CommTech FASTCOM IG232/2-PCI Quick user guide

9011 E. 37TH STREET N.
WICHITA, KANSAS 67226-2006
(316) 636-1131
FAX (316) 636-1163
http://www.commtech-fastcom.com/
COPYRIGHT (C) 1999, 2002, 2003, 2010
All rights reserved, including those to reproduce this document or parts thereof in
any form without permission in writing from Commtech, Inc.
FASTCOM and the “Alpha Lemur” are registered trademarks of Commtech, Inc.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
WINDOWS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
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REVISION NOTES
REVISION
PAGE NUMBER
CHANGES MADE
2.1
13
Changed warranty to 2 years
2.2
6
Added link to installation manual
2.3
11
Updated contact information
2.4
8
Updated Fastcom Serial Settings
2.5
1
11
Updated revision level
Changed warranty period to lifetime
2.6
11
Changed warranty to limited lifetime
2.7
11
Updated Limitation of Liability
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CONTENTS
“CE” CERTIFICATE .............................................................................................................. 1
INTRODUCTION
Description / Block Diagram ............................................................................................ 3
Specifications / Features ................................................................................................. 4
Board Layout ................................................................................................................... 5
INSTALLATION
Installing the Hardware / Software................................................................................... 6
Testing the Installation..................................................................................................... 6
FASTCOM SERIAL SETTINGS............................................................................................ 8
CABLE .................................................................................................................................. 9
DB9 Pin Description ........................................................................................................ 9
DB9 To DB25 Adapter................................................................................................... 10
TECHNICAL SUPPORT ..................................................................................................... 11
APPENDIX A
16C850 UART Technical Data ...................................................................................... 12
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1
EUROPEAN UNION DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
Information Technology Equipment
The Company COMMTECH, INC. declares under its own and full responsibility that the product
" Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI - Revision 1.1 "
on which is attached this Certificate is compliant to the "89/336/EEC" Directive, amended by 92/31/EEC and
93/88/EEC.
[ ] The product identified above complies with the requirements of the above EU Directive by meeting the
following standards:
• EN 50081-1 (1992) EMC Generic Emission Standard - Part 1, Residential, Commercial and Light Industry
- EN 55022 (1995), CISPR 22 (1993) Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Disturbance
Characteristics of Information Technology Equipment, 30 MHz - 1 GHz, Class B Limits
• EN 50082-1 (1992) EMC Generic Immunity Standard - Part 1, Residential, Commercial and Light Industry
- IEC 801-2 (1984), Method of Evaluating Susceptibility to Electrostatic Discharge, Level 4
- IEC 801-3 (1984), Radiated Electromagnetic field Requirements, Level 3
- IEC 801-4 (1988), Electrical Fast Transient/Burst Requirements, Level 2
Products listed on this declaration are exempt from the requirements of the 73/23/EEC directive due to the input
voltage specification as stated in Article 1 of the directive.
The technical documentation required to demonstrate that this product meets the requirements of the EMC Directive
has been compiled by the signatory below and is available for inspection by the relevant enforcement authorities.
In WICHITA, KS on April 11th of 2003
Mr. Glen R. Alvis
Chief Engineer
9011 E. 37th Street North
Wichita, KS 67226-2006
(316) 636-1131
Fax (316) 636-1163
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3
INTRODUCTION
The Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI adapter is one of the fastest, most advanced two-channel RS-232 adapter in the
industry. Primarily designed for commercial, industrial, and OEM applications, the Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI
features two discrete RS-232 channels, which are electrically isolated from your computer’s power supply
and bus.
The advanced universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter (UART) chips used on the Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI
are fully register compatible with standard 16C550 UARTs, but provide extraordinary 128 byte FIFOs for
receive and transmit buffering. This buffering is extremely valuable when working with RS-232
communications within high-overhead operating systems such as Windows NT and Windows 95/98.
