SeaLevel ULTRA COMM+I.PCI 7103 User manual

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7103 Manual | SL9161 7/2021
ULTRA COMM+I.PCI™
User Manual | 7103

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7103 Manual | SL9161 7/2021
Contents
CONTENTS...........................................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................3
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED ...............................................................................................................................4
CARD SETUP ........................................................................................................................................................6
INSTALLATION ..................................................................................................................................................10
HARDWARE INSTALLATION .............................................................................................................................11
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION ...............................................................................................................................12
SPECIFICATIONS ...............................................................................................................................................13
APPENDIX A –TROUBLESHOOTING................................................................................................................14
APPENDIX B –HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE .....................................................................................................15
APPENDIX C –ELECTRICAL INTERFACE ........................................................................................................16
APPENDIX D –GROUND LOOP PHENOMENON..............................................................................................18
APPENDIX E - ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS....................................................................................19
APPENDIX F - SILK SCREEN..............................................................................................................................20
APPENDIX G - COMPLIANCE NOTICES............................................................................................................21
WARRANTY ........................................................................................................................................................22

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7103 Manual | SL9161 7/2021
Introduction
The Sealevel Systems ULTRA COMM+I.PCI is a single channel isolated PCI Bus serial I/O adapter for the
PC and compatibles. Utilizing the Exar 16C850 UART with its industry leading 128 byte FIFOs, it provides a
field selectable RS-232/422/485 serial port supporting data rates up to 460.8K bps (RS-422/485).
Configure as RS-232 for standard serial COM: port requirements. Choose the RS-422 mode for long
distance device connections up to 5000ft. where noise immunity and high data integrity are essential.
Select RS-485 and capture data from multiple peripherals in a RS-485 multidrop network. Up to 31 RS-485
devices can be connected to each port to automate your data collection. You can even mix the ports in any
of the interface combinations to provide maximum flexibility to your application. Optional Terminal Block
adapters are available to simplify field-wiring connections.
In both RS-232 and RS-422 modes, the card works seamlessly with the standard operating system serial
driver. In RS-485 mode, our special auto-enable feature allows the RS-485 ports to be viewed by the
operating system as a COM: port. This allows the standard COM: driver to be utilized for RS-485
communications. Our on-board hardware automatically handles the RS-485 driver enable.

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Before You Get Started
What’s Included
The ULTRA COMM+I.PCI is shipped with the following items. If any of these items are missing or damaged,
please contact Sealevel for replacement.
•ULTRA COMM+I.PCI Serial I/O Adapter
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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Factory Default Settings
The ULTRA COMM+I.PCI factory default settings are as follows:
Port #
Electrical Specification
Port 1
RS-422
To install the ULTRA COMM+I.PCI using factory default settings, refer to Installation.

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Card Setup
Electrical Interface Selection
The ULTRA COMM+I.PCI has the ability to be used as RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485. This is selectable via DIP-
switches, SW1. Please use the following examples to configure your adapter.
Figure 1 - RS-232
Figure 2 –RS-422
Figure 3 –RS-485, 4-Wire with Echo
Figure 4 - RS-485, 2-wire with Echo
Figure 5 - RS-485, 2-wire without Echo
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ON
OFF 8 9 10
1 2 3 T P P L L E
RS-232
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ON
OFF 8 9 10
1 2 3 T P P L L E
RS-422
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ON
OFF 8 9 10
1 2 3 T P P L L E
4-Wire
RS-485
W/Echo
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ON
OFF 8 9 10
1 2 3 T P P L L E
2-Wire
RS-485
W/Echo
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ON
OFF 8 9 10
1 2 3 T P P L L E
2-Wire
RS-485
NO Echo

