SeaLevel PCIO 4035 User manual

PCIO™
USER’S MANUAL
Part Number 4035
Sealevel Systems, Inc Phone: [phone]
155 Technology Place Fax: [phone]
P.O. Box 830 www.sealevel.com
Liberty, SC 29657

Contents
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1
OVERVIEW ...........................................................................................1
WHAT’S INCLUDED .............................................................................1
FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS .............................................................1
CARD SETUP............................................................................. 2
SERIAL PORT ADDRESS SELECTION......................................................2
PARALLEL PORT ADDRESS SELECTION.................................................3
PORT ENABLE / DISABLE.....................................................................3
IRQ SELECTION...................................................................................4
INTERRUPT MODES..............................................................................4
HEADERS E1.......................................................................................5
HEADERS E2.......................................................................................5
INSTALLATION.......................................................................... 7
OPERATING SYSTEM INSTALLATION....................................................7
For Windows Users.......................................................................7
Other Operating Systems..............................................................7
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION ....................................................... 8
FEATURES ...........................................................................................8
LINE TERMINATION.............................................................................8
CONNECTOR PIN ASSIGNMENTS...........................................................9
RS-422...........................................................................................9
RS-232...........................................................................................9
Parallel Port.................................................................................10
SPECIFICATIONS..................................................................... 11
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS....................................................11
MANUFACTURING.............................................................................11
POWER CONSUMPTION......................................................................11
MEAN TIME BETWEEN FAILURES (MTBF)........................................11
PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS.....................................................................11
APPENDIX A -TROUBLESHOOTING....................................... 12
APPENDIX B -HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE............................. 14
APPENDIX C -ELECTRICAL INTERFACE................................ 15
RS-232............................................................................................15
RS-422............................................................................................15
RS-485............................................................................................16

CENTRONICS AND BI-DIRECTIONAL PARALLEL PORTS......................16
APPENDIX D -ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS.............18
APPENDIX E -COMPLIANCE NOTICES....................................19
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION STATEMENT ..................19
EMC DIRECTIVE STATEMENT...........................................................19
WARRANTY.............................................................................20
Trademarks...................................................................................20
Figures
Figure 1 -Address Selection Table..................................................................2
Figure 2 -DIP-Switch SW2 Illustration............................................................2
Figure 3 -Address Selection Table..................................................................3
Figure 4 -DIP-Switch SW1 Illustration............................................................3
Figure 5 -Header E1 and E3, Interface Selection Options.............................5
Figure 6 -Interface Option Examples..............................................................6
Figure 7 -Asynchronous Communications Bit Diagram...............................18
© 1998a Sealevel Systems, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Introduction
Sealevel Systems PCIO Page 1
Introduction
Overview
The PCIO provides the PC with one async serial port which can interface
to RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 and one Centronics parallel port for
printers with bi-directional capability for general purpose parallel I/O.
What’s Included
The PCIO is shipped with the following items. If any of these items are
missing or damaged, contact the supplier.
•PCIO Serial I/O Adapter
•Serial Utility Software
•User Manual
Factory Default Settings
The PCIO factory default settings are as follows:
Port Base Address IRQ Electrical Specification
Serial Port 3F8 4RS-232
Parallel Port 378 7Bi-directional
To install the PCIO using factory default settings, refer to Installation on
page 7.
For your reference, record installed PCIOsettings below:
Port Base Address IRQ Electrical Specification
Serial Port
Parallel Port

Card Setup
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Card Setup
The PCIO contains several jumper straps which must be set for proper
operation.
Serial Port Address Selection
The serial port on the PCIO occupies 8 consecutive I/O locations. A
DIP-switch is used to set the base address for these locations. Be careful
when selecting the base address as some selections conflict with existing
ports. The following table shows several examples that typically do not
cause a conflict. SW2 sets the I/O address for the serial port.
Address Binary Switch Position Setting
Hex A9 A0 1234567
280-287 1010000XXX Off On Off On On On On
2A0-2A7 1010100XXX Off On Off On Off On On
2E8-2EF 1011101XXX Off On Off Off Off On Off
2F8-2FF 1011111XXX Off On Off Off Off Off Off
3E8-3EF 1111101XXX Off Off Off Off Off On Off
300-307 1100000XXX Off Off On On On On On
328-32F 1100101XXX Off Off On On Off On Off
3F8-3FF 1111111XXX Off Off Off Off Off Off Off
Figure 1-Address Selection Table
The following illustration shows the correlation between the DIP-switch
setting and the address bits used to determine the base address. In the
example below, address 300 Hex is selected as a base. Address 300 in
binary is XX11 0000 0XXX where X = a non-selectable address bit.
ON
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ENA3A9
Figure 2-DIP-Switch SW2 Illustration
Note: Setting the switch ‘On’ or ‘Closed’ corresponds to a ‘0’ in the
address, while leaving it ‘Off’ or ‘Open’ corresponds to a ‘1’.
Refer to Appendix A for common address contentions.

