SeaLevel SeaLink+232 User manual

SeaLink+232
Users Manual
Part # 2105
Sealevel Systems, Inc. Telephone: [phone]
PO Box 830 Fax: [phone]
Liberty, SC 29657 USA www.sealevel.com

Contents
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1
OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................1
WHAT’S INCLUDED...................................................................................................................................1
INSTALLATION...........................................................................................................................2
WINDOWS 98/ME/2000/XP INSTALLATION..............................................................................................2
SYSTEM INSTALLATION.............................................................................................................................2
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION.........................................................................................................3
FEATURES .................................................................................................................................................3
CONNECTOR PIN ASSIGNMENTS (DB9 MALE) ..........................................................................................3
SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................................................4
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS ...........................................................................................................4
MANUFACTURING .....................................................................................................................................4
PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS.............................................................................................................................4
APPENDIX A-TROUBLESHOOTING...........................................................................................5
APPENDIX B-HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE ................................................................................6
APPENDIX C-ELECTRICAL INTERFACE...................................................................................7
RS-232 .....................................................................................................................................................7
APPENDIX D-ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS ................................................................8
APPENDIX E-COMPLIANCE NOTICES......................................................................................9
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION STATEMENT...........................................................................9
EMC DIRECTIVE STATEMENT...................................................................................................................9
WARRANTY..............................................................................................................................10
© Sealevel Systems, Inc.
SL9093 Revision 7/2006
Sealevel Systems, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Introduction
Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+232 Page 1
Introduction
Overview
The Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+232 equips the PC with 1 USB to RS-232 Asynchronous serial port providing a
versatile interface for common RS-232 needs (i.e. modem, mouse and plotter). The advantage of this product over
more traditional approaches is that it doesn’t require opening the computer case, nor does it require resources such
as I/O ports or IRQs. It does require a system that supports USB both in terms of hardware and operating system.
What’s Included
The SeaLINK+232 is shipped with the following items. If any of these items is missing or damaged, contact the
supplier.
•SeaLINK+232 USB to RS-232 Serial I/O Adapter
•Sealevel SeaCOM Software CD

Installation
Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+232 Page 2
Installation
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP Installation
Do not install the Adapter in the machine until the software has been fully installed.
1. Start Windows.
2. Insert the Sealevel Systems CD in to your CD drive.
3. If ‘Auto-Start’ is enabled for this drive the software will automatically launch. Otherwise, point your
browser to the ‘Index.htm’ on the root of the CD
4. Select ‘Install Software’.
5. Select the part number for your adapter from the listing.
6. Select ‘Windows 98/ME/2000/XP’ the setup file will automatically detect the operating environment and
install the proper components. Next (depending on the OS version) select the ‘Run from current location’
or ‘Open’ option. Follow the information presented on the screens that follow. During setup the user may
specify installation directories and other preferred configurations. This program also adds entries to the
system registry that are necessary for specifying the operating parameters for each driver.
Windows NT Note: Windows NT is not USB aware and thus cannot support the adapter.
System Installation
The SeaLINK+232 can be connected to any Upstream Type “A” port either at the PC host or an Upstream Hub, and
since it is hot pluggable, there is no need to power down your computer prior to installation. The SeaLINK+232
requires no user hardware configuration. Once you have installed the software simply plug the SeaLINK+232 into
an available USB port. The drivers that were installed during setup will automatically be used to configure the
adapter. You should see one or more “New Hardware Found”, indicating the actual port being created. If you view
your systems’ Device Manager at this point, you should have a new “COM” port in the Ports (COM & LPT) Device
Class. You can access your new COM: port by using the assigned COM: identifier. This assignment will vary from
system to system. At this point, the hardware is recognized. To verify operation use Sealevel Systems supplied
WinSSD diagnostic utility. WinSSD can be found in the Start, Programs group.

Technical Description
Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+232 Page 3
Technical Description
The SeaLINK+232 utilizes a USB UART. This chip features programmable baud rate, data format, 128 byte Dual
Port TX Buffer, and 384 byte Dual Port RX Buffer. The RS-232 transceiver supports data rates up to 460.8K baud.
Refer to Appendix C for cable length limitations.
Features
•Hot-Pluggable device that doesn’t require opening the case
•No system resources are required (i.e. I/O ports or IRQs)
•LED status indicators for “TX”, and “RX”
Connector Pin Assignments (DB9 Male)
Signal Name Pin # Mode
GND Ground 5
TD Transmit Data 3 Output
RTS Request To Send 7 Output
DTR Data Terminal Ready 4 Output
RD Receive Data 2 Input
CTS Clear To Send 8 Input
DSR Data Set Ready 6 Input
DCD Data Carrier Detect 1 Input
RI Ring Indicator 9 Input
Note: These assignments meet EIA/TIA/ANSI-574 DTE specifications for DB-9 type connectors. Please terminate
any control signals that are not going to be used. The most common way to do this is connect RTS to CTS
and RI. Also, connect DCD to DTR and DSR. Terminating these pins, if not used, will help insure you get
the best performance from your adapter
.

