Black Box Terminal Eliminator Plus 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]
MARCH 2001
TL482A-R3
TL482AE-R3
TL483-C
TL484
TL486
Terminal Eliminator Plus
012345678PWR
STATUS
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR
PLUS

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 classe A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le
brouillage radioélectrique publié par Industrie Canada.
This product is CE certified. This certificate indicates that the
product is suitable for use in commercial and light industrial environments
as defined in EN 50081-1:1992.
3
FCC AND DOC/MDC STATEMENTS

4
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR PLUS
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.

5
NOM STATEMENT
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.

TERMINAL ELIMINATOR PLUS
Contents
Chapter Page
1. Specifications ............................................................................................. 7
2. Introduction ............................................................................................... 8
2.1 The Data-Direction Modes ................................................................. 9
2.2 The Front-Panel LEDs ...................................................................... 10
2.3 The Internal DIP Switches and Reset Button .................................. 10
3. Installation ................................................................................................ 11
3.1 Setting the Internal DIP Switches .................................................... 11
3.2 Configuring Shunt Jumpers for DTE or DCE ................................. 21
3.3 Tying Signal Ground to Frame Ground (Optional) ....................... 22
3.4 Inserting the Memory-Expansion Chip (Optional) ........................ 22
3.5 Expansion-Board Installation (Optional) ....................................... 24
3.6 Rackmounting the TEP (Optional) ................................................. 26
3.7 Connecting Devices to the Master and Slave Ports ......................... 28
4. Configuration ........................................................................................... 29
4.1 The Initialization Menu .................................................................... 29
4.2 Menu Options ................................................................................... 31
5. Operation ................................................................................................. 34
5.1 The Master Device ............................................................................ 34
5.2 Valid Command Strings .................................................................... 36
5.3 The Data-Direction Modes in Detail ................................................ 38
5.4 Buffer Allocation ............................................................................... 44
5.5 Data Processing ................................................................................. 45
5.6 Master-Port Flow Control ................................................................. 53
6. Troubleshooting ...................................................................................... 54
6.1 Calling Black Box .............................................................................. 54
6.2 Shipping and Packaging ................................................................... 54
NOTE
Call Technical Support at 724-746-5500 for guidance in choosing cables.
6

7
CHAPTER 1: Specifications
Approval — FCC Class A, DOC Class/MDC classe A
Interface — Serial EIA RS-232-C/CCITT V.24, each port individually selectable as DTE or DCE
Protocol — Asynchronous
Data Format — 7 or 8 data bits (each port individually selectable); automatically adjusts to any
stop-bit setting; even, odd, or no parity (each port individually selectable)
Flow Control — Hardware (DTR/CTS), software (X-ON/X-OFF), or (master port only)
X-ON/poll (each port individually selectable)
Operating Mode — Full duplex
Data Rates — 110, 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, or 19,200 bps (each port individually
selectable)
Internal Memory — 31K buffer, expandable to 59K
User Controls — Keyboard commands from master device; (1) Internal reset pushbutton
Indicators — (10) Front-mounted LEDs: (1) Power, (9) Port Activity
Connectors — Standard 5-port unit (TL482A[E]-R3): (5) DB25 female; Standard unit plus 4-Port
Expansion Board (TL483-C): (9) DB25 female
Pins Supported — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 20, and 22
Power — For 120-VAC, 60-Hz operation: From wallmount power supply: Optimal input:
115 VAC, 60 Hz @ 175 mA; Output: 18 VAC CT @ 2.2 A; For 240-VAC, 50-Hz operation: From
wallmount power supply: Optimal input: 230 VAC, 50 Hz @ 90 mA; Output: 18 VAC CT @
2.2 A
Mean Time Between Failures (Ground-Benign Environment) — Standard unit: 20,000 hrs.;
Standard unit with expansion board: 16,000 hrs.
Operating Temperature — 32° to 113°F (0° to 45°C)
Storage Temperature — -4° to 158°F (-20° to 70°C)
Humidity — 0 to 95% relative humidity, non-condensing
Enclosure — Steel
Size — 2.5"H x 12.1"W x 11.1"D (6.4 x 30.8 x 28.2 cm)
Weight — Net: 6.6 lb. (3 kg); With expansion board: 7.2 lb. (3.3 kg); With power supply:
8.7 lb. (3.9 kg); With expansion board and power supply: 9.3 lb. (4.3 kg)
1. Specifications

