rackit Paradigm Installation and maintenance instructions

Installer/User Guide
274 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016 • USA
212-679-0050 ( ax) 212-679-0040
www.RackitTechnology.com

Paradigm Installer/User Guide

©2000 Rackit Technology Corporation. All rights reserved.
IBM, PC, PC AT and PS 2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.
Microsoft and Kensington are registered trademarks of their respective companies. Logitech, Mouseman and
Trackman are trademarks of Logitech, Inc. IntelliMouse is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Installer/User Guide
274 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016 • USA
212-679-0050 ( ax) 212-679-0040
www.RackitTechnology.com

Paradigm Installer/User Guide
Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by
the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits
for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These
limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of
this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference
in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his
own expense.
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise
emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference
Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.
Le present appareil numerique n'emet pas de bruits radioelectriques les
limites applicables aux appareils numeriques de la class A prescrites dans
le Reglement sur le brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le ministere des
Communications du Canada.
FCC Notification
Canadian Notification

Table of Contents
Chapter 4 - On- creen Display Operations
Activating OSD ...................................................................................................................................... 13
The OSD Window .................................................................................................................................. 14
The Command Menu ........................................................................................................................... 15
Basic Channel Maintenance ............................................................................................................. 16
The ID Window ...................................................................................................................................... 18
Administrator unctions ..................................................................................................................... 20
Chapter 6 - Appendices
A: Specifications .................................................................................................................................... 27
B: Pairing .................................................................................................................................................. 28
C: Troubleshooting................................................................................................................................ 34
D: Problem Report................................................................................................................................. 39
Chapter 5 - Channel canning
Choosing a Scanning Method .......................................................................................................... 23
Setting the Scanning Order ............................................................................................................... 24
Turning Scanning On and Off........................................................................................................... 24
Setting the Scanning Dwell Time .................................................................................................... 25
Scanning and Security ......................................................................................................................... 26
Chapter 2 - Installation
Basic Install ................................................................................................................................................ 5
Advanced Install ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Chapter 1 - Product Overview
eature Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Compatibility ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Chapter 3 - Basic Operations
Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Keyboard Control .................................................................................................................................. 10
Keyboard Switching ............................................................................................................................. 11
System Control & Maintenance ....................................................................................................... 12

Paradigm Installer/User Guide
INSTRUCTIONS: The exclamation point within an equilateral tri-
angle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important oper-
ating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature ac-
companying the appliance.
DANGEROUS VOLTAGE: The lightning flash with arrowhead sym-
bol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product's
enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.
PROTECTIVE GROUNDING TERMINAL: A terminal which must be
connected to earth ground prior to making any other connections to
the equipment.
POWER ON: This symbol indicates the principle on off switch is in
the on position.
POWER OFF: This symbol indicates the principle on off switch is in
the off position.

Product Overview
1
Feature Overview
The Paradigm allows you to control up to 64 PCs with one keyboard,
monitor and mouse. Each computer can be up to 30 feet away from the
Paradigm. The Paradigm works with IBM PC AT and PS 2 systems, and
100% compatible machines with support for VGA, SVGA, XGA and XGA-II
video. PS 2 keyboard and PS 2 mouse peripherals are supported through
the rear of the unit.
A Paradigm unit will support from one to eight attached PCs, or channels.
If more than eight channels are needed, multiple units can be cascaded
together for expansion. Up to 2 tiers of units can be connected for a total
of 64 attached computers in one system.
The AutoBoot feature boots all attached servers during initial power-up or
after a power failure. PCs are booted transparently without operator
intervention, and may be powered-up one-at-a-time or all at once. When
the power stabilizes, a channel may be selected. The first available channel
is automatically selected upon power-up of the base Paradigm.
Configure and control your Paradigm with on-screen menuing! Name
your computer channels anything you wish, then select the desired
computer from an easy-to-use menu. Secondary menus let you configure
and initiate channel scanning and other system features.
Use the advanced bi-level security feature to configure and control server
access for every type of user in the system. The administrator has full
access privileges; individual users can have viewing or viewing editing
capability for each attached server.
The Paradigm offers full support for the Microsoft IntelliMouse.
AutoBoot
technology
Expansion for up
to 64 computers
On-screen display
capability
Advanced security
for total control
over system access
IntelliMouse
support
1

