Quatech QSCLP-200 User manual

QSC(LP)-200/300
Four Channel RS-422/485 Asynchronous
Communications Adapter
for PCI bus
User's Manual
QUATECH, INC. TEL: [phone]
5675 Hudson Industrial Parkway FAX: [phone]
Hudson, Ohio 44236 http://www.quatech.com

WARRANTY INFORMATION
Quatech, Inc. warrants the QSC(LP)-200/300 to be free of defects for five (5) years
from the date of purchase. Quatech, Inc. will repair or replace any board that fails to perform
under normal operating conditions and in accordance with the procedures outlined in this
document during the warranty period. Any damage that results from improper installation,
operation, or general misuse voids all warranty rights.
Please complete the following information and retain for your records. Have this
information available when requesting warranty service.
DATE OF PURCHASE:
MODEL NUMBER: QSC(LP)-200/300
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Four Channel RS-422/485 Asynchronous
PCI Bus Communications Adapter
SERIAL NUMBER:

1998 - 2006, Quatech, Inc.
NOTICE
The information contained in this document cannot be reproduced in any form without
the written consent of Quatech, Inc. Likewise, any software programs that might accompany this
document can be used only in accordance with any license agreement(s) between the purchaser
and Quatech, Inc. Quatech Inc. reserves the right to change this documentation or the product to
which it refers at any time and without notice.
The authors have taken due care in the preparation of this document and every attempt
has been made to ensure its accuracy and completeness. In no event willQuatech, Inc. be liable
for damages of any kind, incidental or consequential, in regard to or arising out of the
performance or form of the materials presented in this document or any software programs that
might accompany this document.
Quatech, Inc. encourages feedback about this document. Please send any written
comments to the Technical Support department at the address listed on the cover page of this
document.
DOS, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows NT are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. OS/2 is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation. All other trademarks or
registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Declaration of Conformity
Manufacturer's Name: Quatech Inc.
Manufacturer's Address: 5675 Hudson Industrial Parkway
Hudson, Ohio 44236 (USA)
Application of Council Directive: 89/336/EEC
Standards to which
Conformity is Declared: * EN50081-1 (EN55022,
EN60555-2, EN60555-3)
* EN50082-1 (IEC 801-2,
IEC 801-3, & IEC 801-4)
Type of Equipment: Information Technology
Equipment
Equipment Class: Commercial, Residential, & Light
Industrial
Product Name: PCI Quad Serial Communications
Card
Model Number : QSC(LP)-200/300 (IND)

29
7 PCI Resource Map ...........................................
28
6.9 RS-422/485 Peripheral Connection .............................. 27
6.8 RS-422/485 Peripheral Connection .............................. 26
Termination Resistors ............................................. 25
6.6 Half-Duplex/Full-Duplex/Auto-Toggle Selection ................. 25
6.5 AUXIN/AUXOUT Loopback .................................... 24
6.4 TCLK .......................................................... 24
6.3 RCLK .......................................................... 24
6.2 RTS/cts Handshake ............................................. 24
6.1 DTR/DSR or RTS/CTS Operation ............................... 24
6 External Connections ........................................
22
5.3.1 QTPCI.EXE ................................................. 21
5.3 DOS and other operating systems ............................... 21
5.2 OS/2 ........................................................... 21
5.1 Windows NT ................................................... 21
5 Other Operating Systems ...................................
17
4.6.1 Changing Resource Settings with Device Manager ............. 15
4.6 Viewing Resources with Device Manager ........................ 14
4.5 Windows NT ................................................... 13
4.4 Windows 1995 .................................................. 11
4.3 Windows 98 .................................................... 10
4.2 Windows 2000 .................................................. 9
4.1 Windows Millennium ............................................ 9
Windows Configuration ........................................
8
3 Hardware Installation ........................................
7
2.1.3 Force High-Speed UART Clock (X8, pins 17 and 18) ........... 6
2.1.2 TGL(1,2,3,4) (pins 1 and 2, 5 and 6, 9 and 10, 13 and 14) ....... 6
2.1.1 AUX(1,2,3,4) (pins 3 and 4, 7 and 8, 11 and 12, 15 and 16) ...... 6
2.1 Signal Connections .............................................. 6
2 Hardware Configuration .....................................
5
1.1.1 "IND" Option --- Surge Suppression Upgrade ................. 5
1.1 Features ......................................................... 5
1 General Information ..........................................
1
......................................................................