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Card Setup, Continued
Line Termination
Typically, each end of the RS-485 bus must have line-terminating resistors (RS-422 terminates at the receive
end only). A 120-ohm resistor is across each RS-422/485 input in addition to a 1K-ohm pull-up/pull-down
combination that biases the receiver inputs. Switches SW1 and SW2 allow the user to customize this
interface to their specific requirements. Each switch position corresponds to a specific portion of the
interface. If multiple ULTRA COMM+I.PCI adapters are configured in a RS-485 network, only the boards on
each end should have jumpers T, P & P ON. Refer to the following table for each position’s operation:
Name
Function
T
Adds or removes the 120 ohm termination.
P
Adds or removes the 1K ohm pull-down resistor in the RS-422/RS-
485 receiver circuit (Receive data only).
P
Adds or removes the 1K ohm pull-up resistor in the RS-422/RS-
485 receiver circuit (Receive data only).
L
Connects the TX+ to RX+ for RS-485 two wire operation.
L
Connects the TX- to RX- for RS-485 two wire operation.
RS-485 Enable Mode
RS-485 is ideal for multi-drop or network environments. RS-485 requires a tri-state driver that will allow the
electrical presence of the driver to be removed from the line. The driver is in a tri-state or high impedance
condition when this occurs. Only one driver may be active at a time and the other driver(s) must be tri-
stated. The output modem control signal Request To Send (RTS) is typically used to control the state of
the driver. Some communication software packages refer to RS-485 as RTS enable or RTS block mode
transfer.
One of the unique features of the ULTRA COMM+I.PCI is the ability to be RS-485 compatible without the
need for special software or drivers. This ability is especially useful in Operating Systems where the lower
level I/O control is abstracted from the application program. This ability means that the user can effectively
use the ULTRA COMM+I.PCI in an RS-485 application with existing (i.e., standard RS-232) software drivers.
Switch SW2 is used to control the RS-485 mode functions for the driver circuit. The selections are ‘RTS’
enable (silk-screen ‘RT’ switch position 4), or ‘Auto’ enable (silk-screen ‘AT’ switch position 3). The ‘Auto’
enable feature automatically enables/disables the RS-485 interface. The ‘RTS’ mode uses the ‘RTS’ modem
control signal to enable the RS-485 interface and provides backward compatibility with existing software
products.

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Card Setup, Continued
The RS-485 ‘Echo’ is the result of connecting the receiver inputs to the transmitter outputs. Every 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) or it can confuse the system if the software does not.
Position 9 of SW1 is used to control the RS-485 enable/disable functions for the receiver circuit. To select
the ‘No Echo’ mode place switch position 9 to the ‘On’ position (see Figure 5).
Figure 6 - RS-485 Enable modes
Clock Modes
The ULTRA COMM+I.PCI employs a unique clocking option that allows the end user to select from divide
by 4 and divide by 1 clocking modes. These modes are selected at switches SW-2.
To select the Baud rates commonly associated with COM: ports (i.e., 2400, 4800, 9600, 19.2, … 115.2K Bps)
set switch position 2 to the ‘On’ position (silk-screen D4). To select the maximum data rate (460.8K bps)
set switch position 1 to the ‘On’ position (silk-screen D1).
Figure 7 - Clocking Modes
1 2 3 4
ON
OFF
D
1D 4A TR T
SW2
RS-232/422
Default 1 2 3 4
ON
OFF
D
1D 4A TR T
SW2
RS-485
Auto
Enabled
D
1D 4A TR T
1 2 3 4
ON
OFF
SW2
Divide by
1 mode
Divide by
4 mode
1 2 3 4
ON
OFF
D
1D 4A TR T
SW2

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7103 Manual | SL9161 7/2021
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
57.6K bps
460.8K bps
115.2K 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. 7103 Manual | SL9161 7/2021
Installation
Software Installation
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7™ Operating Systems
Do not install the adapter until the software has been successfully installed.
1. Begin by locating, selecting, and installing the correct software (SeaCOM Software) from the
Sealevel’s software database: Sealevel Driver Downloads & Software.Select SeaCOM software for
Windows. Select SeaCOM for Windows v3.7.5 in Downloads.
2. The setup files will automatically detect the operating environment and install the proper
components. Follow the information presented on the screens that follow.
3. A screen may appear with text similar to: “The publisher cannot be determined due to the problems
below: Authenticode signature not found.” Please click the ‘Yes’ button and proceed with the
installation. This declaration simply means that the operating system is not aware of the driver
being loaded. It will not cause any harm to your system.
4. 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. An uninstall option is also included to remove all registry/INI file entries
from the system.
5. The software is now installed, and you can proceed with the hardware installation.
Other Operating Systems
Refer to the appropriate section of the Serial Utilities Software.
LINUX INSTALLATION
Refer to the 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 and QNX6 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: [e-mail].

