SeaLevel SeaLINK+4.SC User manual

SeaLINK+4.SC
User Manual | 2423

Contents
CONTENTS...........................................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................3
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED ...............................................................................................................................4
INSTALLATION & CONFIGURATION...................................................................................................................7
HARDWARE DESCRIPTION ...............................................................................................................................13
ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS.........................................................................................................................14
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS..........................................................................................................................16
APPENDIX A –TROUBLESHOOTING................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX B –HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE .....................................................................................................20
APPENDIX C –ELECTRICAL INTERFACE ........................................................................................................21
APPENDIX D –ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS ..................................................................................22
APPENDIX E –SILK SCREEN - 2423.................................................................................................................23
APPENDIX F –COMPLIANCE NOTICES...........................................................................................................24
WARRANTY ........................................................................................................................................................25

Introduction
Sealevel’s SeaLINK 2423 USB to serial interface adapter offers an easy way to connect up to four 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 2423 into
an available USB port and each serial port is recognized as standard COM ports 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 2423 includes a highly-retentive USB Type B connector.
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
•Four 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

Before You Get Started
What’s Included
The 2423 is shipped with the following items. If any of these items is missing or damaged, please contact
Sealevel for replacement.
•2423 –USB to RS-232/422/485 Four Port Serial Interface Adapter
•CA179 –USB Type A to 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.

Optional Items
Depending upon your application, you are likely to find one or more of the following items useful for
interfacing the 2423. All items can be purchased from our website (http://www.sealevel.com/) or by calling
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.

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.

Installation & Configuration
Software Installation
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista™ Operating Systems
1. Begin by locating, selecting, and installing the correct software from the Sealevel software driver
database.
2. Select the Part Number (2423) 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 2423 to your system. Refer to the Hardware Installation
section for details.
Windows NT is not USB aware and thus cannot support this device.

Hardware Installation
Do not connect the device to a USB port until the software has been successfully installed.
To install the 2423, 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 8 times on four port devices). 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.’
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.
3. Click on ‘Finish.’ Repeat this process for the remaining ports on the 2423.

Verifying Installation
To confirm that the ports 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 for 2833 shown).
Your system will assign the next available COM numbers which may vary for each computer used.
The Port Manager utility included with SeaCOM can be useful in reassigning COM numbers.

Hardware Configuration
Electrical Interface Mode Selection
The 2423 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 2423’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.’
The electrical interface settings are maintained across multiple computers. Once the SeaCOM
software driver has been installed on target computers, the 2423 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.

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.

Hardware Description
High-Retention USB Port
The upstream port integrates a high-retention type B connector that prevents accidental disconnection of
the USB cable.
Status LEDs
Status LEDs on the front of the 2423 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
DB9M Serial Connectors
The 2423 includes four DB9M serial connectors on the back of the device and full modem control signals
are implemented. Pinouts are included in the following Electrical Specifications section.

Electrical Specifications
The 2423 connects to a single USB port and provides four RS-232/422/485 software configurable serial
ports. The 2423 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

Electrical Specifications
RS-422 & RS-485 Four-Wire (DB9 Male)
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, 6-9 are ‘no connect’.

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 Requirements
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.
Dimensions
Length
9.2” (23.4 cm)
Width
5.3” (13.5 cm)
Height
1.7” (4.3 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.

Appendix A –Troubleshooting
Sealevel Software is supplied with the Sealevel Systems adapter and may be used in the troubleshooting
procedures. Using this software and following these simple steps 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
do not have a loopback plug, contact Technical Support for assistance.
•If you are testing RS-485 mode, you will 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.
•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.’
•Select the ‘BERT’ tab and with the loopback connected to the port you wish to test, click on the
‘Start’ button. If testing RS-485, be sure that ECHO is enabled. (Pictured below)

•If the COM port is working properly, the green light will glow, and the Transmit Frames and Receive
Frames will increase. The Tx and Rx Data Rates will show the calculated data rate. (Pictured below)
•You can continue testing this port with different configurations or proceed with testing other ports,
if necessary.
If these steps do not solve your problem, please call Sealevel Systems’ Technical Support, [phone].
Our technical support is free and available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday.
For email support contact supp[email protected].

Appendix B –How To Get Assistance
Begin by reading the Troubleshooting Guide in Appendix A. This will help solve most common problems.
When calling for technical assistance, please have the device installed and ready to run diagnostics. If
possible, have your user manual and current adapter settings ready.
The Sealevel website is an excellent resource. Our homepage is located online at http://www.sealevel.com.
The most current software updates and user manuals are available via our homepage by clicking on
the 'Drivers' or 'Manuals' links located under ‘Technical Support.’ Manuals and software can also be
downloaded from the product page for your device.
The FAQ section of our website answers many common questions. Refer to this helpful resource by visiting
http://www.sealevel.com/faq.asp.
Technical support is available Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm EST and can be reached by
phone at [phone] or via email at [email protected]om.
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.