Card Setup
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Parallel Port Address Selection
The parallel port on the PCIO occupies 4 consecutive I/O locations
DIP-switch (SW1) is used to set the base address for these locations.
Address Binary SW2 Switch Position Setting
Hex (A9)A8 A2 1234567
3BC-3BF (1) 1101111XX Off Off On Off Off Off Off
378-37B (1) 1011110XX Off On Off Off Off Off On
278-27B (1) 0011110XX On On Off Off Off Off On
300-303 (1) 1000000XX Off On On On On On On
2B0-2B3 (1) 0101100XX On Off On Off Off On On
270-273 (1) 0011100XX On On Off Off Off On On
Figure 3-Address Selection Table
Note:Address line A9 is always a ‘1’ .
The following illustration shows the correlation between the DIP-switch
setting and the address bits used to determine the base address. In the
example below, the address 378 Hex through 37B Hex is selected.
378 Hex =11 0111 0XXX in binary representation.
ON
`
A8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A2
EN
Figure 4-DIP-Switch SW1 Illustration
Note: Setting the switch ‘On’ or ‘Closed’ corresponds to a ‘0’ in the
address, while leaving it ‘Off’ or ‘Open’ corresponds to a ‘1’.
Port Enable / Disable
Each port on the PCIO can be enabled or disabled with switch position 8
on the DIP-switch. The port is enabled with the switch ‘On’ or ‘Closed’
and disabled when ‘Off’ or ‘Open’. If any port is disabled, be sure to
disable the interrupt request for that port by removing the IRQ jumper.

Card Setup
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IRQ Selection
Headers E4 and E5 select the interrupt request for each port. If COM1: is
selected, the corresponding jumper must be on the IRQ4 setting. If
COM2: is selected, the corresponding jumper must be on IRQ3. If LPT1:
is selected IRQ7 should be used if LPT2: is selected IRQ5 should be
used.
Note: Most communications software applications default COM3: to
IRQ4 and COM4: to IRQ3. This requires the sharing of interrupts
between COM1: and COM3:, and between COM2: and COM4:.
While this is the default, it is not always the preferred setting.
Check your software configuration instructions to determine the
most appropriate IRQ selection.
Note: The actual Silk-Screen for the PCIO may have a ‘2’ in place of the
IRQ ‘2/9’ selection.
Any two or more ports can share a common IRQ by placing the jumpers
on the same IRQ setting at header E6, and setting the appropriate
selections at E3. Consult your particular software for IRQ selection. If no
interrupt is desired, remove the jumper.
Interrupt Modes
Jumper block E5 allows you to select a single interrupt per port mode or a
shared interrupt mode. The single interrupt per port mode is the typical
DOS, O/S 2 and Windows mode of operation.
The shared interrupt mode, which allows more than one port to access a
single IRQ, indicates the inclusion of a 1K ohm pull-down resistor
required on one port when sharing interrupts. This mode is used by
software that requires COM3: and COM4: to share interrupts with COM1:
and COM2: or in an OEM configuration to support a specific software
application.
Placing the jumper on ‘N’ selects the normal single interrupt per board
mode. Placing the jumper on the ‘M’ position selects the multi interrupt
mode. The multi interrupt mode allows you to share the IRQ signal(s) with
other cards that support multiple interrupts. The ‘M’ and ‘N’ selections
for the serial port are under ‘SP’ and labeled ‘PP’ for the parallel Port.

Card Setup
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Headers E1
These jumper blocks make the connection between the UART pins and the
actual driver/receiver pair that are used. If you are using the RS-232
driver/receiver pair, all eight of these jumpers will be in the ‘A’ position.
If you are using the RS-422 driver/receiver pair all eight of these jumpers
will be in the ‘B’ position.
Headers E2
These jumper blocks allow you to customize your interface in the
following ways:
•Select if Modem control signals are used or tied ‘True’.
•Select the RS-485 enable options.
•Select whether the Ground connection is a Direct Ground or a High
Impedance Ground through a 100 ohm resistor.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
A | B
E2
"A" Selects RS-232 Receive Data; "B" Selects RS-422 Receive Data
"A" Enables CTS; Remove to set Active
"A" Enables DSR; "B" sets DSR Active
"A" Enables DCD; "B" sets DCD Active
"A" Enables RI; "B" Sets RI Active
"A" Also required to Enable CTS; "B" Sets CTS Active
"B" Selects Direct Ground; "A" Selects 100 ohm High Impedence Ground
"B" sets RS-485 Driver Enabled by RTS; "A" RS-485 Driver always Enabled
Figure 5-Header E1 and E3, Interface Selection Options