Most RS-232 adapters that advertise isolation provide only partial isolation for the signal lines. The full isolation of
RS-232 signal lines and Ground provided by the Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI is extremely important to any
industrial/commercial application that requires high reliability, data integrity, and system safety. Power surges
and ground loop errors will destroy common RS-232 adapters. More importantly, these conditions will destroy
your PC, adapters in it, hard and floppy disk drives, and present an electric shock hazard to system operators.
The Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI is designed to provide full isolation from a remote RS-232 device: the UARTs are
isolated from the RS-232 signals, the Ground is isolated from the power supply and chassis of the PC, and each
channel is fully isolated from the other.
Software drivers for Windows 98/NT/2000/XP and Linux are supplied. Multiple Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI adapters
can be installed in all operating systems.
The Fastcom RS-232-PCI family also includes the four-channel Fastcom: 232/4-PCI and the eight-channel
Fastcom: 232/8-PCI. ISA bus versions are also available. If your application requires faster data rates or better
noise immunity, we suggest you try our RS-422 family of PCI adapters, such as the Fastcom: IG422/1-PCI.
The following is the basic structure of the Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI:
RS-232
DB9
88
DRIVERS /
RECEIVERS
OPTO
ISOLATORS
PCI
INTERFACE
CONTROLLER
CLOCK
CONTROL
REGISTER ISOLATED
VCC & GROUND
PCI BUS
CS
A0-A2
DATA
INTERRUPT
CLOCK
CHANNEL 1 (OF 2)
TXD
RXD
RTS
CTS
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4
SPECIFICATIONS:
UART 16C850
BAUD RANGE All standard PC baud rates up to 115.2 Kbps
BUFFERING Transmit - 128 bytes
Receive - 128 bytes
INTERFACE RS-232C
TXD, RXD, RTS, CTS
BUS PCI
POWER
REQUIREMENTS: +5 600mA (Typical)
ADDRESS
REQUIREMENTS: PCI Controller 128 bytes
UARTs 16bytes
Control Registers 4 bytes
INTERRUPT
REQUIREMENTS: 1 (per board)
FEATURES:
Isolation
Designed to comply with VDE isolation requirements
3000 Volt Opto Isolator breakdown
3700 Volt transformer breakdown
Both channels are fully isolated from each other
High performance 16C850 UARTS
Standard on the Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI, no extra charge
All standard PC baud rates up to 115.2 Kbps
128 byte FIFOs for improved through-put
User programmable baud rate
Comprehensive Hardware and Software Documentation
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5
FASTCOM: IG232/2-PCI
BOARD LAYOUT
CHANNEL 1
DB9
CONNECTOR
16C850
UARTs
CHANNEL 2
DB9
CONNECTOR
PCI
CONTROLLER
TRANSMIT /
RECEIVE
LEDs
PACKING LIST
FASTCOM: IG232/2-PCI CARD
FASTCOM CD
If an omission has been made, please call technical support for a replacement.
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6
HARDWARE INSTALLATION
Important: Observe Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) precautions when handling the Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI
board.
1. Unpack the Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI. Keep the box and static bag for warranty repair returns.
2. Select an open PCI slot in your PC.
3. After removing the blank bracket from your PC, install the Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI in the PC by pressing it
firmly into the slot. Install the bracket screw to hold it firmly in place.
4. Re-install the cover on your PC.
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Select the link above to open the Installation Manual. Under Fastcom – Async-PCI series cards, select your
operating system and follow the instructions. When you are finished, select Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI from the list at
the end of the Fastcom – Async-PCI series cards section to return to this manual.
TESTING THE INSTALLATION
To fully test the installation of your Fastcom: IG232/2-PCI, you will need to build a "loop back plug". Materials
needed are a DB25 female receptacle, solder cup style, and a few short pieces of 20 or 24 AWG stranded wire.
