SeaLevel SeaLINK+8.SC User manual

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 2823 Manual | SL9195 9/2022
SeaLINK+8.SC
User Manual | 2823

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 2823 Manual | SL9195 9/2022
Contents
CONTENTS............................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED..............................................................................................................................................................................................4
OPTIONAL ITEMS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
INSTALLATION & CONFIGURATION.................................................................................................................................................................................7
HARDWARE INSTALLATION..............................................................................................................................................................................................8
HARDWARE CONFIGURATION.......................................................................................................................................................................................10
HARDWARE DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................................................................................................................13
ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................................................................................................16
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS.........................................................................................................................................................................................18
APPENDIX A –TROUBLESHOOTING.............................................................................................................................................................................19
APPENDIX B –HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE..................................................................................................................................................................22
APPENDIX C –ELECTRICAL INTERFACE......................................................................................................................................................................23
APPENDIX D –ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS.............................................................................................................................................24
APPENDIX E –SILK-SCREEN - 2823............................................................................................................................................................................25
APPENDIX F –COMPLIANCE NOTICES.........................................................................................................................................................................26
WARRANTY ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 27

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Introduction
Overview
Sealevel’s SeaLINK 2823 USB to serial interface adapter offers an easy way to connect up to eight serial
devices to a single USB port. All configuration and electrical interface selections are handled through the
driver and each port is individually software configurable for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 (full and half duplex).
Sealevel’s SeaCOM USB software drivers and utilities package makes installation and operation easy for
Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, and Vista operating systems. Once the software is installed, plug the 2823 into
an available USB port and each port is recognized as a standard COM port by the host system; this feature
enables compatibility with legacy software. The devices maintain their electrical interface settings locally,
allowing the host computer to be repaired or upgraded without reconfiguring the serial ports. Additionally,
the devices can be configured at one computer and deployed to other computers.
To prevent accidental cable disconnection, the 2823 integrates a SeaLATCH USB port, which is fully
compatible with standard USB cables. When used with the included USB cable with a SeaLATCH USB type
B connector, the metal thumbscrew provides a secure connection to the device. The highly retentive USB
Type B connector also helps prevent unintentional separation from a standard USB cable. Standard
operating temperature range is 0°C to 70°C and extended temperature range (-40°C to +85°C) is optional.
Status LEDs display electrical interface selection and serial data activity for each port.
Features
•Each port is individually software configurable for RS-232, RS-422, and two-wire or four-wire RS-
485
•Electrical interface settings maintained across multiple computers
•High speed UART with 128-byte Tx FIFO and 384-byte Rx FIFO
•Automatic hardware RS-485 enable/disable
•Each serial port supports data rates to 921.6K bps
•Powered by USB host connection
•Eight DB9M connectors with full modem control signals implemented in RS-232 mode
•Status LEDs indicate power, electrical interface, and serial data activity for each port

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Before You Get Started
What’s Included
The 2823 is shipped with the following items. If any of these items is missing or damaged, please contact
Sealevel for replacement.
•Item# 2823 –USB to RS-232/422/485 Eight Port Serial Interface Adapter
•Item# CA356 –USB Type A to SeaLATCH USB Type B Device Cable, 6’ in Length
Advisory Conventions
Warning
The highest level of importance used to stress a condition where damage could result to the
product, or the user could suffer serious injury.
Important
The middle level of importance used to highlight information that might not seem obvious or a
situation that could cause the product to fail.
Note
The lowest level of importance used to provide background information, additional tips, or other
non-critical facts that will not affect the use of the product.

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Optional Items
Depending upon your application, you are likely to find one or more of the following items useful with the
2823. All items can be purchased from our website (www.sealevel.com) or by calling our sales team at
864-843-4343.
Cables
DB9F to DB25M (RS-232) Extension Cable
(Item# CA177)
The CA177 is a standard AT-style RS-232 modem cable
with a DB9F connector on one end and a DB25M
connector on the other. This cable is 72 inches in length.
DB9F to DB9M Extension Cable
(Item# CA127)
The CA127 allows users to extend a DB9 cable up to six
feet. The connectors are pinned one-to-one, so the cable
is compatible with any device or cable that has DB9
connectors.
DB9F (RS-422) to DB25M (RS-530) Cable
(Item# CA176)
The CA176 allows users to convert any Sealevel RS-422
DB9 Male asynchronous adapter to an RS-530 DB25
Male pinout. This cable is ten inches in length.