Card Setup
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A|B
A|B
A|B
A|B
A|B
A|B
E2
E2
E2
E1
E1
E1
RS-232
RS-422
RS-485
Figure 6-Interface Option Examples

Installation
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Installation
The PCIO can be installed in any of the PC expansion slots. The PCIO
contains several jumper straps for each port which must be set for proper
operation.
1. Turn off PC power. Disconnect the power cord.
2. Remove the PC case cover.
3. Locate an available slot and remove the blank metal slot cover.
4. Gently insert the PCIO into the slot. Make sure that the adapter is
seated properly.
5. Replace the screw.
6. Replace the cover.
7. Connect the power cord.
Installation is complete.
Operating System Installation
For Windows Users
Start by choosing Install Software at the beginning of the CD.
Choose Asynchronous COM: Port Software, SeaCOM. This will
install the serial port. Install the parallel port as a standard Windows
parallel port.
Other Operating Systems
Refer to the appropriate section of the Serial Utilities Software.
Install the parallel port as a standard parallel port by following your
operating system’s instructions

Technical Description
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Technical Description
The PCIO adapter utilizes the 16550 UART chip. This chip features
programmable baud rate, data format, interrupt control and has a 16 byte
transmit and receive FIFO. The PCIO also provides one Centronics
compatible parallel port for printers and bi-directional (IBM Extended
Mode) capability for general purpose parallel I/O. The PCIO supports
edge-triggered interrupts and a readable interrupt-pending status.
Features
•IBM/Centronics compatible parallel printer port
•IBM Extended Mode (bi-directional) compatible
•User selectable (via DIP-switch) addresses of LPT1-3:, any other
I/O address or disabled
•Serial port configurable for RS-232/422/485
•Addressable as COM1: -COM4: or any other I/O address up to
3FF Hex
•‘Shareable’ IRQs allow more than one port to share a single IRQ
•IRQ's 2/9, 3, 4, 5 supported
•Support for non-standard baud rates available. These baud rates
(such as 31.25K or 76.8K baud) are supported by installing a
different oscillator. Please consult Sealevel Systems Technical
Support for more information
Modem Control Signal Considerations
Some software packages require the use of the modem handshake signals
such as CTS or DCD. Refer to your application software manual to
determine the requirements for modem control signals. If no
requirements are mentioned, a safe configuration is to tie DTR to DSR
and DCD, and tie RTS to CTS. This configuration will typically satisfy the
modem control signal requirements for most communications software.
Line Termination
Typically, each end of the RS-422/485 bus must have line terminating
resistors. A 100 ohm resistor is across each RS-422/485 input and a 1K
ohm pull-up/pull-down combination bias the receiver inputs. If more than
two RS-485 nodes are configured in a multi-drop network, only the nodes
at each end of the bus should have the 100 ohm resistors installed.

Technical Description
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Connector Pin Assignments
RS-422
Signal Name Pin # Mode
GND Ground 5
TX + Transmit Data Positive 4Output
TX-Transmit Data Negative 3Output
RTS+ Request To Send Positive 6Output
RTS-Request To Send Negative 7Output
RX+ Receive Data Positive 1Input
RX-Receive Data Negative 2Input
CTS+ Clear To Send Positive 9Input
CTS-Clear To Send Negative 8Input
RS-232
Signal Name Pin # Mode
GND Ground 5
TD Transmit Data 3Output
RTS Request To Send 7Output
DTR Data Terminal Ready 4Output
RD Receive Data 2Input
CTS Clear To Send 8Input
DSR Data Set Ready 6Input
CD Carrier Detect 1Input
RI Ring Indicator 9Input
Note:These assignments meet EIA/TIA/ANSI-574 DTE for DB-9 type
connectors.
Technical Note: 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.

Technical Description
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Parallel Port
Signal Name Pin # Direction
-Strobe 1Input/Output
Data Bit 0 2Input/Output
Data Bit 1 3Input/Output
Data Bit 2 4Input/Output
Data Bit 3 5Input/Output
Data Bit 4 6Input/Output
Data Bit 5 7Input/Output
Data Bit 6 8Input/Output
Data Bit 7 9Input/Output
-ACK 10 Input
Busy 11 Input
PE 12 Input
SLCT 13 Input
-Auto Feed 14 Output
-Error 15 Input
-INIT 16 Output
-SLCT IN 17 Output
Ground 18-25 N/A

Specifications
Sealevel Systems PCIO Page 11
Specifications
Environmental Specifications
Specification Operating Storage
Temperature Range 0º to 50º C
(32º to 122º F) -20º to 70º C (-4º to 158º F)
Humidity Range 10 to 90% R.H.
Non-Condensing 10 to 90% R.H. Non-Condensing
Manufacturing
•IPC 610-A Class-III standards are adhered to with a 0.1 visual A.Q.L.
and 100% Functional Testing.
•All Sealevel Systems Printed Circuit boards are built to U.L. 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 50 mA 50 mA 195 mA
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
Greater than 150,000 hours. (Calculated)
Physical Dimensions
Board length 6.4 inches (16.26 cm)
Board Height including Goldfingers 4.2 inches (10.66 cm)
Board Height excluding Goldfingers 3.9 inches (9.91 cm)

