Black Box ME806A User manual

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Data Broadcast Units
Send your training demo
to eight PCs simultaneously.

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Data Broadcast Units:
» Fully regenerate an async host signal
and broadcast it out to eight slave ports.
Choose from DB25 or RJ-11 versions.
» 1-year warranty.
Buffered Data Broadcast Units:
» Port buffering lets your connected
devices receive data continuously,
regardless of their speeds.
» Guaranteed for life.
FEATURES
If you want to transmit data to more than one printer or terminal
at the same time, choose among our Data Broadcast Units, Buffered
Data Broadcast Units, and Parallel Data Broadcast/Fallback Unit. These
solutions get the job done—without losing signal strength!
Data Broadcast Units
The Data Broadcast Units enable you to transmit data from any
serial async device to up to eight printers, modems, or terminals
simultaneously.
The Data Broadcast Units take the RS-232 signal from your
async host, divide it among eight slave ports, and then completely
regenerate and broadcast each of those new port signals to their
respective devices.
OVERVIEW
There’s a model for DB25 cabling and one for RJ-11 cabling to fit
your needs. The DB25 model is available in 115- or 230-VAC versions.
Buffered Data Broadcast Units
The Buffered Data Broadcast Units function in the same way as
the Data Broadcast Units, but they also feature individually buffered
ports. These let you send async data to devices operating at various
speeds. You can configure each port for word structure, baud rate,
flow control, and DTE or DCE operation.
Versions are available for 115- or 230-VAC power.
Async Computer
Async Terminal
RS-232/RS-485 Multipoint
Line Drivers (ME836A-R5),
Connected with
Twisted-Pair Cable
Serial
Printer
RS-232 Cable
(ECM2T)
RS-232 Cable
(ECM2T)
RS-232 Cable
(ECM25T)
Serial Printer
Buffered Data Broadcast Unit
(TL160A-R2)
RS-232 Cable
(ECM25T)
RS-232 Cable
(ECM2T)
A broadcast application showing data transmission to four RS-232 devices.

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The Data Broadcast Units and Buffered Data Broadcast Units
regenerate a serial RS-232 async signal and send it to up to eight
terminals or printers simultaneously. The Parallel Data Broadcast/
Fallback Unit sends parallel data to two printers at once, or
operates in fallback mode to support a backup printer in case
your primary printer fails.
Data Broadcast Units
• TheDB25modelsupportsthreeleadsoneachport
connector: Transmit Data (TXD), Receive Data (RXD), and
Signal Ground (SG). Pins 4 and 5 are jumpered internally.
Also, pins 6, 8, and 20 are tied internally. The input to the
Composite port is regenerated and simultaneously sent out
on the output lead of each of the eight slave ports, channels
1 through 8.
• TheRJ-11modelsupportspins2,3,and7only.Youwillneed
to order male or female RJ modular adapters for use with this
model. See page 4.
Buffered Data Broadcast Units
• Theseunitshaveaninternalbufferthatisdynamically
allocated to the individual ports. “Dynamic allocation”
means that a varying amount of buffer is given to each port
as it needs it, instead of having a set size of buffer for each
port. Additional buffer amounts can be shifted to ports that
are receiving information faster than they can transmit it out
to another port(s). Since this allows the buffer to be used
most efficiently, system throughput increases. The dynamic
allocation works in both directions—when a host is
transmitting to the ports and when the ports are transmitting
to the host.
• BufferedDataBroadcastUnitssupportfourslavedevices
and one master device. They have 32 KB of RAM, with
approximately 29.4 KB devoted to buffering. You can
expand their channel port capacity and/or RAM with
the following items:
• A4-PortExpansionCardthatprovides4additional
input ports.
• A32-KBMemoryExpansionCardthatalsoprovides
25.4 KB more bytes of buffer.
Technically Speaking
Tech Specs For Data Broadcast Units:
Flow Control — Software only, transparent to speed and data
Pins Supported — TL158A-R4, TL158AE-R3: 4, 5, 6, 8, and 20;
TL159A:2,3,and7
Protocol — Async
Speed — Transparent
User Channels — 8
CE Approval — TL158AE-R3
Interface — RS-232 (DTE/DCE)
Connectors — TL158A-R4, TL158AE-R3: (9) DB25 F;
TL159A: (9) RJ-11 F
Indicators — (10) LEDs — PWR, Channels 1 through 8 active, COMP active
Power — TL158A-R4: Wallmount power supply, 115 VAC, 60 Hz
@ 50 mA, 60 W;
TL158AE-R3: External power supply (IEC connector), 230 VAC, 50 Hz;
TL159A: Wallmount power supply, 120 VAC, 60 Hz, 6 W
Size —
TL158A-R4, TL158AE-R3: 2.3"H x 12.2"W x 11.1"D (5.8 x 31 x 28.2 cm);
TL159A: 1.5"H x 5.5"W x 8.5"D (3.8 x 14 x 21.6 cm)
Weight — TL158A-R4, TL158AE-R3: 8.3 lb. (3.8 kg);
TL159A: 2.4 lb. (1.1 kg)
NOTE: The TL159A is not rackmountable.
Tech Specs For Buffered Data Broadcast Units:
Buffer Size — 32 KB (expandable to 64 KB with optional TL484)
Data Format —Eachportcanbeconfiguredfor7or8bits;
odd, even, or no parity
Flow Control — Hardware or software, transparent to speed and data
Pins Supported —1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,20,and22
Protocol — Async, ASCII
Speed — 110 bps to 19.2 kbps (port selectable)
User Channels — 4 (expands to 8)
CE Approval — TL160A-R2, TL160-C, and 230-VAC version: TL160AE-R2
Interface — RS-232, DTE/DCE selectable
Connectors — (5) DB25 F; (9) with TL160-C
Indicators — (10) LEDs: (1) Power, (9) Port Activity
Operating Environment — Temperature: 32 to 113°F (0 to 45°C);
Humidity: Up to 95% noncondensing
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) —
TL160A-R2, TL160AE-R2: 20,000 hours;
with TL160-C: 16,000 hours
Power —
TL160A-R2:Wallmountpowersupply,115VAC,60Hz,175mA,20W;
TL160AE-R2: External power supply (IEC connector),
230 VAC, 50 Hz, 90 mA, 20 W
Size — TL160A-R2, TL160AE-R2: 2.3"H x 12.2"W x 11.1"D
(5.8 x 31 x 28.2 cm)
Weight —TL160A-R2,TL160AE-R2:7.5lb.(3.4kg);
TL160-C:8.1lb.(3.7kg)
TECH SPECS

