SeaLevel COMM+8.PC User manual

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
COMM+8.PCI
User Manual | 7801 and 7801-D89

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Contents
CONTENTS...........................................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................3
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED ...............................................................................................................................4
CARD SETUP ........................................................................................................................................................5
INSTALLATION .................................................................................................................................................... 8
HARDWARE INSTALLATION ............................................................................................................................... 9
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION ...............................................................................................................................10
SPECIFICATIONS ...............................................................................................................................................12
APPENDIX A –TROUBLESHOOTING................................................................................................................13
APPENDIX B –HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE .....................................................................................................14
APPENDIX C –ELECTRICAL INTERFACE ........................................................................................................15
APPENDIX D –ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS ..................................................................................16
APPENDIX E –SILK SCREEN ............................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX F –COMPLIANCE NOTICES...........................................................................................................18
WARRANTY ........................................................................................................................................................19

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Introduction
Overview
The Sealevel Systems COMM+8.PCI provides the PC with eight RS-232 asynchronous ports. The
COMM+8.PCI allows for connection to any device utilizing the RS-232 electrical interface, such as modems,
data-entry terminals, and plotters.

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Before You Get Started
What’s Included
The COMM+8.PCI is shipped with the following items. If any of these items are missing or damaged,
please contact Sealevel for replacement.
•COMM+8.PCI Serial I/O Adapter
•Cable consisting of either (1) DB-78 Female to (8) DB-25 Males (7801)
or (1) DB-78 Female to (8) DB-9 Males (7801-DB9).
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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Card Setup
Clock Modes
The COMM+8.PCI employs a unique clocking option that allows the end user to select from divide by 4 and
divide by 1 clocking modes. This mode is selected at J1.
To select the Baud rates commonly associated with COM: ports (i.e., 2400, 4800, 9600, 19.2, … 115.2K Bps)
place the jumper in the divide by 4 mode (silk-screen DIV4).
Figure 1 - Clocking Mode ‘Divide By 4’
To select the maximum data rate (460.8K bps) place the jumper in the divide by 1 (silk-screen DIV1)
position.
Figure 2 - Clocking Mode ‘Divide By 1’
DIV1 DIV4
DIV1 DIV4

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
CARD SETUP, CONTINUED
Baud Rates and Divisors for the ‘Div1’ mode
The following table shows some common data rates and the rates you should choose to match them if
using the adapter in the ‘Div1’ mode.
For this Data Rate
Choose this Data Rate
1200 bps
300 bps
2400 bps
600 bps
4800 bps
1200 bps
9600 bps
2400 bps
19.2K bps
4800 bps
57.6 K bps
14.4K bps
115.2 K bps
28.8K bps
230.4K bps
57.6 K bps
460.8K bps
115.2 K bps
If your communications package allows the use of Baud rate divisors, choose the appropriate divisor from
the following table:
For this Data Rate
Choose this Divisor
1200 bps
384
2400 bps
192
4800 bps
96
9600 bps
48
19.2K bps
24
38.4K bps
12
57.6K bps
8
115.2K bps
4
230.4K bps
2
460.8K bps
1

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
CARD SETUP, CONTINUED
Address and IRQ selection
The COMM+8.PCI is automatically assigned I/O addresses and IRQs by your motherboard BIOS. Often,
moving the board to another slot will change the I/O address or IRQ. Also adding or removing other
hardware may change the assignment of I/O addresses and IRQs.

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Installation
SeaCOM Software Installation
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista™ Operating Systems
1. To obtain the most current software driver package from Sealevel’s website, download from
here:
•SeaCOM for Windows
•SeaCOM for Linux
2. Click on the SeaCOM link in the ‘Downloads’ section to download the current driver.
3. Once downloaded, double-click on the executable to launch the InstallShield wizard and
initiate the driver installation.
Other Operating Systems
LINUX INSTALLATION
Refer to Linux Archives - Sealevel. This link contains valuable information on installing your serial adapter
in the various Linux releases. Also included is a series of files explaining proper Linux syntax and typical
Linux serial implementations.
QNX
For the most up to date information on the QNX4 software support, please call Sealevel Systems’ Technical
Support, [phone]. Our technical support is free and available from 8:00AM-5PM Eastern Time,
Monday through Friday. For email support contact: mailto:suppo[email protected].