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Hardware Installation
The ULTRA COMM+I.PCI can be installed in any of the PCI expansion slots and contains several jumper
straps for each port that 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 PCI slot and remove the blank metal slot cover.
4. Gently insert the ULTRA COMM+I.PCI 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.

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Technical Description
The Sealevel Systems ULTRA COMM+I.PCI provides a PCI interface adapter with an isolated asynchronous
serial port providing a versatile interface, field selectable as RS-232 for modems, printers, and plotters, as
well as RS-422/485 for industrial automation and control applications. Isolation is important in installations
where the equipment being connected to the PC is either far from the PC, or on a different power
transformer circuit. Ground loop current is a commonly neglected and misunderstood phenomenon that
leads to data loss and the destruction of communications interfaces.
The ULTRA COMM+I.PCI utilizes the 16C850 UART. This chip features programmable baud rates, data
format, interrupt control and industry leading 128-byte FIFOs.
Connector Pin Assignments
RS-232 Signals (DB-25 Male)
Signal
Name
Pin #
Mode
GND
Ground
7
RD
Receive Data
3
Input
CTS
Clear To Send
5
Input
TD
Transmit Data
2
Output
RTS
Request to Send
4
Output
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.
These assignments meet EIA/TIA/ANSI-232E DTE.
RS-422/485/530 Pin Assignments (DB-25 Male)
Signal
Name
Pin #
Mode
GND
Ground
7
RDB
RX+
Receive Data Positive
16
Input
RDA
RX-
Receive Data Negative
3
Input
CTSB
CTS+
Clear To Send Positive
13
Input
CTSA
CTS-
Clear To Send Negative
5
Input
TDB
TX+
Transmit Data Positive
14
Output
TDA
TX-
Transmit Data Negative
2
Output
RTSB
RTS+
Request To Send Positive
19
Output
RTSA
RTS-
Request To Send Negative
4
Output

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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
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
+5 VDC
Rating
380 mA
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
Greater than 150,000 hours. (Calculated)
Physical Dimensions
Board length
4.90 inches (11.684 cm)
Board height including Goldfingers
3.50 inches (8.89 cm)
Board height excluding Goldfingers
3.175 inches (8.06 cm)

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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 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 Windows95/98/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.
If these steps do not solve your problem, please call Sealevel Technical Support at [phone]. Our
technical support is free and available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am –5:00 pm EST. For email
support, contact [e-mail].

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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
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.

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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 widespread 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 ULTRA
COMM+I.PCI is a DTE device.
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.

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Appendix C –Electrical Interface, Continued
RS-485
RS-485 is backwardly compatible with RS-422; however, it is optimized for party-line 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.
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.

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Appendix D –Ground Loop Phenomenon
What is Ground Loop?
Ground loop Phenomenon occurs when two (or more) pieces of equipment are connected together with a
common ground and a different ground potential exists at each location. This current can cause the
connected equipment to experience noise that in turn causes data transmission errors. In the extreme this
ground current can cause equipment malfunction or even destruction.
Cabling Recommendations
When connecting the ULTRA COMM+I.PCI in a RS-485 network, care should be taken that both ends of the
network are not isolated from ground (see Figure 8). This “floating” ground condition could cause the
capacitive or inductive coupling of voltages that will cause a break down in the DC to DC converter circuit
or in the opto-isolator circuit. This condition will cause data errors and possibly destruction of the receiver
circuit.
A B
Isolation
Barrier
DATA+
DATA-
Ground
Isolated
Adapter
Non
Isolated
Adapter
Figure 8 –ULTRA COMM+I.PCI cabling example

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Appendix E - 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.
Figure 9 - 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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Appendix F - Silk Screen
3.5"
4.9"