31
9 Troubleshooting ...............................................
30
8 Specifications ..................................................
29
Base Address and Interrupt Level (IRQ) ............................
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 4

1 General Information
The Quatech, Inc. QSC(LP)-200/300 provides four RS-422 or RS-485 asynchronous
serial communication interfaces for IBM-compatible personal computer systems using thePCI
expansion bus. The QSC(LP)-200/300 uses Quatech's new Enhanced Serial Adapter design.
Legacy serial port data rates are limited to a maximum of 115,200 bits per second.Quatech
Enhanced Serial Adapters can achieve data rates as high as 921,600 bits per second.
As a PCI device, the QSC(LP)-200/300 requires no hardware configuration. The card is
automatically configured by the computer's BIOS or operating system.The four serial ports share
a single interrupt line and are addressed in a contiguous block of 32 bytes. A special interrupt
status register is provided to help software to manage the shared interrupt.
The QSC(LP)-200/300's serial ports use 16750 Universal Asynchronous
Receiver/Transmitters (UARTs). These UARTs contain hardware buffers (FIFOs) which reduce
processing overhead and allow higher data rates to be achieved. The 16750 contains a 16-byte
FIFO and can transmit and receive data at a rate of up to 921,600 bits per second. The 16750 is
recommended for heavy multitasking environments and for applications involving high data
rates. The QSC(LP)-200/300 is supported under several popular operating systems and
environments. Contact the sales department for details on current software offerings. Most device
drivers are available for download from the Quatech world wide web site at
http://www.quatech.com.
1.1 Features
The standard QSC(LP)-200/300 implements each of its communication channels with a
16750 UART and uses standard line driver and receiver components. For improved performance
and industrial-grade reliability, Quatech offers the following board upgrades:
1.1.1 "IND" Option --- Surge Suppression Upgrade
The "IND" option provides the protection essential for reliable use in an industrial
environment. Each communication line has a surge suppressor capable of sustaining up to 40A
20us peak transient surges, a clamping voltage of 30V and a peak energy dissipation of 0.1
Joules.
yesQSC(LP)-200/300IND noQSC(LP)-200/300 IND OptionPart Number
Figure 1 --- QSC(LP)-200/300 Product Series Summary
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 5

2 Hardware Configuration
The QSC(LP)-200/300 is automatically configured at boot time by the computer's BIOS
or operating system. There are no required switches or jumpers to set for installation.
This chapter lists a number of optional jumper settings that control various hardware
features. These jumpers, located in a row along the top of the board , control how signals are
routed from the UARTs to the connector, as well as special options.
Any changes from the factory default should be made before installing the
QSC(LP)-200/300 in the computer. These settings can also be changed in Device Manager
under Windows operating systems.
2.1 Signal Connections
The QSC(LP)-200/300 provides each of four serial ports with four differential signal
pairs: TxD, RxD, AUXOUT, and AUXIN. TxD and RxD are always present at the connector.
The AUXOUT and AUXIN signals can be used to supportRTS/CTS handshaking, external
clocking, or external signal loopback. The factory default configuration, as shown inFigure 2
with no jumpers across any of the pins, is a loopback of AUXOUT to AUXIN at the connector,
with RTS and CTS looped back on the board. There is an extensive discussion of this topic in
section 6.
Jumper J1 defines the options for this card:
TGL1 AUX1 TGL2 AUX2 TGL3 AUX3 TGL4 AUX4 X8
21
3 5 1 7 1 9 11 13 15 17
4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
J1
Figure 2 - Top Card Edge Jumpers
2.1.1 AUX(1,2,3,4) (pins 3 and 4, 7 and 8, 11 and 12, 15 and 16)
The 1, 2, 3, or 4 will designate which port the settings will be applied to. With NO
jumpers across the “AUX” pins, CTS = RTS and AUXIN = AUXOUT. With a jumper on any
of the “AUX” pins, CTS = AUXIN and AUXOUT = RTS for the given port.
2.1.2 TGL(1,2,3,4) (pins 1 and 2, 5 and 6, 9 and 10, 13 and 14)
The 1, 2, 3, or 4 will designate which port the settings will be applied to. With NO
jumpers across the “TGL” pins, TXEN = 1. With a jumper on any of the “TGL” pins, TXEN
will be set to “Auto-Toggle” for the given port.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 6