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Terminal Blocks
Terminal Block –DB9F to 9 Screw Terminals
(Item# TB05)
The TB05 terminal block breaks out a DB9 connector to
nine screw terminals to simplify field wiring of serial
connections including RS-422 and RS-485 networks. The
TB05 is designed to connect directly to Sealevel DB9
serial cards or any cable with a DB9M connector.
Terminal Block –Dual DB9F to 18 Screw Terminals
(Item# TB06)
The TB06 terminal block breaks out dual DB9
connectors to 18 screw terminals to simplify field wiring
of serial connections including RS-422 and RS-485
networks. The TB06 is designed to connect directly to
Sealevel dual port DB9 serial cards or any cable with
DB9M connectors.
Adapters and Converters
DB9F to RJ45 Modular Adapter
(Item# RJ9S8)
The RJ9S8 is a DB9 female to RJ45 adapter. It can be
configured without tools, and it is an excellent choice
for using available infrastructure wiring.

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Installation & Configuration
Software Installation
Windows Installation
Do not install the Adapter in the machine until the software has been fully installed.
Only users running Windows 7 or newer should utilize these instructions for accessing and
installing the appropriate driver via Sealevel’s website. If you are utilizing an operating system
prior to Windows 7, please contact Sealevel by calling 864.843.4343 or emailing
[email protected]om to receive access to the proper driver download and installation
instructions.
1. Begin by locating, selecting, and installing the correct software from the Sealevel software driver
database.
2. Select the Part Number (2823) for your device from the listing.
3. Click the ‘Install Drivers’ button.
4. The setup file will automatically detect the operating environment and install the proper
components.
To confirm that the SeaCOM driver has been successfully installed, click on the ‘Start’ button, and then
select ‘All Programs’. You should see the ‘SeaCOM’ program folder listed.
You are now ready to proceed with connecting the 2823 to your system. Refer to the Hardware
Installation section for details.
Windows NT is not USB aware and thus cannot support this device.

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Hardware Installation
Do not connect the device to a USB port on your motherboard until the software has been
successfully installed.
To install the 2823, plug the device into an available USB port using the supplied USB cable. The following
instructions were tested with Windows XP and may vary based on your version of Windows.
Once the device has been connected, the Found New Hardware wizard will appear first for the root hub
and then for each port that you are installing. Follow the instructions on the following page to finish
installation.
The installation will repeat twice for each COM port (a total of 16 times on the SeaLINK+8.VC). This
is a limitation in the way Windows installs external serial devices.
1. Click on ‘Install the software automatically’ followed by the ‘Next’ button.
2. Windows will show a warning message that the hardware has not passed Windows logo
testing. Click on ‘Continue Anyway’.
3. Click on ‘Finish’. Repeat this process for the remaining ports on the 2823.
The SeaLINK +8.SC is now ready for use.
All applications and drivers have been fully tested to maintain the integrity of your operating system.
Clicking on ‘Continue anyway’ will not harm your system in any way.

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Verifying Installation
To confirm that the drivers have been successfully installed, you can look in Device Manager under ‘Ports
(COM &LPT)’ and each of the ports you installed will be included on the list with their associated COM
numbers. To access Device Manager, follow the steps below:
1. Right-click on the ‘My Computer’ icon on your desktop or in the Start menu.
2. Click on ‘Properties’ in the fly out menu to launch the ‘System Properties’
window.
3. Click on the ‘Hardware’ tab and then click on the ‘Device Manager’ button.
4. When Device Manager launches, look under ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’ to verify that
the serial ports have been correctly installed (screen shot of 2833 shown).
Your system will assign the next available COM numbers which may vary for each computer used.