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Item Code
Data Broadcast Units
DB25
115-VAC TL158A-R4
230-VAC TL158AE-R3
R J -11 TL159A
To rackmount the DB25 models, order…
Rackmount Bracket TL486
The RJ-11 model requires…
RJ Modular Adapter
Male FA252
Female FA253
For optimum performance and a 20% savings, order…
 RJ-11(4-Wire)ModularCable,Straight-Pinned,7-ft.(2.1-m)
EL04MS-07
Standard RS-232 Low-Noise Cable, 25-Conductors, 10-ft. (3-m)
ECM25T-0010
Buffered Data Broadcast Units
115-VAC TL160A- R 2
230-VAC TL160AE- R 2
Item Code
To enhance your Buffered Data Broadcast Units, order…
4-Port Expansion Card T L16 0 - C
32-KB Memory Expansion Card TL484
For optimum performance and a 20% savings, order…
Standard RS-232 Low-Noise Cable, 25-Conductors, 10-ft. (3-m)
ECM25T-0010
For long-distance connections, order a pair of…
Short-Haul Modem-B Parallel-T (Transmitter)
Standalone ME806A
Card ME806-C
Short-Haul Modem-B Parallel-R (Receiver)
Standalone ME807A
For printer connections…
Parallel Printer Cable, 10-ft. (3-m), Male/Male EYN600-0010-MM
TL159A: top: front view;
bottom: rear view
TL160A-R2
Recognize any of these situations?
• Youwaitmorethan30minutestogetthrough
to a vendor’s tech support.
• Theso-called“tech”can’thelpyouorgivesyou
the wrong answer.
• Youdon’thaveapurchaseordernumberandthe
tech refuses to help you.
• It’s9p.m.andyouneedhelp,butyourvendor’s
tech support line is closed.
According to a survey by Data Communications magazine, 90%
of network managers surveyed say that getting the technical support
they need is extremely important when choosing a vendor. But even
though network managers pay anywhere from 10 to 20% of their
overall purchase price for a basic service and support contract, the
technical support and service they receive falls far short of their
expectations—and certainly isn’t worth what they paid.
At Black Box, we guarantee the best value and the best support.
You can even consult our Technical Support Experts before you buy if
you need help selecting just the right component for your application.
Don’t waste time and money—call Black Box today.
Why Buy From Black Box? Exceptional Value.
Exceptional Tech Support. Period.