2.1.3 Force High-Speed UART Clock (X8, pins 17 and 18)
This jumper forces an increase of the UART input clock frequency by a factor of eight.
This feature can allow legacy software to use baud rates above 115,200 bits per second. It is also
useful if the serial port device driver does not directly support setting the higher baud rates
through the Options Register.
If this jumper is applied, it overrides any value written to the Options Register to set the
clock multiplier by software. The effective baud rate will beeight times the value for which the
UART itself is programmed. If selected, the clock multiplier will be applied to all ports on the
card, it is not possible to selectively apply the clock multiplier to a specific port.
The factory default is no jumper applied, which allows for software control of the clock
multiplier via the Options Register. The Options Register powerup default is for a standard
times-1 clock of 1.8432 MHz for compatibility with standard serial ports.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 7

3 Hardware Installation
1. Turn off the power of the computer system in which the QSC(LP)-200/300 is to be
installed.
2. Remove the system cover according to the instructions provided by the computer
manufacturer.
3. Make any desired optional jumper setting changes.
4. Install the QSC(LP)-200/300 in any empty PCI expansion slot. The board should be
secured by installing the Option Retaining Bracket (ORB) screw.
5. Replace the system cover according to the instructions provided by the computer
manufacturer.
6. Attach and secure the cable connectors to the desired equipment.
7. Turn on the power of the computer system.
The output of the QSC(LP)-200/300 is a 44-pin custom connector,
which is brought out to four 9-pin D-connectors via a custom cable.
J1
Figure 3 --- Jumper/connector locations
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 8

4 Windows Configuration
4.1 Windows Millennium
1. After inserting the QSC(LP)-200/300 for the first time the "Add New Hardware Wizard"
will begin. Select "Search for the best driver for your device.". Check the
"Removable media" and "Specify location" box. Click the "Next" button.
2. Window will locate the proper INF file and copy the file from theCD. Click
the "Next" button.
3. The final dialog screen will verify the file copy from theCD. Click the
"Finish" button.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 9

4.2 Windows 2000
1. After inserting a QSC(LP)-200/300 for the first time, the "Add New Hardware Wizard
will appear at start up. Click the "OK" button.
2. When the following dialog box appears, insert the Communications Driver CD (shipped
with the device). Click the "OK" button.
3. The following dialog box will display the appropriate INF file on theCD in
drive. Click the "OK" button.
4. Window will copy the INF file from the cd and display a final dialog
indication that the process is complete. Click the "Finish" button.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 10

4.3 Windows 98
1. After inserting a QSC(LP)-200/300 for the first time, the "Add New Hardware Wizard
will appear at start up. Click the "Next" button.
2. Select "Search for the best driver for you device". Click the "Next" button.
3. On the next dialog, select the "CD - ROM drive" check box. Insert the
Communication Drivers CD (shipped with the device) into the CD - ROM drive.
Click the "Next" button.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 11

4. The following dialog box will display the appropriate INF file on thecd in
drive. Click the "Next" button.
5. Window will copy the INF file from the cd and display a final dialog
indication that the process is complete. Click the "Finish" button.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 12