Specifications
Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+232 Page 4
Specifications
Environmental Specifications
Specification Operating Storage
Temperature
Range 0º to 70º C
(32º to 158º F) -50º to 105º C (-58º to 221º F)
Humidity Range 10 to 90% R.H.
Non-Condensing 10 to 90% R.H. Non-Condensing
Manufacturing
All Sealevel Systems Printed Circuit boards are built to UL 94V0 rating and are 100% electrically tested. These
printed circuit boards are solder mask over bare copper or solder mask over tin nickel.
Supply line +5 VDC
Rating 100 mA
Physical Dimensions
Package Length 2.14 inches (5.44 cm)
Package Width 1.4 inches (3.55 cm)
Package Height .63 inches (1.60 cm)

Appendix A – Troubleshooting
Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+232 Page 5
Appendix A - Troubleshooting
Serial Utility test software is supplied with the Sealevel Systems adapter and will be used in the troubleshooting
procedures. Using this software and following these simple steps, most common problems can be eliminated
without the need to call Technical Support.
1. If your adapter isn’t working, first check to make sure that USB support is enabled in the System BIOS and it is
functioning properly in the operating system. This can be done by using either the Windows 98/ME or
Windows 2000 Device Manager.
2. Ensure that the Sealevel Systems software has been installed on the machine so that the necessary files are in
place to complete the installation.
3. Use Sealevel’s WinSSD utility and the supplied loopback plug to check communications. The supplied
loopback plug connects TD to RD. To test the Modem Control Signals, a full pin loopback plug will be
required. Details on loopback plugs are included within WinSSD. Contact Sealevel Systems if you need
further assistance
4. When testing the SeaLINK+232 in loopback mode, you should see both the TX and RX LED’s flashing as
well as seeing echoed data on the screen. The loopback test first transmits a HEX pattern, 55AA, and then an
ASCII string of data. If this test passes, then the SeaLINK+232 is ready for use in your application.

Appendix B – How To Get Assistance
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Appendix B - How To Get Assistance
Please refer to Troubleshooting Guide prior to calling Technical Support.
1. Begin by reading through the Trouble Shooting Guide in Appendix A. If assistance is still needed
please see below.
2. When calling for technical assistance, please have your user manual and current adapter settings. If
possible, please have the adapter installed in a computer ready to run diagnostics.
3. Sealevel Systems provides an FAQ section on its web site. Please refer to this to answer many
common questions. This section can be found at http://www.sealevel.com/faq.asp.
4. Sealevel Systems maintains a web page on the Internet. Our home page address is
http://www.sealevel.com. The latest software updates, and newest manuals are available via our web
site.
5. Technical support is available Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time. Technical
support can be reached at [phone].
Return Authorization Must Be Obtained From Sealevel Systems Before Returned Merchandise Will Be
Accepted. Authorization Can Be Obtained By Calling Sealevel Systems And Requesting A Return
Merchandise Authorization (RMA) Number.

Appendix C - Electrical Interface
Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+232 Page 7
Appendix C - Electrical Interface
RS-232
Quite possibly the most widely used communication standard is RS-232. This implementation has been defined and
revised several times and is often referred to as RS-232 or EIA/TIA-232. The IBM PC computer defined the RS-232
port on a 9 pin D sub connector and subsequently the EIA/TIA approved this implementation as the EIA/TIA-574
standard. This standard is defined as the 9-Position Non-Synchronous Interface between Data Terminal Equipment
and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment Employing Serial Binary Data Interchange. Both implementations are in
wide spread use and will be referred to as RS-232 in this document. RS-232 is capable of operating at data rates up
to 20 Kbps at distances less than 50 ft. The absolute maximum data rate may vary due to line conditions and cable
lengths. RS-232 is a single ended or unbalanced interface, meaning that a single electrical signal is compared to a
common signal (ground) to determine binary logic states. The RS-232 and the EIA/TIA-574 specification define
two types of interface circuits, Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment (DCE).
The SeaLINK+232 is a DTE device.

Appendix D - Asynchronous Communications
Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+232 Page 8
Appendix D - Asynchronous Communications
Serial data communications implies that individual bits of a character are transmitted consecutively to a receiver that
assembles the bits back into a character. Data rate, error checking, handshaking, and character framing (start/stop
bits) are pre-defined and must correspond at both the transmitting and receiving ends.
Asynchronous communications is the standard means of serial data communication for PC compatibles and PS/2
computers. The original PC was equipped with a communication or COM: port that was designed around an 8250
Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART). This device allows asynchronous serial data to be
transferred through a simple and straightforward programming interface. Character boundaries for asynchronous
communications are defined by a starting bit followed by a pre-defined number of data bits (5, 6, 7, or 8). The end
of the character is defined by the transmission of a pre-defined number of stop bits (usually 1, 1.5 or 2). An extra bit
used for error detection is often appended before the stop bits.
Remain Idle o
r
next start bit
Odd, Even
or
Unused
STOP
P
BIT
5 to 8 Data Bits
Idle state of
line
1
0
1
1.5
2
Figure 1 - Asynchronous Communications Bit Diagram
This special bit is called the parity bit. Parity is a simple method of determining if a data bit has been lost or
corrupted during transmission. There are several methods for implementing a parity check to guard against data
corruption. Common methods are called (E)ven Parity or (O)dd Parity. Sometimes parity is not used to detect errors
on the data stream. This is refereed to as (N)o parity. Because each bit in asynchronous communications is sent
consecutively, it is easy to generalize asynchronous communications by stating that each character is wrapped
(framed) by pre-defined bits to mark the beginning and end of the serial transmission of the character. The data rate
and communication parameters for asynchronous communications have to be the same at both the transmitting and
receiving ends. The communication parameters are baud rate, parity, number of data bits per character, and stop bits
(i.e. 9600,N,8,1).