8
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR PLUS
The Terminal Eliminator Plus (TEP) is named for one of its primary uses—
to eliminate the need for more than one operator console in a computerized
information-gathering system. The TEP allows one asynchronous terminal to
serve as the operator’s console (the “master”) for up to four (eight with the
optional 4-Port Expansion Board) serial async input devices (“slaves”) such
as CPUs, data loggers, data concentrators, data PABXs, network management
systems, and intelligent test-data sets/analyzers. For applications requiring more
than eight slave ports, multiple TEPs can be connected together in a method
called “cascading”: cable is run from the slave port of one unit to the master
port of another. You can cascade three “layers” of TEPs from a main TEP for
a maximum of 4096 possible slave ports.
The Terminal Eliminator Plus is especially suited for applications where
most of the operator’s console use is devoted to receiving output-log messages
and status reports with an occasional need for interactive responses from the
keyboard. Two primary types of applications are typical:
(A) Using the TEP to concentrate the console output of many mainframe
computers in a large computer center to one operator’s console. The
operator will then receive all messages (to mount magtapes, etc.) at one
convenient location.
(B) Using the TEP to poll or concentrate the output from other devices
such as bar-code readers, scales, security systems, etc., to a master PC. This PC
will be running a program created or purchased by the customer to extract
and interpret the data from the TEP and act on it according to the customer’s
needs: create files from the data, print scale weights to an attached printer,
etc.
The standard Terminal Eliminator Plus supports four input devices and one
output device. It has 32K of RAM, of which approximately 31K is devoted to
buffering. You can expand your TEP’s input-port capacity and/or RAM with
the following items:
• The 4-Port Expansion Board (our product code TL483-C) provides four
additional input ports. (This manual reports numbers for the standard
five-port TEP in the main text, but follows these with numbers for the
expanded nine-port TEP in parentheses.)
• The RAM Upgrade (our product code TL484) provides 32K of additional
RAM, of which 28K is devoted to buffering.
2. Introduction

9
CHAPTER 2: Introduction
2.1 The Data-Direction Modes
The Terminal Eliminator Plus operates in five basic data-direction settings
(“modes”): Concentrate Only, Concentrate & Broadcast, Conversation,
Transparent Conversation, and Broadcast Only. Certain commands are
available in each mode; see Section 5.2.
In Concentrate Only Mode (slaves → master), the TEP assembles messages
received from up to four (or eight) slaves at speeds (independent on each
port) of up to 19.2 Kbps. It stores the messages in its internal buffer until the
master is available to receive the data. The TEP then outputs the messages to
the master at speeds up to 19.2 Kbps. It checks data coming in from the
master for commands but doesn’t transmit master-port data to any of the
slave ports.
In Concentrate & Broadcast Mode (slaves ↔ master), the TEP concentrates
all slave data into one data stream and transmits it to the master. It checks
data coming in from the master for commands, and non-command data is
broadcast to all slave ports.
When interactive operation is required, you can access Conversation Mode
(slave ↔ master) to allow the master device or user to communicate
bidirectionally with one selected slave device. The master port’s non-
command data is transmitted to the single slave the master selects. This slave’s
data is transmitted to the master in the format you established at installation
and initialization time (see Chapters 3 and 4). Messages from other devices
are buffered until you exit Conversation Mode.
In Transparent Conversation Mode (slave ↔ master), the master port’s
non-command data is once again transmitted to the single slave the master
selects, and data from other slaves is buffered until the conversation is over.
But under this setting the slave’s data is transmitted to the master
“transparently” (without formatting or any other changes).
Broadcast Only Mode (slaves ← master) allows you to send messages to all
input devices simultaneously. The master’s non-command data is broadcast
to all slaves; data from the slaves is buffered but is not sent to the master until
the operator exits Broadcast Mode.
These and other functions of your TEP are further described in Chapter 5.