4.4 Windows 1995
Windows 95 maintains a registry of all known hardware installed in your computer.
Inside this hardware registry Windows 95 keeps track of all of your system resources, such as I/O
locations, IRQ levels, and DMA channels. The "Add New Hardware Wizard" utility in Windows
95 was designed to add new hardware and update this registry.
An "INF" configuration file is included with theQSC(LP)-200/300 to allow easy
configuration in the Windows 95 environment. Also a custom Windows 95 serial device driver is
included with the QSC(LP)-200/300 to support the use of the 16750 UART's 64 byte FIFO.
Windows 95 uses the "INF" file to determine the system resources required by the
QSC(LP)-200/300, searches for available resources to fill the boards requirements, and then
updates the hardware registry with an entry that allocates these resources
The following instructions provide step-by-step instructions on installing the
QSC(LP)-200/300 in Windows 95 using the "New Hardware Found" wizard.
1. After booting the computer with a newly-installed QSC(LP)-200/300, the "New
Hardware Found" dialog box will appear. If you have never installed aQuatech PCI
communications adapter before, the dialog box may simply indicate that it has found a
"PCI Card."
2. Select the radio button for "Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer."Click
the "OK" button to continue.
3. An "Install From Disk" dialog box should pop up. Insert the cd with the Quatech INF files
on it, select the correct drive letter, and click the "OK" button. Windows 95 automatically
browses the root directory for an INF file that defines configurations for Multi-function
Adapters. If no INF files are found, click the "Browse" button and search theWin95 sub
directory on the installation cd. You are not required to select the file name. After finding
the directory containing the INF files, Windows 95 will choose the correct file.
4. The "New Hardware Found" dialog box will appear again, this time for an "Unknown
Device."
5. Again select the radio button for "Driver from CD provided by hardware manufacturer."
Click the "OK" button to continue.
6. Another "Install From CD" dialog box will pop up. The path should already be pointing
to the Quatech CD. Click the "OK" button to continue.
7. You should now see the "Copying Files" dialog box as Windows 95 copies the driver
files from the CD.
8. The installation utility will ask for your Windows 95 installation disks. Serial
communication ports require two drivers supplied by Microsoft to function:
SERIAL.VXD and SERIALUI.DLL. Insert the disk or CD and click "OK".
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 13

NOTE:
You may be able to skip this step if you are certain that your system has the latest
version of these files installed. If you do not have your Windows 95 install disks
immediately available, click "OK" anyway. A dialog box appears with an option
to Skip the files. Click the Skip button and the files will not be installed. This is
all right if the latest version of these drivers are currently in the
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.
9. The "New Hardware Found" dialog will repeat as eachserial port is registered with
Windows 95.
10. Installation is complete.
4.5 Windows NT
The Windows NT device driver is installed by running the SETUP program. Up to 256
serial ports are supported. There is a command line-based configuration utility which is used for
adding PCI bus and ISA bus serial ports. Please refer to the documentation included with the
device driver for full installation and configuration details.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 14

4.6 Viewing Resources with Device Manager
This discussion applies equally to Windows 95/98/ME and 2000/XP. Windows
maintains a registry of all known hardware installed within the computer. Inside this hardware
registry Windows keeps track of all the computer's resources, such as base I/O addresses, IRQ
levels, and DMA channels. In the case of a PCI plug-in card, Windows configures the new
hardware using free resources it finds within the hardware registry, and updates the registry
automatically.
To view and/or edit hardware devices in Windows use the system Device Manager.
Consult Windows on-line help for details on the use of the Device Manager.
The following instructions provide step-by-step instructions on viewing resourcesused by
the QSC(LP)-200/300 in Windows using the "Device Manager" utility. Select Start|Help from
within Windows for additional information on this utility.
1. Double click the "System" icon inside the Control Panel folder. This opens up the System
Properties box.
2. Click the "Device Manager" tab located along the top of the System Properties box. This
lists all hardware devices registered inside the Windows registry. Additional information
is available on any of these devices byright-clicking on the device name and then
selecting "Properties" from the pop-up menu.
3. Double click the device group "Multi-function Adapters". The QSC(LP)-200/300
“parent device” belongs to this hardware class. The full device name for the
QSC(LP)-200/300 is Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 PCI Four-Port RS-422/RS485 Serial
Adapter.
4. Double click the QSC(LP)-200/300 name and a properties dialog should open for the
hardware adapter.
5. Click the "Resources" tab located along the top of the properties box to view the
resources Windows has allocated for Input/Output Range and Interrupt Request.
Because PCI is a true plug-and-play bus, do not attempt to modify the configuration
values listed. Click "Cancel" to exit without making changes.
6. Double click the hardware class Ports (Com and LPT). Each Quatech PCI Serial
Port listed in this class is a “child device” of the QSC(LP)-200/300 “parent device.”
Windows 95 does not assign COM1-COM4 to ports addressed at nonstandard locations.
So in Windows 95, the QSC(LP)-200/300 ports will be enumerated starting with COM5
(or higher) even if lower logical numbers are available.
7. Select any of the Quatech Serial Ports listed under the group Port (COM and LPT) and
click the "Properties" button. This action opens a properties dialog for the specific COM
port on the QSC(LP)-200/300. Then click the Resources tab to view the Input/Output
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 15

