One Stop Systems ExpressBox 3200 User manual

ExpressBox 3200
PCIe to PCIe Expansion
User Manual
SKU: EB3200
www.onestopsystems.com

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Table of Contents
Preface.................................................................................................................................................... 5
What’s in this Guide............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Advisories ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Safety Instructions ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
1 Introduction, ExpressBox 3200 ........................................................................................................ 8
1.1 General Specifications ............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
1.2 Features .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
1.3 Benefits ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
1.4 Specifications .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
1.5 Pre-Installation Information.................................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.6 Part List ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.7 Components............................................................................................................................................................................................ 12
1.8 Parts Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
2 Hardware Installation .................................................................................................................... 14
2.1 Tools Required for Installation ................................................................................................................................................................ 14
2.2 Installation-Procedures Overview ........................................................................................................................................................... 15
2.3 Open Enclosure ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
2.4 Install Expansion Interface card .............................................................................................................................................................. 16
2.5 Install Host Interface card ....................................................................................................................................................................... 17
2.5.1 Computer PCIe slots to use .......................................................................................................................................................... 18
2.6 Install PCIe Cards..................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
2.6.1 PCIe slots ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
2.6.2 Types of PCIe cards to use............................................................................................................................................................ 22
2.6.3 Auxiliary Power Connectors ......................................................................................................................................................... 24
2.6.4 High Power PCIe card installation................................................................................................................................................. 25
2.6.5 How to Use OSS Auxiliary Power cable......................................................................................................................................... 26
2.7 Connect PCIe Cable ................................................................................................................................................................................. 28
2.7.1 Placement of Cable....................................................................................................................................................................... 29
2.7.2 How to Disconnect Cable ............................................................................................................................................................. 30
2.8 Install Cable Clamp.................................................................................................................................................................................. 30
2.8.1 Secure the cable with a retainer clamp ........................................................................................................................................ 30
2.8.2 Clamp Position / Orientation....................................................................................................................................................... 31
2.9 Attach Power Cord .................................................................................................................................................................................. 32
2.10 Connect to Electrical Outlet............................................................................................................................................................... 33
2.11 Turn ON Expansion Unit .................................................................................................................................................................... 33
2.12 Power ON the Computer ................................................................................................................................................................... 33
2.12 Hardware Check –Verify Connection ................................................................................................................................................ 34
3 Software Installation...................................................................................................................... 36

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3.1 Install Software ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
3.2 Software Check - Verify Installation ........................................................................................................................................................ 36
3.2.1 Windows 7 and 8.......................................................................................................................................................................... 36
3.2.2 Mac OS X ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
3.2.3 Linux............................................................................................................................................................................................. 38
3.3 Check PCIe cards ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
3.3.1 Mac OS X ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
3.3.2 Windows 7, 8 and 10.................................................................................................................................................................... 41
3.3.3 Linux............................................................................................................................................................................................. 42
4 Advanced Technical Information .................................................................................................... 43
4.1 Speed / Performance of OSS EB3200 ...................................................................................................................................................... 43
4.2 Card and LED Indicators .......................................................................................................................................................................... 46
4.3 Display Functions of Interface card LEDs................................................................................................................................................. 47
4.4 Reset & Power Status LEDs ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48
4.5 Dipswitches ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 49
4.5.1 SW1 and SW2............................................................................................................................................................................... 49
4.5.2 SW3 .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 50
4.5.3 SW4 .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 50
4.6 Backplane / Expansion board .................................................................................................................................................................. 51
4.7 Power LEDs & Link UP LED ...................................................................................................................................................................... 52
4.8 Fan Control Switch .................................................................................................................................................................................. 53
4.8.1 What is a Fan control?.................................................................................................................................................................. 53
4.9 Internal Front Fan Specifications............................................................................................................................................................. 54
4.10 Power Supply –Fanless ..................................................................................................................................................................... 55
4.10.1 Features ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 55
4.10.1 PSU Specifications ........................................................................................................................................................................ 55
4.10.2 Power Distribution ....................................................................................................................................................................... 56
4.10.3 Wire Configuration....................................................................................................................................................................... 56
5 How to Remove & Install Parts....................................................................................................... 57
5.1 How to replace the Expansion card?....................................................................................................................................................... 57
5.2 How to remove the Fan?......................................................................................................................................................................... 57
5.3 How to remove the Power Supply?......................................................................................................................................................... 58
5.4 How to remove the Expansion board? .................................................................................................................................................... 59
5.5 Rack mount Kit Installation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 61
5.5.1 Rack mount Front Ears Installation............................................................................................................................................... 61
5.5.2 Rack mount Rear Ears Installation................................................................................................................................................ 63
6 Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................................. 66
6.1 My Computer Hangs During Power Up ................................................................................................................................................... 66
6.2 My PCIe Card Doesn’t Work.................................................................................................................................................................... 67
6.3 Support for 3rd Party PCI Cards .............................................................................................................................................................. 67

