SeaLevel COMM+8.422.PCIe User manual

1
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
COMM+8.422.PCIe
User Manual | 7802ec and 7802ecS

2
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Contents
CONTENTS...........................................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 3
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED ...............................................................................................................................4
CARD SETUP ........................................................................................................................................................7
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION ..............................................................................................................................10
HARDWARE INSTALLATION .............................................................................................................................12
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION ...............................................................................................................................14
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS..........................................................................................................................16
APPENDIX A – TROUBLESHOOTING................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX B – HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS.....................................................................................................22
APPENDIX C – ELECTRICAL INTERFACE ........................................................................................................23
APPENDIX D – ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS ..................................................................................24
APPENDIX E – GROUND LOOP PHENOMENON ..............................................................................................25
APPENDIX F – MECHANICAL DRAWING .........................................................................................................26
APPENDIX G – HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE.....................................................................................................27
APPENDIX H – COMPLIANCE NOTICES ..........................................................................................................28
WARRANTY ........................................................................................................................................................29
................................................................................................................................................................................

3
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Introduction
The Sealevel COMM+8.422.PCIe (Item# 7802ec) is a PCI Express 2.0 Gen 1 compliant interface adapter
with eight field selectable RS-422/485 asynchronous serial ports supporting data rates exceeding 1 Mbps
for industrial automation and control applications.
Configure the serial ports as RS-422 for long distance device connections up to 4000ft. where noise
immunity and high data integrity are essential. Select RS-485 and capture data from multiple peripherals in
an RS485 multi-drop network. Up to 31 RS-485 compliant devices can be connected to each port to
automate your data collection. You can even mix the ports in any of the electrical interface combinations
to provide maximum flexibility in your application.
Under Windows, in RS-485 mode the transmitter is automatically enabled in hardware, eliminating the need
for application software control. This allows the 7802ec to be used with standard serial communications
applications and removes the risk of bus contention and data corruption. The Sealevel SeaCOM for
Windows software driver and utilities make installation and operation easy in Windows 7/8.1/10.
The product is RoHS compliant and meets the requirements of RoHS (2011/65/EU) directive.
Features
•Eight serial ports configurable for RS-422/485
•On board DIP switch configuration with Windows device driver override
•Ultra High-speed UART with 256-byte TX and RX FIFOs
•Asynchronous data rates exceeding 1 Mbps
•Automatic RS-485 enable/disable for Windows applications
•Includes 36” cable that terminates to eight DB9M connectors

4
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Before You Get Started
What’s Included
The COMM+8.422.PCIe is shipped with the following items. If any of these items are missing or damaged,
please contact Sealevel for replacement.
•COMM+8.422.PCIe Adapter
o7802ec – PCIe Board with Low Profile PC Bracket
o7802ecS – PCIe Board with Standard Height PC Bracket
•CA231 – Micro 68-pin to (8) DB9M Cable, 36in 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.

5
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Optional Items
Depending upon your application, you are likely to find one or more of the following items useful for
interfacing the 7802ec. All items can be purchased from our website (www.sealevel.com) or by calling
[phone].
RS-422 to RS-530 Cable (Part Number CA176)
DB9 Female (RS-422) to DB25 Male (RS-530) Cable, 10 inch
Length. Convert any Sealevel RS-422 DB9 Male Async Adapter
to an RS-530 DB25 Male pinout. Useful in situations where RS-
530 cabling exists, and a multiport Sealevel RS-422 adapter is
to be used.
DB9 Serial Extension Cable (Part Number CA127)
The CA127 is a standard DB9F to DB9M serial extension cable.
Extend a DB9 cable or locate a piece of hardware where it is
needed with this six foot (72 inch) cable. The connectors are
pinned one-to-one, so the cable is compatible with any device
or cable with DB9 connectors. The cable is fully shielded
against interference and the connectors are molded to provide
strain relief. Dual metal thumbscrews secure the cable
connections and prevent accidental disconnection.