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Hardware Configuration
Electrical Interface Mode Selection
The 2823 offers RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 (full and half duplex) modes. The electrical interface is a
software selectable feature that can be accessed and changed using the Sealevel SeaCOM driver via Device
Manager. To select the electrical interface, follow the steps below:
1. Open Device Manager and locate ‘Ports (COM&LPT)’ following the steps above. You should
see each of the 2823’s ports listed.
2. Select one of the ports by right-clicking on it and selecting ‘Properties’ from the fly out menu.
The serial port properties menu will appear
3. Click on the ‘Interface Settings’ tab
The Sealevel SeaCOM driver adds the ‘Interface Settings’ tab. If this tab is missing, SeaCOM is not
correctly installed.
4. Select the appropriate electrical interface for your application and click on ‘OK’.

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The electrical interface settings are maintained across multiple computers. Once the SeaCOM
software driver has been installed on target computers, the 2823 can easily be moved from one
computer to another without having to configure the electrical interface at each computer.
Interface Biasing
1K-ohm pull up/pull down combination resistors bias the receiver inputs and are handled automatically for
each mode. The pull-up (PU) and pull-down (PD) resistor settings are shown in the table below.
Mode
PU Setting
PD Setting
RS-232
Always Off
Always Off
RS-422
Always Off
Always Off
RS-485
Always On
Always On
Line Termination
A 120-ohm resistor is across each RS-422/485 input. If multiple devices are configured in an RS-485
network, only the devices on each end should have the termination in place.
Termination configuration is software selectable for both full- and half-duplex RS-485. By default, line
termination is disabled, and this configuration can be set by placing a check next to ‘Enable Termination’ in
the ‘RS-485 Advanced Configuration’ field, as shown in the image below.

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Echo
The RS-485 ‘Echo’ is the result of connecting the receiver inputs to the transmitter outputs. Each time a
character is transmitted; it is also received. This can be beneficial if the software can handle echoing (i.e.
using received characters to throttle the transmitter), but it can also confuse the system if the software
cannot support echoing.
Echo configuration is software selectable for half-duplex RS-485. By default, ECHO is disabled, and this
configuration can be set by placing a check next to ‘Enable Echo’ in the ‘RS-485 Advanced Configuration’
field, as pictured below.

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Hardware Description
SeaLATCH™USB Port
The 2823 integrates a SeaLATCH -pending SeaLATCH USB port, which is fully compatible with standard
USB cables. When used with the included USB cable with a SeaLATCH type B USB connector, the metal
thumbscrew provides a secure metal-to-metal connection to the device and prevents accidental cable
disconnection.
Additionally, a highly retentive type B USB connector helps prevent unintentional separation from a
standard USB cable. The SeaLATCH type B locking connector and high retention type B port is shown in
the picture above.
Status LEDs
Status LEDs on the front of the 2823 indicate the following information:
•MODE (Red or Green) –Indicates the electrical interface selected
•Green indicates RS-232 mode
•Red indicates RS-422 or RS-485 mode
•DATA (Green) –Blinks to indicate data is being transmitted or received
•POWER (Green) –Lights when the hub is properly powered through the USB
connection

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DB9M Serial Connectors
The 2823 includes eight DB9M serial connectors on the back of the device and full RS-232 modem
control signals are implemented. Pinouts for these connections are included in the following Electrical
Specifications section.
SeaLATCH™USB
The 2823 integrates SeaLATCH -pending SeaLATCH USB ports, which are fully compatible with standard
USB cables. When used with SeaLATCH locking USB cables, the metal thumbscrew provides a secure
metal-to-metal connection and prevents accidental cable disconnection.
Sealevel incorporates SeaLATCH locking USB ports on many USB I/O devices. Accidental cable
disconnection is the most common point of failure with USB industrial I/O devices and SeaLATCH cables
and connectors prevents that while being fully compatible with standard USB cables.
The image below shows the 2823 secured with included SeaLATCH cable.