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6.4 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ......................................................................................................................................................... 68
7 How to Get More Help..................................................................................................................... 72
7.1 Contacting Technical Support ................................................................................................................................................................. 72
7.1.1 Shipping or Transporting of Expansion Unit with PCI / PCIe cards ............................................................................................... 72
7.2 Returning Merchandise to OSS ............................................................................................................................................................... 72
7.3 Online Support Resources....................................................................................................................................................................... 73
7.4 Items & Part numbers ............................................................................................................................................................................. 74
8Appendix A Multiple Expansion System Configurations............................................................. 75
8.1 Fan-Out ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 76
8.2 Daisy-Chaining......................................................................................................................................................................................... 77
9Appendix B PCI Express General Information............................................................................ 78
9.1 What is PCIe / PCIE.................................................................................................................................................................................. 78
9.2 How PCI Express Works........................................................................................................................................................................... 78
9.3 What is Lane............................................................................................................................................................................................ 78
9.4 PCI Express Links and Lanes .................................................................................................................................................................... 79
9.5 Form Factor............................................................................................................................................................................................. 80
9.5.1 PCI Express Sample Connectors.................................................................................................................................................... 80
9.6 Bandwidth............................................................................................................................................................................................... 81
9.7 Operation Mode...................................................................................................................................................................................... 81
9.7.1 PCI Express Performance Table .................................................................................................................................................... 82
9.8 Power .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 83
10 Appendix C Compliance.......................................................................................................... 84

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Preface
What’s in this Guide
This guide provides easy instructions to install your expansion system, verify the installation was completed correctly, and troubleshoot the
installation, if necessary.
This manual is divided into the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Provides general specifications and parts list .
Chapter 2: Information on how to set up the Expansion chassis.
Chapter 3: Explains how to verify a successful installation.
Chapter 4: Provides more technical information on all components of the expansion unit.
Chapter 5: Information on how to remove and install parts such as fan, power supply, board and etc.
Chapter 6: Information on troubleshooting and Frequently Asked Questions.
Chapter 7: Explains where to get technical support and information about online support resources.
Appendix A: Information about multiple Expansion unit configuration (i.e. daisy-chain and fanout)
Appendix B: General information about PCIe
Appendix C: Provides information on FCC Regulatory Compliance.

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Advisories
Five types of advisories are used throughout this manual to provide helpful information, or to alert you to the potential for hardware damage
or personal injury.
NOTE
Used to amplify or explain a comment related to procedural steps or text.
IMPORTANT
Used to indicate an important piece of information or special “tip” to help you
CAUTION
Used to indicate and prevent the following procedure or step from causing damage to the
equipment.
WARNING
Used to indicate and prevent the following step from causing injury.
DANGER or STOP
Used to indicate and prevent the following step from causing serious injury or significant
data loss
Disclaimer: We have attempted to identify most situations that may pose a danger, warning, or caution condition in this manual. However, OSS
does not claim to have covered all situations that might require the use of a Caution, Warning, or Danger indicator.
Safety Instructions
Always use caution when servicing any electrical component. Before handling the OSS Expansion chassis, read the following instructions and
safety guidelines to prevent damage to the product and to ensure your own personal safety. Refer to the “Advisories” section for advisory
conventions used in this manual, including the distinction between Danger, Warning, Caution, Important, and Note.
Always use caution when handling/operating the computer. Only qualified, experienced, authorized electronics personnel
should access the interior of the computer and expansion chassis.

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WARNING
Never modify or remove the radio frequency interference shielding from your workstation or expansion unit. To do so may
cause your installation to produce emissions that could interfere with other electronic equipment in the area of your
system.
When Working Inside a Computer
1. Before taking covers off a computer, perform the following steps:
2. Turn off the computer and any peripheral devices.
3. Disconnect the computer and peripheral power cords from their AC outlets or inlets in order to prevent electric shock or system
board damage.
In addition, take note of these safety guidelines when appropriate:
To help avoid possible damage to systems boards, wait five seconds after turning off the computer before removing a component,
removing a system board, or disconnecting a peripheral device from the computer.
When you disconnect a cable, pull on its connector or on its strain-relief loop, not on the cable itself. Some cables have a connector
with locking tabs. If you are disconnecting this type of cable, press in on the locking tabs before disconnecting the cable. As you pull
connectors apart, keep them evenly aligned to avoid bending any connector pins. Also, before connecting a cable, make sure both
connectors are correctly oriented and aligned.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to service the system yourself except as explained in this manual. Follow
installation instructions closely.
Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Warning
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is the enemy of semiconductor devices. You should always take precautions to eliminate any
electrostatic charge from your body and clothing before touching any semiconductor device or card by using an
electrostatic wrist strap and/or rubber mat.
Static electricity can harm system boards. Perform service at an ESD workstation and follow proper ESD procedures to reduce the risk of
damage to components. OSS strongly encourages you to follow proper ESD procedures, which can include wrist straps and smocks, when
servicing equipment.
You can also take the following steps to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD):
When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping carton, do not remove the component’s anti-static packaging
material until you are ready to install the component in a computer. Just before unwrapping the anti-static packaging, be sure you
are at an ESD workstation or are grounded.
When transporting a sensitive component, first place it in an anti-static container or packaging.