Paradigm Installer/User Guide
In addition to using the on-screen menus, you can switch computer
channels with a simple keyboard sequence.
Paradigm’s “Keep Alive” feature allows attached servers to power the unit
in the event of a Paradigm power failure. This prevents attached PCs from
locking up and keeps you from losing time and data.
A built-in scanning feature allows you to automatically monitor, or scan,
your PCs without intervention. When keyboard activity is detected,
scanning is suspended until all activity stops. Scanning then resumes with
the next channel in sequence.
A typical Paradigm configuration is shown below.
2
ush-button &
keyboard switching
Built-in scanning
capabilities
Status indicator
LEDs
“Keep Alive”
feature
ABCDEFGH
STEP/
SCANSTATUS

3
The Paradigm requires a PS 2 mouse and keyboard. The following mice
are known to be compatible:
IBM PS 2-style Logitech Trackman
Kensington Logitech Mouseman (PS 2)
Microsoft IntelliMouse
Other manufacturers' mice may operate with the Paradigm. If you
experience problems using an untested mouse, contact Rackit Technical
Support with the manufacturer and model number of the mouse.
If you wish to use XGA or XGA-II video, you will need to purchase an
adaptor available through Rackit.
S/2 peripherals
Compatibility
XGA/XGA-II
support
Product Overview

Paradigm Installer/User Guide

5
Installation
2
Basic Install
1. Power-down all com uters that will be art of your Para-
digm system.
Connecting your Peri herals
2. Locate your PS 2 keyboard, VGA video monitor and PS 2 mouse.
3. Plug your VGA monitor cable into the port on the back of your
Paradigm in the user console section. Plug your PS 2 keyboard cable
into the port and your PS 2 mouse cable into the port.
SETUP
A
E
USER
P /2 MOU E CABLE
P /2 KEYBOARD CABLE
VGA MONITOR CABLE

Paradigm Installer/User Guide
Connecting Com uters to the Paradigm
4. Locate your first computer interface cable. It will have a 25-pin “D”
connector at one end. Plug this cable into any lettered channel port on
the rear of the Paradigm. The other end of the input cable will have
five connectors: a 15-pin “HDD” connector for your video, a 5-pin DIN
6-pin miniDIN connector for an AT or PS 2 keyboard connection, and
a 9-pin serial 6-pin miniDIN connector for a serial or PS 2 mouse
connection. The PS 2 mouse connector is designated by a yellow band
or mouse icon.
Use only the keyboard and mouse connectors that are a -
ro riate for your PC, and leave the others unconnected.
Plug these connectors into the matching ports on your computer.
5. Locate your next computer interface cable. Repeat step 4 until all
computers are properly attached to the Paradigm.
POWER
100-240V~,.1a,50/80Hz
MADEINUSA
G
H
E
F
C
D
A
B
PATENTPENDING
T2A,250 VAC
USER
6
MOU E PORT
VIDEO
PORT
KEYBOARD
PORT

7
Installation
6. Locate the power cord that came with your Paradigm unit. Plug it into
the IEC power connector on the Paradigm. Make sure that the power
switch is off, then plug the other end of the power cord into an
appropriate AC wall outlet. This outlet must be near the equipment
and easily accessible to allow for unplugging prior to any servicing of
the unit.
7. Power-up your Paradigm unit first, then all attached computers.
The Paradigm and all attached com uters should be
owered-down before servicing the unit. Always disconnect
the ower cord from the wall outlet.
100-240V , .1A, 50/60 Hz
1
0
!