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SeaLATCH Locking USB Cables
SeaLATCH USB Connectors
SeaLATCH locking USB cables
integrate a small thumbscrew into
each USB connector. SeaLATCH USB
cables are fully interchangeable with
standard USB cables. The
thumbscrew provides a secure metal-
to-metal connection preventing
accidental disconnection. SeaLATCH
USB cables are available in three
configurations.
Item# CA356
The CA356 is a 72” USB cable with a
SeaLATCH type B connector and a
standard USB type A connector. This
cable provides a secure connection
between Sealevel products with a
SeaLATCH type B port and legacy
USB type A ports. The CA356 is
included with Sealevel devices with a
SeaLATCH type B port.
Item# CA332
The CA332 is a 72” cable with both
SeaLATCH type A and B connectors.
This cable secures both ends of the
cable to devices with SeaLATCH USB
ports and offers complete protection
against accidental cable
disconnection.

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Item# CA355
The CA355 is a 72” cable with a
standard USB type B and a SeaLATCH
type A connector. This cable provides
a secure connection between legacy
USB devices and Sealevel products
with a SeaLATCH type A port, such as
the isolated USB hub (Item# 270U).
Electrical Specifications
The 2823 connects to a single USB port and provides eight RS-232/422/485 software configurable serial
ports. The 2823 utilizes high speed USB/UARTs with 128-byte Tx FIFOs and 384-byte Rx FIFOs. The chips
feature programmable baud rates and data rates to 921.6K bps.
Connector Pinouts
RS-232 (DB9 Male)
Pin #
Signal
1
DCD
2
RX
3
TX
4
DTR
5
GND
6
DSR
7
RTS
8
CTS
9
RI
RS-422 & RS-485 Four-Wire (DB9 Male)

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Pin #
Signal
1
RX+
2
RX-
3
TX-
4
TX+
5
GND
Pins 6 –9 are ‘no connect’.
RS-485 Two-Wire (DB9 Male)
Pin #
Signal
3
DATA-
4
DATA+
5
GND
Pins 1, 2, 6 –are ‘no connect’.

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Technical 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
Power Consumption
This device is a high-power USB device. It must be plugged directly into a USB port on your computer or a
self-powered hub capable of supplying 500 mA per port. Some laptop computers running on battery power
and non-powered USB hubs do not provide the full 500mA necessary to power this device.
Physical Dimensions
Package Length
9.2 inches (23.4 cm)
Package Width
5.3 inches (13.5 cm)
Package Height
2.4 inches (6.1 cm)
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.

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Appendix A –Troubleshooting
The adapter should provide years of trouble-free service. However, in the event that it appears to be
functioning incorrectly, the following tips can eliminate most common problems without the need to call
Technical Support.
1. Ensure that the Sealevel Systems SeaCOM software has been installed on the machine so that the
necessary files are in place to complete the installation. To confirm installation, click on the
Windows ‘Start’ button and then select ‘All Programs’. You should see the ‘SeaCOM’ program folder
listed.
The SeaCOM driver must be installed before the adapter is connected to your computer.
2. Check to make sure that USB support is enabled and functioning properly in the operating system.
The presence of the ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’ listing in Device Manager will confirm that
USB support is enabled in Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, or Vista operating systems.
3. While Device Manager is open, locate the COM ports (described under “Verifying Installation” in the
Installation and Configuration section of this manual).
4. Once you have confirmed that the COM ports are listed in Device Manager, you can use the Sealevel
WinSSD utility, and a loopback plug to test communications. Detailed help is included in the
WinSSD utility.
•If you have a loopback plug, put it on the DB9 connector that you want to test. If you don’t
have a loopback plug, contact Technical Support for assistance.
•If you’re testing RS-485 mode, you’ll need to have ECHO enabled otherwise the following
test will fail. Refer to the Hardware Configuration section for instructions on enabling ECHO.
•To test communications, launch the WinSSD utility in the SeaCOM folder under the ‘Start’
menu.

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•On the ‘Port Information’ tab, select the COM port you want to test and click on the ‘Open’
button. (pictured below)
•Click the ‘Settings’ button to open the COM Properties menu. Change your parameters to
9600 bits per second, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and no flow control, as pictured
below.
•Click ‘Apply’ and ‘Ok’.