10
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR PLUS
2.2 The Front-Panel LEDs
There are a total of 10 LEDs located on the unit’s right front panel: nine Port-
Status LEDs (numbered 0 through 8) and one Power LED. The Power LED
will be lit when the Terminal Eliminator Plus is getting power and will be dark
when the TEP is unplugged or is not getting power. Each Port-Status LEDs
will flash or blink if data is being transmitted or received by the corresponding
port, be steadily lit if there is a buffer overflow on the corresponding port, or
remain dark if there is no data activity on the corresponding port. On standard
units without the 4-Port Expansion board, LEDs 5 through 8 will always be
dark.
2.3 The Internal DIP Switches and Reset Button
All of the hardware controls for your Terminal Eliminator Plus are internal.
Of most importance are the DIP switches: two “system switches” SWF and
SWG, which determine data formatting and allow you to tailor the unit’s
major functions to the needs of your application, and five (or nine) “port
switches” SWA through SWE (plus SWH through SWK, if you have the 4-Port
Expansion Board), which determine data speeds, word structure, etc.
The TEP also has a reset button mounted on its motherboard. This button
is used to reinitialize the TEP: Any time you make modifications to the
internal switch settings, you can hit the reset button to activate the changes.
(No data can be processed while the TEP is reinitializing. Unplugging and
replugging the TEP will also reset the unit.)

11
CHAPTER 3: Installation
Installing the Terminal Eliminator Plus (TEP) involves between four and
eight steps, depending on your application:
1. Setting the internal DIP switches.
2. Configuring the DTE/DCE shunt jumpers.
3. Tying signal ground to frame ground with jumper W1 (optional).
4. Inserting the RAM upgrade chip (optional).
5. Installing the 4-Port Expansion Board (optional).
6. Rackmounting the TEP (optional).
7. Connecting your devices to the slave ports and master port.
8. Connecting the TEP to electric power.
3.1 Setting the Internal DIP Switches
There are six screws screwed into the enclosure on either side of the TEP:
three above a horizontal seam, three below. For each side, unscrew and retain
the three screws above the seam. This will allow you to remove the cover of
the unit’s enclosure and expose the motherboard.
Figures 3-1 and 3-2 on the next two pages show the location of the TEP’s
internal DIP switches for the standard 5-port unit and for the 4-Port
Expansion Board. There are two types of internal DIP switches: option
switches for individual ports (SWA-SWE and SWH-SWK) and system-option
switches that affect all ports (SWF and SWG). The possible switch settings are
discussed in Sections 3.1.1 and 3.1.2.
3.1.1 I NDIVIDUAL P ORT S WITCHES
Each port can be configured individually for the following options:
Baud Rate: 110, 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, or 19,200 bps
Parity: Even, odd, or none
Data Bits per Word: 7 or 8
Flow Control: Hardware (DTR/CTS) or software (X-ON/X-OFF); also
(master port only) X-ON/poll
Buffer Control (slave ports only): Always buffer data or only buffer in
Conversation modes
Trigger Reinitialization and Load Defaults (master port only)
3. Installation

12
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR PLUS
The DIP switches that correspond to each port:
On the standard unit’s motherboard (as shown above in Figure 3-1):
SWA - for the master port [0]
SWB - for slave port 1
SWC - for slave port 2
SWD - for slave port 3
SWE - for slave port 4
(BACK)
PORT 4 PORT 3 PORT 2 PORT 1 PORT 0
DTE
DCE
J7
U23 U20
J1
W1
VR1
RESET BUTTON
S1
R1
SW
G
SW
F
SW
E
SW
D
SW
C
SW
B
SW
A
SYSTEM SWITCHES
(SWF & SWG)
INDIVIDUAL PORT SWITCHES
STATUS INDICATORS
(FRONT)
DTE
DCE
DTE
DCE
DTE
DCE
DTE
DCE
OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF
PORT 4 PORT 3 PORT 2 PORT 1 PORT 0
PORT LEDS
PWR
LED
LOCKOUT
RESET
BUTTON
Fig. 3-1. The Terminal Eliminator Plus’s motherboard.
PORT LEDS