Appendix A -Troubleshooting
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Appendix A -Troubleshooting
A Serial Utility Diskette is supplied with the Sealevel Systems adapter and
will be used in the troubleshooting procedures. By using this diskette 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 IRQ’s, 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. Use the supplied diskette and User Manual to verify that the Sealevel
Systems adapter is configured correctly. The supplied diskette
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. Refer to the ‘README’ file on the
supplied diskette for detailed instructions on using ‘SSD’.

Appendix A -Troubleshooting
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6. The following are known I/O conflicts:
•The 278 and 378 settings may conflict with your printer I/O
adapter.
•3B0 cannot be used if a Monochrome adapter is installed.
•3F8-3FF is typically reserved for COM1:
•2F8-2FF is typically reserved for COM2:
•3E8-3EF is typically reserved for COM3:
•2E8-2EF is typically reserved for COM4:
7. Please refer to your included diskette for any post production manual
updates and application specific information.
8. Always use the Sealevel Systems diagnostic software when
Troubleshooting a problem. This will eliminate the software issue
from the equation.

Appendix B -How To Get Assistance
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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 maintains a forum on CompuServe which
can be accessed by typing ‘GO Sealevel’ at the command
prompt.
4. 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
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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 often operates at
38.4 Kbps 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 (-3to -10 volts) denotes a binary 1 (mark). The RS-232 and the
EIA/TIA-574 specification defines two type of interface circuits, Data
Terminal Equipment (DTE) and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment
(DCE). The Sealevel Systems adapter is a DTE interface.
RS-422
The RS-422 specification defines the electrical characteristics of
balanced voltage digital interface circuits. RS-422 is a differential
interface that defines voltage levels and driver/receiver electrical
specifications. On a differential interface, logic levels are defined by the
difference in voltage between a pair of outputs or inputs. In contrast, a
single ended interface, for example RS-232, defines the logic levels as
the difference in voltage between a single signal and a common ground
connection. Differential interfaces are typically more immune to noise or
voltage spikes that may occur on the communication lines. Differential
interfaces also have greater drive capabilities that allow for longer cable
lengths. RS-422 is rated up to 10 Megabits per second and can have
cabling 4000 feet long. RS-422 also defines driver and receiver electrical
characteristics that will allow 1 driver and up to 32 receivers on the line at
once. RS-422 signal levels range from 0 to +5 volts. RS-422 does not
define a physical connector.

Appendix C -Electrical Interface
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RS-485
RS-485 is backwardly compatible with RS-422; however, it is optimized
for partyline or multi-drop applications. The output of the RS-422/485
driver is capable of being Active (enabled) or Tri-State (disabled). This
capability allows multiple ports to be connected in a multi-drop bus and
selectively polled. RS-485 allows cable lengths up to 4000 feet and data
rates up to 10 Megabits per second. The signal levels for RS-485 are the
same as those defined by RS-422. RS-485 has electrical characteristics
that allow for 32 drivers and 32 receivers to be connected to one line.
This interface is ideal for multi-drop or network environments. RS-485
tri-state driver (not dual-state) will allow the electrical presence of the
driver to be removed from the line. Only one driver may be active at a
time and the other driver(s) must be tri-stated. The output modem control
signal RTS controls the state of the driver. Some communication software
packages refer to RS-485 as RTS enable or RTS block mode transfer.
RS-485 can be cabled in two ways, two wire and four wire mode. Two
wire mode does not allow for full duplex communication, and requires
that data be transferred in only one direction at a time. For half-duplex
operation, the two transmit pins should be connected to the two receive
pins (Tx+ to Rx+ and Tx-to Rx-). Four wire mode allows full duplex data
transfers. RS-485 does not define a connector pin-out or a set of modem
control signals. RS-485 does not define a physical connector.
Centronics and Bi-Directional Parallel Ports
In the early days of the IBM PC a decision was made to use the popular
“Centronics” style interface as the interface of choice for the parallel
printer. Centronics was a prominent manufacturer of “daisy wheel”
printers and of the then new “dot matrix” style printers originally
designed for Mini and Mainframe computers. The only difference
between the PC interface and the Centronics interface was the use of a
DB-25 style connector on the PC side of the interface. This was done
because the designers felt that the Amphenol style interface common to
the Centronics printers would not fit well on a PC bracket. The choice of
a female connector was made to avoid confusion with the RS-232 port
which was male.