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Hardware Installation
The adapter can be installed in any 5V PCI expansion slot and contains several jumper straps for each port
that must be set for proper.
Do not install the Adapter in the machine until the software has been fully installed.
1. Turn off PC power. Disconnect the power cord.
2. Remove the PC case cover.
3. Locate an available PCI slot and remove the blank metal slot cover.
4. Gently insert the PCI adapter into the slot. Make sure that the adapter is seated properly.
5. Replace the screw. (This is required to ensure FCC Part 15 compliance.)
6. Replace the cover.
7. Connect the power cord
Installation is complete.

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Technical Description
The COMM+8.PCI utilizes the 16C554 UART. This chip features programmable baud rate, data format,
interrupt control and a 16-byte input and output FIFO and is functionally 4 16C550 UARTs. The 16C854
UART is also available on this card, which has a 128-byte FIFO as opposed to the 16-byte FIFO available in
the 16C554.
Connector Pin Assignments
DB-25 Male (EIA-232 DTE)
Signal
Name
Pin #
Mode
GND
Ground
7
TD
Transmit Data
2
Output
RTS
Request To Send
4
Output
DTR
Data Terminal Ready
20
Output
RD
Receive Data
3
Input
CTS
Clear To Send
5
Input
DSR
Data Set Ready
6
Input
DCD
Data Carrier Detect
8
Input
RI
Ring Indicator
22
Input
DB-9 Male (EIA-574 DTE)
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

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Technical Description, continued
DB-78 Male (Card Edge Connector)
Port #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
TD
36
12
27
3
75
51
66
42
RD
37
11
28
2
76
50
67
41
RTS
17
31
8
22
56
70
47
61
CTS
16
32
7
23
55
71
46
62
DTR
35
13
26
4
74
52
65
43
DSR
18
30
9
21
57
69
48
60
DCD
38
10
29
1
77
49
68
40
RI
15
33
6
24
54
72
45
63
GND
34
14
25
5
73
53
64
44
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 ensure you get the best performance from your adapter.

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Specifications
Environmental Specifications
Specification
Operating
Storage
Temperature Range
0º to 70º C (32º to 122º 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.
Power Consumption
Supply line
+12 VDC
-12 VDC
+5 VDC
Rating
60 mA
100 mA
295 mA
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
Greater than 150,000 hours. (Calculated)
Physical Dimensions
Board length
5.650 inches (14.351 cm)
Board height including Goldfingers
3.8 inches (9.652 cm)
Board height excluding Goldfingers
3.475 inches (8.827 cm)

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Appendix A –Troubleshooting
Sealevel Software is supplied with the Sealevel Systems adapter and will be used in the troubleshooting
procedures. By using this software and following these simple steps, most common problems can be
eliminated without the need to call Technical Support.
1. Identify all I/O adapters currently installed in your system. This includes your on-board serial ports,
controller cards, sound cards etc. The I/O addresses used by these adapters, as well as the IRQ (if
any) should be identified.
2. Configure your Sealevel Systems adapter so that there is no conflict with currently installed
adapters. No two adapters can occupy the same I/O address.
3. Make sure the Sealevel Systems adapter is using a unique IRQ. While the Sealevel Systems adapter
does allow the sharing of IRQs, many other adapters (i.e., SCSI adapters & on-board serial ports)
do not. The IRQ is typically selected via an on-board header block. Refer to the section on Card
Setup for help in choosing an I/O address and IRQ.
4. Make sure the Sealevel Systems adapter is securely installed in a motherboard slot.
5. When running DOS or Windows 3.x refer to the supplied Sealevel Software and this User Manual to
verify that the Sealevel Systems adapter is configured correctly. This software contains a
diagnostic program ‘SSD’ that will verify if an adapter is configured properly. This diagnostic
program is written with the user in mind and is easy to use.
6. For Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000, the diagnostic tool ‘WinSSD’ is installed in the SeaCOM folder
on the Start Menu during the setup process. First find the ports using the Device Manager, then use
‘WinSSD’ to verify that the ports are functional.
7. Always use the Sealevel Systems diagnostic software when troubleshooting a problem. This will
eliminate any software issues from the equation.