Range and Interrupt Request resource allocations. These will match those of the “parent
device.” Click "Cancel" to exit without making changes.
8. Click the "Port Settings" tab and then click the "Advanced" button. The
QSC(LP)-200/300 driver will display a custom Advanced Port Settings control, which
allows the ports UART compatibility mode and FIFO threshold levels to be configured.
The threshold values of full-scale for the transmit buffer and ¾-scale for the receive
buffer are optimal for most applications. Note that the FIFO option for each of the
QSC(LP)-200/300's four ports is configured independently.
9. Use the Logical COM Port names to access the serial ports on your QSC(LP)-200/300
through your software applications. Note: The LogicalCOM Port name is assigned to
your ports by Windows. This name is required by Windows applications when accessing
a particular port.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 16

4.6.1 Changing Resource Settings with Device Manager
1. Start the Windows 95/98/ME Device Manager.
2. Double click on the hardware class Multi-Port Serial Adapters to list hardware
devices in the class.
3. The QSC(LP)-200/300 “parent device” belongs to this hardware class. The full
device name for the QSC(LP)-200/300 is Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300: Four-Port
RS-422/485 Serial Adapter.
4. Open the Properties dialog for the QSC(LP)-200/300 device, then click the
Resources tab to view the Input/Output Range and Interrupt Request resource
allocations.
5. Open the Properties dialog for the QSC(LP)-200/300 device (Figure 12), then click
the Advanced tab to view the clock rate settings.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 17

The X8 clock mode locks the ports hardware clock at
eight times the standard rate. The baud rate the port
runs at will always be eight times the rate requested by
the application. This mode is useful for legacy
applications which cannot request baud rates over
115.200.
921,600X8
The X4 clock mode locks the ports hardware clock at
four times the standard rate. The baud rate the port
runs at will always be four times the rate requested by
the application. This mode is useful for legacy
applications which cannot request baud rates over
115.200.
460,800X4
The X2 clock mode locks the ports hardware clock at
double the standard rate. The baud rate the port runs at
will always be double the rate requested by the
applications. This mode is useful for legacy
applicattions which cannot request baud rates over
115,200
230,400X2
The X1 clock mode mimics a standard COM port. The
hardware drivers lock the clock to the standard rate.
The port will run at the baud rate requested by the
application.
115,200X1
Auto clock mode enables applications to request any
baud rate up to 921,600. The hardware drivers will
select the correct clock multiplier based on the baud
rate requested
921,600Auto
DescriptionMax bpsClock Mode Data Rate Multiplier
6. Double click the hardware class Ports (Com and LPT). Each Quatech PCI Serial
Port listed in this class is a “child device” of the QSC(LP)-200/300 “parent device.”
7. Open the Properties dialog for a COM port, then click the RS-422/485 tab to view
the settings for that port.
Quatech QSC(LP)-200/300 User's Manual 18