13
CHAPTER 3: Installation
On the 4-Port Expansion Board (as shown above in Figure 3-2):
SWH - for slave port 5
SWI - for slave port 6
SWJ - for slave port 7
SWK - for slave port 8
Table 3-1 on page 9 lists the possible settings for the master port’s switch,
SWA. Table 3-2 on page 10 lists the possible settings for each slave port’s
switch. You can set the expansion-board switches before you actually insert the
board into the TEP; just be careful not to bump the switches when you insert
the board.
(text continues on page 16)
(BACK)
(FRONT)
INDIVIDUAL PORT SWITCHES
(PORTS 5 THRU 8)
PORT 8 PORT 7 PORT 6 PORT 5
SWK
OFF
SWJ
OFF
SWI
OFF
SWH
OFF
PORT 5
DTE
DCE
PORT 6
DTE
DCE
PORT 7
DTE
DCE
PORT 8
DTE
DCE
Fig. 3-2. The 4-Port Expansion Board.

14
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR PLUS
SWITCH-POSITION SETTING
OPTION 12345678
SPEED
(in bps)
110 ON ON ON
300 OFF ON ON
600 ON OFF ON
1200 OFF OFF ON
2400 ON ON OFF
4800 OFF ON OFF
9600 ON OFF OFF
19,200 OFF OFF OFF
PARITY
None Invalid Setting*
Even OFF ON
Odd ON OFF
None OFF OFF
DATA BITS
Eight ON
Seven OFF
FLOW
CONTROL/
RELOAD
(Reload)** ON ON
X-ON/Poll† OFF ON
DTR/CTS ON OFF
X-ON/X-OFF OFF OFF
Table 3-1. The Master-Port DIP Switch (SWA)
*When both switches are set to ON, the TEP will generate a self-test message.
**When positions 7 and 8 are set to ON, the TEP resets itself and reloads its NVRAM with the
factory-default values for all items on its initialization menu. (This will come in handy if a menu
option is set wrong in such a way that it prevents you from activating the menu to fix it.) Set one
or both of these positions OFF and reset the unit again before using the TEP.
†When the TEP receives an X-ON from the master device, it transmits one complete record (if it
has received one), then X-OFFs itself until it receives another X-ON from the master device.
See Section 5.6.

15
CHAPTER 3: Installation
Table 3-2. The Slave-Port DIP Switches (SWB-SWE, SWH-SWK)
SWITCH-POSITION SETTING
OPTION 12345678
SPEED
(in bps)
110 ON ON ON
300 OFF ON ON
600 ON OFF ON
1200 OFF OFF ON
2400 ON ON OFF
4800 OFF ON OFF
9600 ON OFF OFF
19,200 OFF OFF OFF
PARITY
None ON ON
Even OFF ON
Odd ON OFF
None OFF OFF
DATA BITS
Eight ON
Seven OFF
FLOW
CONTROL
DTR/CTS ON
X-ON/X-OFF OFF
BUFFER
CONTROL*
Buffer data in
Conversation
modes only ON
Always buffer OFF
*See Section 5.5.3.

16
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR PLUS
3.1.2. S YSTEM -O PTION S WITCHES
There are two DIP switches on the motherboard, labeled SWF and SWG (see
Figure 3-1). The possible settings for these switches are listed in Table 3-3 below and
Table 3-4 on page 11. The options corresponding to each setting are described in
more detail in the text starting on page 12.
SWITCH-POSITION SETTING
OPTION 12345678
STATUS MESSAGES
Disabled ON
Enabled OFF
STANDARD MODE
Concentrate and Broadcast ON
Concentrate Only OFF
BROADCAST-MODE
FLOW CONTROL
Acknowledged ON
Ignored OFF
ECHO MASTER INPUT
Enabled ON
Disabled OFF
CARRIAGE RETURN BEFORE
DATA FROM DIFF. SLAVE
Enabled ON
Disabled OFF
LINE-LABELING STYLE
Label all lines from same slave ON
Label first lines only OFF
LABEL ISOLATION
Place label on line by itself ON
Place label on same line as data OFF
SLAVE DATA THAT PRECEDES
“BEGINNING RECORD” CHAR.
Pass it ON
Throw it away OFF
Table 3-3. The System DIP Switch SWF