This loop back plug can be used to test any RS-232 port. Jumper the pins together on the DB25 as illustrated
below:
SIGNALS
2 RXD
3 TXD
7 RTS
8 CTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
DB 9 CONNECTOR
FEMALE
TESTING YOUR FASTCOM ASYNC PCI PORT IN WINDOWS
These instructions assume that you have already installed the card and have followed the installation instructions.
The SERIALGT.EXE program (98, NT) or the Device Manager (2K, XP) should show the boards/ports that are
installed, and the COM numbers assigned to those ports.
1. Attach the “octopus” cable supplied to the DB37 connector. Install the loopback plug on the port to test.
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7
2. Find and run the TTY example program (simple terminal).
From the Start menu, choose Run, browse to and select D:\Fastcom_disks\AsyncPCI\tty\tty2.exe.
Click the Open button.
Click the OK button to run the program.
3. With the TTY program running, select Settings from the menu.
Select the COM port number that has the loopback plug on it.
Uncheck all of the flow control checkboxes (DTR/DSR, RTS/CTS, XON/XOFF).
Click OK.
From the TTY Main menu select Action, then Connect.
4. At this point you should get a blinking cursor in the upper left corner (under the menu bar).
5. You should be able to type on the keyboard and see the letters that you type on the screen. If you see what
you are typing, then your port is installed and operating properly.
If you do not get to the blinking cursor stage, but rather encounter a “Connection Failed” message box, some
possible causes are:
1. In NT, if multiple ports are opened (running more than one instance of TTY), the ports are using the same
IRQ, and the PermitShare registry entry is 0, the second port to be opened will fail. Use the registry
editor and expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE ->SYSTEM ->CurrentControlSet ->Services ->Serial,
change the PermitShare value from 0 to 1, reboot, and run the test again.
2. The interrupt that was selected by the plug-and-play bios is trying to be shared with another device that is
not configured to share the IRQ (either Device or Driver Exclusive IRQ setting). Try a different PCI slot or
disable the other offending device.
3. IRQ steering is enabled on Windows 98 and Windows is not assigning an IRQ to the Fastcom card. Try
disabling IRQ steering or varying the options in Control Panel ->System ->Device Manager ->System
Devices ->PCI Bus.
4. Multiple COMx assignments. In Windows NT, the driver setup assumes that there are not any ports
installed above COM4, and starts assigning the Fastcom ports at COM5. If there is already a COM5 (or
higher) in the system, it is likely that the Fastcom ports are being assigned to the same port name(s).
Run the SERIALGT.EXE program (D:\Fastcom_disks\AsyncPCI\nt\serialgt.exe for Windows NT,
D:\Fastcom_disks\AsyncPCI\95\serialgt.exe for Windows95) and re-assign the com port numbers to these
ports to be different than any other ports in the system.
If you get to the blinking cursor stage, but do not see what you type with the loopback installed, some possible
reasons are:
1. Incorrect/faulty loopback construction or a bad connection.
2. The port is setup to have RS-485 enabled and the “RX Echo Disable” checkbox is checked. If the RX
Echo Disable is checked you will be unable to run a simple loopback test, as the purpose of the echo
disable is to strip the characters that are sent/received at the same time. Uncheck the RX Echo disable,
reboot, and try the test again.
3. The RTS/CTS flow control is checked and there is not a RTS->CTS loopback or the CTS disabled
checkbox was unchecked. If you enable flow control, you must allow CTS to be active in order for the
driver to transmit data. Either disable flow control or wire the RTS->CTS (and possibly DTR->DSR) loops
and try the test again.
4. The loopback plug is not on the correct port/cable.
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8
FASTCOM SERIAL SETTINGS
These settings can be accessed using the application serialgt.exe (Windows 98/NT) or in the Fastcom Serial Settings tab of
the Fastcom AsyncPCI Communications Port Properties dialog (Windows 2K/XP), which is found in the device manager under
Ports (COM & LPT).
CLOCK/4
Clock divisors of 1 and 4 are available. Clearing the checkbox selects a divisor of 1 and setting the checkbox
selects a divisor of 4. It is best to leave this box unchecked.
