KV1305C):
(2) DB15 female: (1) for input to Port Cards in slots 1
and 2, (1) for input to Port Cards in slots 3 and 4;
(2) DB15 male: (1) for output from Port Cards in
slots 1 and 2, (1) for output from Port Cards in
slots 3 and 4;
On 8-User Expansion Cards (KV1306C):
(4) HD15 female:
(1) for input to Port Cards in slots 1 and 2 if their
user ports are set as KVM 1 and KVM 2;
(1) for input to Port Cards in slots 1 and 2 if their
user ports are set as KVM 5 and KVM 6;
(1) for input to Port Cards in slots 3 and 4 if their
user ports are set as KVM 3 and KVM 4;
(1) for input to Port Cards in slots 3 and 4 if their
user ports are set as KVM 7 and KVM 8;
(4) HD15 male:
(1) for output from Port Cards in slots 1 and 2 if
their user ports are set as KVM 1 and KVM 2;
(1) for output from Port Cards in slots 1 and 2 if
their user ports are set as KVM 5 and KVM 6;
(1) for output from Port Cards in slots 3 and 4 if
their user ports are set as KVM 3 and KVM 4;
(1) for output from Port Cards in slots 3 and 4 if
their user ports are set as KVM 7 and KVM 8
Maximum
Altitude: 10,000 ft. (3048 m)
Temperature
Tolerance: 32 to 113˚F (0 to 45˚C)

14
SERVSWITCH™ AFFINITY
Humidity
Tolerance: 5 to 80% noncondensing
Enclosure: Steel
Fuses: KV130DA, KV138DA, KV139DA: Autoresetting switch
fuses that cut in when power surges exceed the
maximum ratings of the chassis
Power: Input: 90 to 264 VAC, 47 to 63 Hz, 700 mA from AC
outlet(s) through included power cord(s) and inlet(s)
into internal transformer(s):
KV130DA, KV138DA, KV139DA: Dual transformers
with separate AC inlets, electrically isolated from one
another;
All other models: Single transformer;
Consumption: Up to 40 VA (40 watts)
Size: KV139A, KV139DA:
7"H (4U) x 16.7"W x 7"D (17.8 x 42.4 x 17.8 cm);
All other Affinity chassis:
5.25"H (3U) x 16.7"W x 7"D (13.3 x 42.4 x 17.8 cm);
Port Cards and Expansion Cards:
0.9"H x 13.9"W x 4.8"D (2.3 x 35.3 x 12.2 cm);
Terminator Card (4-User models only):
0.4"H x 2.1"W x 0.8"D (1 x 5.3 x 2 cm)
Weight: KV130A KV130DA, KV138A, KV138DA: 10.5 lb. (4.8
KV131A-R2, KV134A-R2: 14 lb. (6.4 kg);
KV132A-R2: 12 lb. (5.4 kg);
KV139A, KV139DA: 11 lb. (5 kg);
KV1300C, KV1301C-R2, KV1306C: 0.9 lb. (0.4 kg);
KV1304C: 0.2 lb. (0.1 kg);
KV1305C: 0.4 lb. (0.2 kg)

15
CHAPTER 2: Introduction
2. Introduction
Thank you for choosing a ServSwitch™ Affinity. Designed with your needs in
mind, your new Affinity will simplify your job by helping you organize your
multiple-computer application. With your Affinity you can use one or more
keyboards, monitors, and mice to access a number of IBM®PC compatible, Sun
Microsystems®compatible, and other UNIX®based computers, so you can
significantly reduce your equipment overhead and end keyboard and monitor
clutter. With the right adapters, you can also attach Apple®Macintosh®computers.
This chapter describes everything that comes with the Affinity, the external and
operating features of the Affinity, and the cabling you’ll need for the Affinity.
2.1 The Complete Package
The main component of your ServSwitch Affinity package is the Affinity chassis. At
the time of this writing, nine models are available (empty slots and top slots with
Terminator Cards will be covered with blanking plates):
• The ServSwitch Affinity Expansion Chassis (product code KV130A) shouldn’t
have any cards preinstalled. (You must install either an Expansion Card or a
Terminator Card in this model in order for it to work.) The Dual-Powered
ServSwitch Affinity Expansion Chassis (KV130DA) is virtually identical, but like
the other Dual-Powered models it has two internal power supplies instead of
just one. These power supplies are hot-swappable and each one can take over
the load of the entire Affinity chassis if the other power supply fails. This
makes the Dual-Powered models ideal for mission-critical situations in which it
is vital to be able to access all computers at all times.
• The 1 User x 16 CPUs ServSwitch Affinity (KV131A-R2) should have one 1 x 4
Port Card, three 0 x 4 Port Cards, and an Expansion Card preinstalled.
• The 2 Users x 8 CPUs ServSwitch Affinity (KV132A-R2) should have two 1 x 4
Port Cards and a Terminator Card preinstalled.
• The 4 Users x 16 CPUs ServSwitch Affinity (KV134A-R2) should have four 1 x 4
Port Cards and a Terminator Card preinstalled.
• The 8-User ServSwitch Affinity (KV138A) and Dual-Powered 8-User ServSwitch
Affinity (KV138DA) shouldn’t have any cards preinstalled. (You must install an
Expansion Card in these models in order for them to work.)