17
CHAPTER 3: Installation
SWITCH-POSITION SETTING
OPTION 12345678
RECEIVED CARRIAGE-
RETURN STRIPPING
Disabled ON
Enabled OFF
RCVD. LINE-FEED STRIPPING
Disabled ON
Enabled OFF
OTHER NONPRINTABLE-
CHARACTER STRIPPING
Disabled ON
Enabled OFF
CARRIAGE-RETURN INSERT
AT END OF RECORD
Disabled ON
Enabled OFF
TRANSMISSION DELAY AFTER
CARRIAGE RETURNS
Enabled (100-ms delay) ON
Disabled (no delay) OFF
LINE-FEED INSERT AFTER
CARRIAGE RETURNS
Disabled ON
Enabled OFF
SLAVE-DATA TRANSMISSION
Transmit one record from current
slave, one from next slave, etc. ON
Transmit records from current
slave until timeout occurs, then
switch OFF
POSITION 8 RESERVED FOR
FUTURE USE
Table 3-4. The System DIP Switch SWG
NOTE: The SWG options are for data received from slaves and transmitted to the master only.

18
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR PLUS
3.1.2.A Status Messages (SWF Position 1)
If you want the Terminal Eliminator Plus to inform users of its current mode
or of mode changes with status messages, set position 1 of DIP switch SWF to
OFF: Status messages will be enabled. (For examples of these status messages,
see Section 5.1.2.)
If status messages would be superfluous or counterproductive, disable them
by setting position 1 ON.
3.1.2.B Standard Mode (SWF Position 2)
After the TEP is reset, or after the user exits the Broadcast Only Mode or
either Conversation Mode by sending the “Disconnect” or “Abort” command
string, the TEP will default to a standard mode in which data from the slave
ports is concentrated. If you want this standard mode to be Concentrate and
Broadcast, in which non-command data from the master is simultaneously
broadcast to the slaves, set position 2 of SWF to ON. If, on the other hand,
you want the standard mode to be Concentrate Only, in which non-command
data from the master is discarded, set position 2 OFF.
3.1.2.C Broadcast-Mode Flow Control (SWF Position 3)
When the Terminal Eliminator Plus receives data from the master to be
broadcast to all slaves, and one or more of the slaves have flow-controlled the
TEP OFF, you have two options. You can choose for the TEP to buffer the
broadcast data, then transmit it all at once when all the slaves are ready to
receive it, by setting position 3 of SWF to ON. Alternatively, you can choose
for the TEP to just skip any port that is flow-controlled OFF, and discard the
copy of the data it would have sent to that slave, by setting position 3 OFF.
3.1.2.D Echo Master Input (SWF Position 4)
If your master device doesn’t automatically display what you type at its
keyboard on its monitor (some older terminals, for example), you might want
to enable the echoing of master-port data back to the master device so that
users can see what they’re doing: Set position 4 of SWF to ON. We don’t
recommend this setting: It creates a lot of work for the TEP’s CPU and
degrades the TEP’s performance. A better solution, if possible, would be to
configure the master device to do the echoing (perhaps by setting its internal
switches to half-duplex). In most circumstances, you’ll probably want to
disable the echo by setting position 4 OFF.