RX Trigger
Determines the number of bytes that will be stored in the receive FIFO on the 16C854 before an interrupt is
triggered. Valid values are from 1 to 128 bytes. The optimal setting is 64 bytes. For 16C550 compatibility,
set to 8.
TX Trigger
Determines the number of bytes remaining in the transmit FIFO on the 16C854 before an interrupt is
triggered. Valid values are from 0 to 127 bytes. The optimal setting is 64 bytes. For 16C550 compatibility,
set to 0.
TX Write Size
Determines the number of bytes sent to the board at a time. Valid values are from 1 to 128. This number
plus the TX Trigger value should not exceed 128. The optimal value is 64. For 16C550 compatibility, set to
16 or 1.
BaudTable (Win2K/XP)
This table represents the standard baud rates that the Fastcom card will currently support. If you wish to use
a non-standard baud, you may enter it into one of the boxes on the table and hit the tab key (do not hit enter,
hitting enter will exit the program). This will set the on-board clock generator to a frequency (see Input
Frequency below) that will divide down to the new baud rate. The rest of the table will also be updated to
reflect other bauds that can be used with the calculated clock frequency. If you wish to return to the standard
rates, you can set the top box to 115200 and hit tab; the rest of the bauds will be filled in.
Note: The baud rates that you set will not be available to standard Windows applications like HyperTerminal.
The new rates will be available to you in your code or in applications that allow user defined baud rates such
as TTY2, which can be found on the Fastcom disk (Fastcom_CD\Fastcom_disks\AsyncPCI\tty\tty2.exe).
THIS SETTING=THIS BITRATE (Baud Rate Substitution Table) (Win98/NT)
Under THIS SETTING you will see the standard PC baud rates, from 115.2K to 300. If you wish to use a
baud rate not shown, type the baud rate in the box next to 115200 (e.g., type 128K as 128000), and hit the
tab key. Do not hit enter. Hitting enter will exit the program. If the baud rate changes after you tab, move to
the next box down and try again. Continue moving down until the baud rate stays the way you want it. Now
note the standard PC baud rate to the left of the box you ended on. You will select this standard baud rate to
set up your com ports, and the baud rate you require will be substituted. If you receive an error message
stating that the maximum baud rate was exceeded, change the Clock Divisor to 1 and try again.
INPUT FREQUENCY
This is the calculated frequency required to generate the baud rate requested. When you click OK on the
Fastcom Serial Settings page, this frequency is sent to the clock generator and the new baud rates will be
available.
OTHERS
Auto 485, CTS Disable, 485 Enable, RX Echo Disable, Enable Source, and Sample Rate do not apply to this
board. Do not change these options as they will have no positive affect on settings for this board and may
cause instability.
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9
CABLE
We recommend using a high quality vinyl jacketed multiple conductor cable like Belden 8445 (unshielded) or
Belden 9941 (shielded) for use with the FASTCOM: IG232/2-PCI. VERY IMPORTANT: The signal ground (pin 5
on the DB9 connector) is isolated from the ground on your computer, but the outside shell of the DB9 connectors
on the IG232/2-PCI are in direct contact with the chassis case of the computer. Many PC style computers ground
the case of the computer.
To avoid defeating the isolating functions of the IG232/2-PCI, do not
connect the shield of a cable to the outside shell of the DB9 connectors.
If you want to build a shielded cable, connect the braided shield of the wire to only one end of the cable only; keep
the other end of the cable insulated from the shield.
DB9 PIN DESCRIPTION
The FASTCOM: IG232/2-PCI features two RS-232 channels which are accessed through two male DB9
connectors on the board.