Paradigm Installer/User Guide
Attaching Multi le Paradigm Units
1. Follow steps 1-6 of the Basic Install section.
2. Plug the 25-pin “D” connector of your computer interface cable into
any available channel port on the rear of your base Paradigm unit.
3. Plug the 15-pin video connector on the other end of the cable into the
port labeled on your first cascading Paradigm unit. Plug the PS 2
mouse connector, designated by a yellow band or mouse icon, into
the port. Plug the remaining 6-pin miniDIN keyboard connector
into the port. The 9-pin serial and 5-pin DIN connectors are not
used for cascading.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for every cascaded Paradigm unit in your system.
5. Power-up your Paradigm unit(s) first, then all attached computers.
100-240V , .1A, 50/60 Hz
SETUP
A
E
B
F
C
G
D
H
PATENT PENDING
MADE IN USA
1
0
!
USER
100-240V , .1A, 50/60 Hz
SETUP
A
E
B
F
C
G
D
H
PATENT PENDING
MADE IN USA
1
0
!
USER
8
Advanced InstallAdvanced Install
P /2 KEYBOARD CONNECTOR
P /2 MOU E
CONNECTOR
CA CADING UNIT
BA E UNIT
VGA VIDEO
CONNECTOR

9
Basic Operations
3
Overview
Your Paradigm may be operated in a non secure (no password required)
or secure (password required) mode. All units ship defaulted to the non-
secure mode. For information on implementing password security see the
“Administrator Functions” section of chapter 4.
PCs may be powered-up one-at-a-time or all at once. No operator intervention
is required during booting. When the system stabilizes, a PC may be selected
via the on-screen display menu or keyboard hot-key sequence.
BCDEF
SCAN STATUS
GH
SELECTED
ON-LINE
A
STEP/

Paradigm Installer/User Guide
10
Convention Key Sequence or Value
Enter Command Mode:
<CM 1. Press and hold down the ‘Num Lock’ key.
2. Press and release the minus ( ) key on the numeric keypad.
3. Release the ‘Num Lock’ key.
Note: For alternate hot key sequences, see ‘System Control &
Maintenance’ later in this chapter.
<Enter Press the ‘Enter’ or ‘Return’ key. The <Enter command is used to
execute an instruction and exit from Command Mode.
Addr The letters over the push buttons on your Paradigm are your PCs'
addresses. Enter the letter, A H, for the PC you're selecting. For
cascaded systems, enter the address of the base unit first.
Example : You have a Paradigm unit cascaded from channel B of
your base unit. To access the PC at channel C of this second
(cascaded) unit, enter BC.
<ESC Press the ‘Escape’ key. The <ESC command is used to exit
Command Mode without executing an instruction.
The following conventions appear throughout this chapter to illustrate
commands for operating the Paradigm. Whenever you see one of the
symbols listed on the left side of the table, substitute the corresponding
steps or values listed on the right side of the table.
Keyboard Control

11
Keyboard
witching
One of the ways to change the active channel in a non-secured Paradigm
system is by entering a short sequence of keystrokes on the keyboard. This
is called keyboard, or hot-key, switching.
Note: Hot-key switching is only available in the default non-secure state.
For more information on secure versus non-secure operation, see
the ‘Administrator Functions’ section of Chapter 4.
The first set of keystrokes places your system in Command Mode. As long
as you are operating in Command Mode, whatever you type will be
interpreted as channel switch commands until the Enter or the Escape key
is pressed to terminate Command Mode. None of the keystrokes entered
will be forwarded to the attached computer until you exit Command Mode.
Next, enter the address
(Addr) for the channel you wish to select.
Press Enter to accept the new channel. The following command line
shows the proper format used to switch your active channel via keyboard.
Below is a sample of a keyboard switching session, with an accompanying
explanation for each step.
Key equence Action
1.<CM>E<Enter> Selects Channel E on the base unit as the active channel.
2.<CM>C <Enter> Selects the Paradigm attached to channel C on the base unit,
then selects channel on the cascaded unit.
3.<CM>G<Enter> Selects Channel G on the base unit as the active channel.
4. <CM>BA<E C> Exit Command Mode. The instruction is not executed. Channel
G is still the active channel.
Key equence Action
<CM>Addr<Enter> Selects an active channel via keyboard.
Basic Operations