19
CHAPTER 3: Installation
3.1.2.E Slave-Data Separation (SWF Position 5)
To improve the readability of the data that comes to the master from the
slaves, you might want the Terminal Eliminator Plus to separate data from
different slaves with a blank line by inserting a carriage return in front of the
first line from a new slave: Set position 5 of SWF to ON. If this would be
superfluous or counterproductive, set position 5 OFF.
3.1.2.F Line-Labeling Style (SWF Position 6)
You can assign identifying labels to slaves, so that any given batch of data can
be identified as having come from one or another particular device (see
Sections 4.2.3 and 5.5.4.B). If you want these labels to appear before each line
of data, set position 6 of SWF to ON. If you want these labels to appear only
before the first line of data from each slave, set position 6 OFF. See Section
5.5.4.C.
3.1.2.G Label Isolation (SWF Position 7)
If you want labels to appear on the same lines as the data records, set position
7 of SWF to OFF. If you want labels to appear on lines by themselves, set
position 7 ON.
3.1.2.H Slave Data That Precedes “Beginning Record” Char. (SWF Position 8)
You can assign a character that the Terminal Eliminator Plus will recognize
as the “beginning record” character: the character that marks where a slave’s
data record begins (see Sections 4.2.1 and 5.5.3). If you want the TEP to
discard any slave data that precedes the “beginning record” character, set
position 8 of SWF to OFF. If you want the TEP to hang onto slave data that
precedes this character, and transmit it with the rest of the record (assuming
the “beginning record” character is eventually received), set position 8 ON. If
you are not going to use a “beginning record” character, the setting of this
position is irrelevant.
3.1.2.I Received Carriage-Return Stripping
If you want the TEP to strip carriage returns out of data records it receives
from slaves before it retransmits them to the master, set position 1 of SWG to
OFF. If you want the TEP to leave the carriage returns in, set position 1 ON.
3.1.2.J Received Line-Feed Stripping
If you want the TEP to strip line feeds out of data records it receives from
slaves before it retransmits them to the master, set position 2 of SWG to OFF.
If you want the TEP to leave the line feeds in, set position 2 ON.

20
TERMINAL ELIMINATOR PLUS
3.1.2.K Other Nonprintable-Character Stripping (SWG Position 3)
To assure that your master device isn’t adversely affected by unexpected
control codes, you might want the TEP to strip nonprintable characters (not
including carriage returns and line feeds) out of the data records it receives
from slaves before it retransmits them: Set position 3 of SWG to OFF. If you
want the TEP to leave the nonprintable characters in, set position 3 ON.
3.1.2.L Carriage-Return Insert After End of Record (SWG Position 4)
If you want the Terminal Eliminator Plus to insert a carriage return at the end
of each valid slave record that doesn’t already end with a carriage return, set
position 4 of SWG to OFF. If you don’t want the TEP to insert any carriage
returns, set position 4 ON.
3.1.2.M Transmission Delay After Carriage Returns (SWG Position 5)
If your master device is an older hardcopy-display unit that needs a delay after
each carriage return to move its print head, you will want to set position 5 of
SWG to ON, which will cause the TEP to wait for 100 ms (one-tenth of a
second) after transmitting a carriage return to the master before transmitting
more data. If you have no need for this delay, set position 5 OFF.
3.1.2.N Line-Feed Insert After Carriage Returns (SWG Position 6)
If you want the Terminal Eliminator Plus to insert a line feed after every
carriage return it transmits to the master, set position 6 of SWG to OFF. If you
don’t want the TEP to insert line feeds, set position 6 OFF.
3.1.2.O Slave-Data Transmission (SWG Position 7)
If you want the TEP to switch from one slave’s data stream to the next on a
record-by-record basis, set position 7 of SWG to ON. If you don’t want the
TEP to switch to another slave until the “no receive” timeout occurs (usually
after several records are transmitted from the current slave), set position 7
OFF. See Section 5.5.4.O.

21
CHAPTER 3: Installation
3.2 Configuring Shunt Jumpers for DTE or DCE
Each of the 5 (or 9) ports has a bank of shunt jumpers located next to its port
connector on the rear of the internal circuit boards (refer to Figures 3-1 and
3-2). These jumpers allow each port to be configured as either Data Terminal
Equipment (DTE) or Data Communications Equipment (DCE). This feature
eliminates the need for crossover cables to connect your equipment to the
Terminal Eliminator Plus. Standard straight-through cabling is all that is
required.
Table 3-5, below, shows the RS-232 signals used by the Terminal Eliminator
Plus and their directions at a given port when that port is configured as DTE
or DCE.
Table 3-5. Input and Output Signals with a
Terminal Eliminator Plus’s Port as a DTE or DCE
AS A DTE AS A DCE SIGNAL DIRECTION
TXD (2) RXD (3) Output from TEP
RXD (3) TXD (2) Input to TEP
RTS (4) DCD (8) Output from TEP
CTS (5) DTR (20) Input to TEP
N/A DSR (6) Output from TEP
DCD (8) RTS (4) Input to TEP
DTR (20) CTS (5) Output from TEP
RI (22) N/A Input to TEP