The following is a pin description of the DB9 connectors:
PIN SIGNAL NAME DIRECTION
1 NOT CONNECTED
2 RECEIVE DATA (RXD) INPUT
3 TRANSMIT DATA (TXD) OUTPUT
4 NOT CONNECTED
5 ISOLATED SIGNAL GROUND (GND)
6 NOT CONNECTED
7 READY TO SEND (RTS) OUTPUT
8 CLEAR TO SEND (CTS) INPUT
9 NOT CONNECTED
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10
DB9 to DB25 ADAPTER
Many RS-232 devices use the DB25 style connector. The following illustration shows a DB9 to DB25 adapter:
4
5
8
DB9 FEMALE
9
2
16
7
3
4
5
23
22
2
1
25
24
3
9
8
7
6
13
12
11
10
18
19
20
21
14
15
16
17
DB25 MALE
DB25 MALEDB9 FEMALE
2
23
5
7
8
3
7
4
5
RXD
TXD
GROUND
RTS
CTS
DO NOT CONNECT GROUND TO THE OUTSIDE SHELL OF THE CONNECTORS.
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11
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Commtech provides extensive technical support and application suggestions. Most of the problems that occur with the
FASTCOM: IG232/2-PCI can be corrected by double checking the switch positions, your cables and your program. We
recommend that you build the loop back plug that is described in the Programming section of this manual. With that plug, you
can quickly isolate the problem to the board, cables, or software.
If you still have unresolved questions, use the following procedure to get technical support:
1. Call our Technical Support Staff at (316) 636-1131. They are on duty from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central Time.
2. Ask for technical support for the FASTCOM: IG232/2-PCI. Be ready to describe the problem, your computer system,
your application, and your software.
3. If necessary, our staff will give you an RMA number (Return Material Authorization). Use this number on the mailing
label and in all references to your board. Put the board back in its static bag and in its box. Ship the board back to us
as directed.
4. If you prefer, you may FAX a description of the problem to us at (316) 636-1163, or we can be reached on the Internet
at http://www.commtech-fastcom.com/TechSupport.html or by email at [email protected].
FASTCOM LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
Commtech’s entire FASTCOM product line is covered by a limited lifetime warranty against defects in workmanship. This
warranty is available only to the original purchaser and only covers defects in our workmanship. Any FASTCOM board that is
returned to Commtech will, at the option of Commtech, be repaired or replaced at no charge -- except for circumstances
excluded by this warranty.
A Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from Commtech before a return will be accepted. Please
contact us via telephone or email to obtain an RMA number.
You are responsible for shipping charges when you return a FASTCOM board to Commtech. We will pay the shipping
charges to send the board back to you if a defect in workmanship is found. However, if no defect in workmanship is found, or
the board is not found to be defective, or the any of the following warranty exclusions occur, you will be responsible for
shipping charges both ways.
Warranty Exclusions
This warranty does not cover problems or damage resulting from, but not limited to, the following:
1. Any modification, misuse, abuse, disassembly, misapplication, or unauthorized repair by anyone other than
Commtech.
2. Any improper operation, including any use not in accordance with any verbal product instructions or documentation.
3. Connection to an improper voltage supply or ESD damage.
4. Any other cause not related to workmanship.
Non-Warranty Repairs
We can provide a quote for non-warranty repairs upon request.
If any Commtech product is damaged such that it cannot be repaired, you can return it to Commtech for replacement under
our Non-Repairable Replacement policy, regardless of the cause of damage. Commtech will replace the unit at 60% of the
then-current list price.
Limitation of Liability
Commtech shall not be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages whatsoever, including but not
limited to loss of profits, revenue, or data (whether direct or indirect), or commercial loss for breach of any express or implied
warranty on your product even if Commtech has been advised previously of the possibility of such damages. Commtech does
not warrant that its products will work in every system or every system configuration. We do not warrant that our products will
be suitable for your application. If you are dissatisfied with our product, contact customer service to arrange for a return of our
product and refund of your money. Commtech’s liability, in any case, is limited to the original product purchase price and is
available to the original customer only.
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12
APPENDIX A
16C850
UART DATA
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