Paradigm Installer/User Guide
12
ystem Control &
Maintenance
Key equence Action
<CM>Kn<Enter> Sets the keyboard scan set where n is a scan set number 1-3.
<CM>MR<Enter> If you hot-plug your mouse cable, you may experience a loss of
mouse signal. Use this command to restore the signal if you are
using a PC with a standard PS/2 mouse driver.
<CM>MW<Enter> If you hot-plug your mouse cable, you may experience a loss of
mouse signal. Use this command to restore the signal if you are
using a PC with a Microsoft IntelliMouse driver.
<CM>AV<Enter> Displays the current firmware version of the processors inside
your Paradigm unit. You must be either at a DOS prompt or in a
text editor/word processor to view this information.
<CM>H1<Enter> Changes the hot-key sequence to the default:
1. Press and hold down the ‘Num Lock’ key.
2. Press and release the minus (-) key on the numeric keypad.
3. Release the ‘Num Lock’ key.
<CM>H2<Enter> Changes the hot-key sequence to the 1st alternate:
1. Press and hold down the ‘Num Lock’ key.
2. Press and release the asterisk (*) key on the numeric keypad.
3. Release the ‘Num Lock’ key.
<CM>H3<Enter> Changes the hot-key sequence to the 2nd alternate:
1. Press and hold down the ‘Control’ key.
2. Press and release the tilde (~) key.
3. Release the ‘Control’ key.
<CM><CM>
<CM><CM>
<CM>ZM<Enter><Enter>
<Enter><Enter>
<Enter> Use this command to resynchronize the mouse after a device or
computer hot-plug. Repeat, if necessary, until synchronization is
re-established.
Note: Using this command while the mouse is operating
correctly will cause the mouse to lose sync.
The following commands are used for system control and maintenance.
Enter the command sequences to perform the actions described in the
table below.

13
4
Activating O D
Activate on-screen display (OSD) by pressing either of the keyboard Control
keys twice within one second. In nonsecure mode, this brings up the main
OSD Window, “Administrator Channel List”.
In secure mode, activating OSD will bring up the “User Login” window.
Type in your user name and press Enter. The system administrator
should login as “Admin”, “Root” or “Administrator”. If the user name is
valid, the password window will appear. Type your password and press
Enter. This will bring up your “Channel List”. If there is no keyboard
activity, the login window will timeout after 5 minutes and go to screen
saver. Press any key to restore the login prompt.
Note: All Paradigm units ship in the default non-secure state. For more
information on secure versus non-secure operation, see the section
‘Administrator Functions’.
On- creen Display
Operations

Paradigm Installer/User Guide
14
This window lists all named channels in your Paradigm system. They
will be listed alphabetically with their channel addresses and access
status beside them. When in secure mode, only the channels that are
accessible to the logged in user will be listed. (See the section
‘Administrator Functions’ for more information.)
Use your up and down arrow keys, the page up and down keys, or your
mouse to select a channel. Move immediately to the top or bottom of the
list with the home and end keys. Press a letter while in the main OSD
Window, and the Highlight Bar moves to the first channel name beginning
with that letter. Press the letter repeatedly to scroll through all channels
that begin with that letter from top to bottom. Press Enter to make the
switch. To exit the OSD Window without changing channels, press Esc.
To manually logout when in secure mode, press F10.
THE MAIN O D WINDOW
The O D Window
Administrator Channel List
Name Access
Accounting F
Program Manager
D
Shop Floor
B
Pam's PC
A
Mail Server
C
Jene's PC
E
Engineering
Rackit Control Panel
Address
K
K
V K
V K
V K
K
F10-Logout