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Handle all sensitive components at an ESD workstation. If possible, use anti-static floor pads and workbench pads.
Handle components and boards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a board. Hold a board by its edges or by its
metal mounting bracket.
1 Introduction, ExpressBox 3200
1.1 General Specifications
Precision engineered to OSS’s mission critical standards for performance and reliability. The ExpressBox 3200 features three (3) full-length, full-
height PCIe slots and flexibility with two customer configurable 5.25” expansion bays all connected through PCIe Gen 3. Designed with your
workstation in mind, the EB3200 has a rack-mountable aluminum chassis for integrated removable storage expansion, a 520-watt fan less
power supply, auxiliary power, and features OSS’s exclusive quiet cooling control.
The ExpressBox 3200 Expansion is compatible with a series of operating systems, including MacOS, Windows, Linux, and Solaris.
Three (3) available full length/full height expansion slots
Tool-less cover removal
White power-on indicator front panel light
One 80mm 70 CFM Expansion Card/Backplane Fan
Speeds up to 8 GT/s (PCIe x8 Gen 3)
Connect PCI Express Host to Expansion over cable
Use same PCIe interface card for both sides of the connection
High Speed IO cable
Product Name
Description
ExpressBox 3200
3 Slot –Expansion Only
Use OSS’s PCI Express Expansion to create a super-fast PCIe connection outside the computer.
The ExpressBox 3200 expansion chassis is the perfect solution for creating a super-fast local PCIe connection from a host computer to a target
PCI Express device. The OSS 01-08003-00 interface card installs into any x8 or x16 PCIe slot in the host computer motherboard and the other
OSS 01-08003-00 interface card is inserted into a designated upstream PCIe slot. A high-speed IO cable allows data transfers to and from the
host computer at 64 Gbps (8 Gb/s per lane multiply by 8 lanes).

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1.2 Features
High-speed x8 PCI Express connection
Easy Plug and Play installation
Low profile bracket provides for easy installation in low profile computers
Easily visible LEDs that indicate correct installation and PCIe link width
Low power consumption - less than 4 Watts
LEDs show status of connection for quick debug- reset indicator, clock indicator, link width indicator
Supports Spread Spectrum Clocking, LOS (Loss of Signal), LOL (Loss of Lock Indicator)
Low Latency and Low Jitter
Fanless 550 Watt Power Supply
Auxiliary Power Cables
1.3 Benefits
Attach PCIe Cards to any Computers
Extension of PCI Express signal outside the computer
Daisy-chain or end-point device
Transparent extension of PCI Express signals outside the computer
No software required - connection is automatically recognized and configured by system BIOS
Attach large power hungry PCI Express cards to computer with limited card space
Low latency PCIe connection between host and target without using bridges or switches
Same PCIe card used for both the host and expansion device
Interface Card can be used with any PCIe compliant expansion chassis
Automated x1, x4 and x8 link negotiation for PCI Express Gen1, Gen2 and Gen 3
Ability to override automatic PCIe link training through dip-switch settings

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1.4 Specifications
Item
Description
Technology
PCI Express Bus Specification Revision 3.0 & 2.0
PCI Local Bus Specification Revision 2.3
PCI Bridge Architecture Revision 1.2
Backplane
(3) available full length/full height expansion slots, x8 PCIe Gen 3.0
Electrical - x8 PCIe
Physical –x16 PCIe
PCIe Link Cards
Form Factor: x8 PCIE, low profile, half-length. Capable of x16
LED Indicators: PCIe Link width, reset clock
Interconnect Bandwidth
8GB/sec or 64Gb/s (PCIe x8 Gen3)
Physical Characteristics
Length 139.7mm (5.5 inches)
Width 12.7mm (0.5 inches)
Height 69.9mm (2.75 inches)
Cable
1-meter PCIe Gen 3 cable
Enclosure
2U Aluminum Desktop –Black
14.25” Wide x 3.48” High x 17” Deep (363mm x 88.4mm x 432mm)
8.5 lbs or 3.6Kg
Tool-less cover removal
White power-on indicator front panel light
Optional rackmount kit
System Cooling
One 80mm 70 CFM Expansion Cards/Backplane Fan
Power Supply Options
520 W fanless, 100-240V, 50-60Hz Power Input
Four 4-pin Molex Connector
Two 6-pin + PCIe connector
Input Frequency: 50-60Hz
DC Output: 540 Watts Max
+12V 43A
-12V .5A
+5V 20A
+3.3V 20A
+5Vsb 2.5A
Total of +3.3V and 5V must not exceed 100W
Environmental
Ambient Temperature 0° to 50° C
Storage Temperature -20° to 60° C
Relative Humidity 5% to 85% non-condensing
MTBF
35k hours
Regulatory Compliance
FCC Class A Verified
CE
RoHS Compliant
Supported Operating Systems
MacOS 10.6.8 or higher, Windows 7 and Windows 8, Linux and Solaris
Warranty
30-day money back guarantee. 1 Year Return to factory