6
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Terminal Blocks
Terminal Block Kit - (Part Number KT105)
The KT105 terminal block kit breaks out a DB9 connector to 9
screw terminals to simplify field wiring of serial connections. It
is ideal for RS-422 and RS-485 networks. The KT105 includes
one DB9 terminal block (part number TB05) and one CA127
extension cable. The TB05 includes holes for board or panel
mounting. The TB05 is designed to connect directly to Sealevel
DB9 serial cards or any cable with a DB9M connector.
Terminal Block Kit (Part Number KT106)
The TB06 terminal block has been designed to connect directly
to any Sealevel dual DB9 serial board or to serial boards with
DB9 cables. If you need to extend the length of your dual DB9
connection, the KT106 includes the TB06 terminal block and
two CA127 DB9 extension cables.
Terminal Block Kit (Part Number TB34-8)
The TB34-
8 kit includes eight TB34 terminal blocks and
simplifies RS-422 and RS-485 field wiring. Each terminal block
adapter includes a DB9
female connector and five screw
terminals.
The terminal block is compatible with 2-wire and 4-wire RS-485
networks and matches the RS-422/485 pin-out on Sealevel
serial devices with DB9 male connectors. A pair of
thumbscrews secures the adapter to the ser
ial port and
prevents accidental disconnection. The TB34 is compact and
allows multiple adapters to be used on multi-port serial devices,
such as Sealevel USB serial adapters, Ethernet serial servers
and other Sealevel serial devices with two or more ports.

7
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Card Setup
Address and IRQ Selection
The 7802ec is automatically assigned memory addresses and IRQs by your motherboard BIOS or by a “Plug-
n-Play” Operating System. Adding or removing other hardware or moving the adapter to another slot may
change the assignment of memory addresses and IRQs.
Clock Modes and Baud Rates
The 7802ec derives a 125MHz clock from the PCI express link for the Baud Rate Generator (BRG) which is
divided by a clock prescaler (1 or 4) and a 16-bit clock divisor to obtain a sampling clock of 16X, 8X, or 4X
the serial data rate. The BRG offers a wide range of possible baud rates. Under Windows and Linux, the
best choice of divisor is made automatically by the driver. The bit rate error is within the +/– 2%
recommended tolerance for proper serial communication.
Electrical Interface Selection via Hardware
Each serial port on the 7802ec has the ability to be used as RS-422 or RS-485. Configuration is selectable
via independent per-port DIP switches. Please use the following examples to configure your adapter.
Mode selection via hardware (DIP switches)
M1 Switch
M0 Switch
Mode
OFF
OFF
Reserved (Tri-state)
OFF
ON
RS-422 (Default)
ON
OFF
RS-485 with Echo
ON
ON
RS-485 without Echo
RS-485 Enable Modes
RS-485 is ideal for multi-drop or network environments. RS-485 requires a tristate driver that will allow the
electrical presence of the driver to be removed from the line. The driver is in a tristate 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. Under Windows, configuring a 7802ec port to RS-485 sets the port to automatically assert its output
when transmitting. In RS-485 mode under Windows the port is also set to automatically de-assert its output
at the end of each transmission, returning the driver to tristate so that other drivers can transmit on the line.

8
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Line Termination Selection via Hardware
Typically, the device at each end of the RS-485 bus must have line-terminating resistors (RS-422 terminates
at the receive end only). When the end device is a 7802ec port, the board DIP switches can be used to
connect a built in 120-ohm resistor between each RS-422/485 input pair in addition to a 1K ohm pull-up/pull-
down combination that biases the RX+ and RX– receiver inputs. Independent per-port DIP switches allow
the user to customize each port individually to their specific requirements. If multiple 7802ec ports are
configured in a RS-485 network, only the ports at each end should have switches T, PU, and PD ON.
If using the board in an RS-485 two-wire network, enable the two switches labeled ‘L’, which electrically
connect the TX– and RX– pins together and the TX+ and RX+ pins together.
Switch
Default
Selection if ON
T
ON
Enables RS-422/RS-485 120 ohm termination between RX+ and RX–
PU
ON
Enables RS-422/RS-485 RX+ 1K ohm pull-up to 3.3V (biasing)
PD
ON
Enables RS-422/RS-485RX– 1K ohm pull-down to GND (biasing)
L
OFF
Enables RS-485 two-wire mode, connecting TX– to RX–
L
OFF
Enables RS-485 two-wire mode, connecting TX+ to RX+