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Appendix B –How To Get Assistance
Please refer to Appendix A - Troubleshooting prior to calling Technical Support.
1. Read this manual thoroughly before attempting to install the adapter in your system.
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 Home page on the Internet. Our home page address is
www.sealevel.com. The latest software updates, and newest manuals are available via our FTP
site that can be accessed from our home page.
5. Technical support is available Monday thru 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.

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
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-C/D/E or EIA/TIA-232-C/D/E. It is
defined as “Interface between Data Terminal Equipment and Data Circuit- Terminating Equipment Employing
Serial Binary Data Interchange”. The mechanical implementation of RS-232 is on a 25-pin D sub connector.
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 has 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 widespread use and will be referred
to as RS-232 in this document. RS-232 is capable of operating at data rates up to 20K bps / 50 ft. The
absolute maximum data rate may vary due to line conditions and cable lengths. RS-232 often operates at
38.4K bps over very short distances. The voltage levels defined by RS-232 range from -12 to +12 volts. 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. A voltage of +12 volts (usually +3 to +10 volts)
represents a binary 0 (space) and -12 volts (-3 to -10 volts) denote a binary 1 (mark). 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 Sealevel Systems Adapter is a DTE interface.

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
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. A start bit,
followed by a pre-defined number of data bits (5, 6, 7, or 8) defines character boundaries for asynchronous
communications. 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.
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 referred 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).

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Appendix E –Silk Screen
3.8"
5.650"
3.475"

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Appendix F –Compliance Notices
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for 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 such case the user will be required to correct
the interference at his own expense.
EMC Directive Statement
Products bearing the CE Label fulfill the requirements of the EMC directive (89/336/EEC)
and of the low-voltage directive (73/23/EEC) issued by the European Commission. To obey
these directives, the following European standards must be met:
•EN55022 Class A - “Limits and methods of measurement of radio interference
characteristics of information technology equipment”
•EN55024 –“Information technology equipment Immunity characteristics Limits
and methods of measurement”.
Always use cabling provided with this product if possible. If no cable is provided or if an alternate
cable is required, use high quality shielded cabling to maintain compliance with FCC/EMC
directives.
This is a Class A Product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference in
which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7801 & 7801-DB9 Manual | SL9070 9/2021
Warranty
Sealevel's commitment to providing the best I/O solutions is reflected in the Lifetime Warranty that is
standard on all Sealevel manufactured I/O products. We are able to offer this warranty due to our control
of manufacturing quality and the historically high reliability of our products in the field. Sealevel products
are designed and manufactured at its Liberty, South Carolina facility, allowing direct control over product
development, production, burn-in and testing. Sealevel achieved ISO-9001:2015 certification in 2018.
Warranty Policy
Sealevel Systems, Inc. (hereafter "Sealevel") warrants that the Product shall conform to and perform in
accordance with published technical specifications and shall be free of defects in materials and
workmanship for the warranty period. In the event of failure, Sealevel will repair or replace the product at
Sealevel's sole discretion. Failures resulting from misapplication or misuse of the Product, failure to adhere
to any specifications or instructions, or failure resulting from neglect, abuse, accidents, or acts of nature
are not covered under this warranty.
Warranty service may be obtained by delivering the Product to Sealevel and providing proof of purchase.
Customer agrees to ensure the Product or assume the risk of loss or damage in transit, to prepay shipping
charges to Sealevel, and to use the original shipping container or equivalent. Warranty is valid only for
original purchaser and is not transferable.
This warranty applies to Sealevel manufactured Product. Product purchased through Sealevel but
manufactured by a third party will retain the original manufacturer's warranty.
Non-Warranty Repair/Retest
Products returned due to damage or misuse and Products retested with no problem found are subject to
repair/retest charges. A purchase order or credit card number and authorization must be provided in order
to obtain an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number prior to returning Product.
How to obtain an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization)
If you need to return a product for warranty or non-warranty repair, you must first obtain an RMA number.
Please contact Sealevel Systems, Inc. Technical Support for assistance:
Available Monday –Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM EST
Phone [phone]
Email [email protected]
Trademarks
Sealevel Systems, Incorporated acknowledges that all trademarks referenced in this manual are the service
mark, trademark, or registered trademark of the respective company.