16
SERVSWITCH™ AFFINITY
• The 16-User ServSwitch Affinity (product code KV139A) and Dual-Powered
16-User ServSwitch Affinity (KV139DA) shouldn’t have any cards preinstalled
either. (You must install two Expansion Cards in these models in order for
them to work.)
(The first five of these chassis are considered “4-User” models, because a cascaded
Affinity system made up of these chassis can support as many as four independent
users. The 8-User and 16-User ServSwitch Affinity have their names because a
cascaded Affinity system made up of 8-User chassis can support as many as eight
independent users, and a cascaded Affinity system made up of 16-User chassis can
support as many as sixteen independent users.)
The Affinity also comes with one (regular models) or two (Dual models) power
cords, a modular cable and adapter for connecting Port Cards’ RS-232 ports to a
remote PC, and this manual. (Other cables are ordered separately—see
Appendix B for a list of cables and their product codes.) If you didn’t receive
everything, or if anything arrived damaged, contact Black Box.
2.2 Features
With the ServSwitch Affinity, you have easy, virtually trouble-free, secure, and
complete access to up to 1024 computers from as many as 4, 8, or 16 keyboard/
video/mouse stations. Here are some of the major features of the Affinity:
Upgradability:
• Plug-in expansion boards make ServSwitch Affinity systems easy to expand and
maintain.
• Free lifetime firmware upgrades using flash-memory technology provide a path
to improvements and new features.
Compatibility:
• PC, Sun®, IBM RS/6000®, HP®, DEC™ (Compaq®), SGI®, and other hardware
all coexist on ServSwitch Affinity. With adapters, Mac®computers do too.
• Full emulation of keyboard and mouse functions and video resolutions of up
to 1280 x 1024 ensure trouble-free access to most software applications and
hardware platforms.
Reliability:
• The Dual-Powered models can continue operating even if one of their power-
supply transformers fails. They also have automatic internal protection
switches that cut out when a surge hits and then back in again within minutes.

17
CHAPTER 2: Introduction
Security:
• Four connect modes provide flexibility in tailoring ServSwitch Affinity to your
environment’s security policies:
Connect Mode Your Access Other Users’ Access
View View only Full
Share Full Full
Control Full View only
Private Full None
• User names and passwords protect access to computers with sensitive systems
and information.
• Group definitions allow users to access only those computers that their group
can access.
Serial management:
• VT100, VT101, VT102, and VT202 terminal emulation.
• Control RS-232 serial DTE or DCE terminal-interfaced devices.
• Easy to use—serial access and switching works the same way as KVM switching
always has.
• Has an eight-page scroll buffer.
Flexibility:
• Full-featured command set includes a scan command to automatically switch
through a subset of computers over the course of an adjustable time interval.
• You can use keyboard commands, on-screen menus, or RS-232 devices to
switch computers to your keyboard/video/mouse station.
• All models’ power supplies are autoswitching; they can be connected to either
110-VAC or 220-VAC outlets.

18
SERVSWITCH™ AFFINITY
On-screen display technology:
• The ServSwitch Affinity can mix its own video output with that of the attached
computers so that its menus “pop up” on top of application screens.
• Easy-to-use menus guide you through configuration.
• Connection-status information can be displayed in any of a large number of
color combinations. You can set it to disappear either after an adjustable time
interval elapses or on demand.
• Choose a computer from a list of computer names and connect instantly.
• Can display any of four screen-saver patterns if no keyboard or mouse activity
has occurred within an adjustable time period.
• Selectable color schemes for menus and windows include many opaque and
translucent colors.

19
CHAPTER 2: Introduction
2.3 The Rear Panel Illustrated
All cable connections are made at the Affinity’s rear panel, as illustrated in
Figures 2-1 through 2-3 and described on the following pages.
Figure 2-1. The rear panel of a fully populated regular ServSwitch Affinity
Expansion Chassis (four 1 x 4 Port Cards installed).
Figure 2-2. The same rear panel, slot and port numbering shown.
Figure 2-3. A fully populated Dual-Powered 16-User rear panel, numbering
shown. (8-User units have the top expansion slot, but not the bottom one.)
OUT 1 IN 1 OUT 2 IN 2 OUT 3 IN 3 OUT 4 IN 4
OUT 1 IN 1 OUT 2 IN 2 OUT 3 IN 3 OUT 4 IN 4
5
4
3
2
1
6
SLOTS
4
3
2
1
SERIAL
PORT
CPU 1CPU 2CPU 3CPU 4 KVM 1
CPU 13CPU 14CPU 15CPU 16 KVM 4
CPU 9CPU 10CPU 11CPU 12 KVM 3
CPU 5CPU 6CPU 7CPU 8 KVM 2
POWER
INPUT
POWER INPUT
90-264 VAC 47-63Hz 40 Watts
IN 1OUT 1IN 2OUT 2
5
4
3
2
1SLOTS
4
3
2
1