9
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Electrical Interface Selection via Software
When a 7802ec has been installed under Windows, the DIP switch Electrical Interface configuration can be
overridden by software settings via the SeaCOM PortManager.NET utility. Changing one port to be
overridden by software will automatically change the other port to also be software overridden. The initial
software override configuration of each port is adopted from its DIP switch configuration. All COM ports of
the 7802ec should be closed by applications when the software override option is changed in Port Settings.
RS-485 Auto-Enable Delay
RS-485 Auto-Enable Delay is an additional configuration setting available only via software selection. It
provides an ability to select a 0 to 15 bit-time delay that is inserted after the end of the last stop-bit of the
last transmitted character. This delay controls when to automatically disable the RS-485 transmitter. This
delay may be useful in long-cable networks.

10
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
On-board LED signal indicators
Driver
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
Loaded
Heartbeat (1 sec on/off)
M1
M0
Heartbeat
Power
Not Loaded
Heartbeat
Heartbeat
Heartbeat
Heartbeat
Power
(a) Power LED (D5) is lit when card is powered
(b) If the driver is not loaded, four (4) LEDs (D1–D4) flash with the heartbeat signal and
the serial port remains in tristate mode until the driver loads.
(c) If the driver is loaded, two (2) LEDs (D2–D3) reflect the current Port 1 mode in
accordance with the table above, whether the mode was set by DIP switch or
software control.
(d) M1 and M0 are lit if the DIP switch is OFF.
Software Installation
Windows Installation
Do not connect the hardware 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] to receive access to the proper driver download and installation
instructions.
To install Sealevel software, you must log in as an administrator or have administrator
privileges.
1. Begin by locating, selecting, and installing the correct software from the Sealevel software
driver database.
2. Type in or select the part number (#7802ec) for the adapter from the listing.
3. Select “Download Now” for SeaCOM for Windows.
4. The setup files will automatically detect the operating environment and install the proper
components. Follow the information presented on the screens that follow.
5. 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.

11
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
6. 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.
7. The software is now installed, and you can proceed with the hardware installation.
Linux Installation
You MUST have “root” privileges to install the software and drivers.
The syntax is case sensitive.
The 7802ec is supported natively in Linux kernels 3.7.0-rc6 and later. SeaCOM for Linux can be downloaded
here: https://www.sealevel.com/support/software-seacom-linux/. It includes the README and the Serial-
HOWTO help files (located at seacom/dox/howto). This series of files both explains typical Linux serial
implementations and informs the user about Linux syntax and preferred practices.
User can use a program such as 7-Zip to extract the tar.gz file.
In addition, the software selectable interface settings can be accessed by referencing
seacom/utilities/7802ecmode.
Upgrading to the current SeaCOM driver
1. Download the current driver using the instructions from the Software Installation section on
page 10. Please take note of the destination directory for download.
2. Follow the instructions in the subsequent section named Remove Hardware Using Device
Manager.
3. Follow the instructions in the subsequent section named Remove Software Using Control
Panel.
4. Follow the instructions in the previous section named Windows Installation.
For additional software support, please call Sealevel Systems’ Technical Support, [phone]. Our
technical support is free and available from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. For
email support contact: [e-mail].

12
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Hardware Installation
Do not install the PCI Express board until the software has been successfully installed.
Once you have installed the software, install the 7802ec into an available PCI Express slot and boot the
computer. The drivers that were installed during the software installation process will automatically be
used to configure the adapter.
Once the hardware installation completes, you may need to restart the computer to finalize the
installation process.
Verifying Installation
To confirm that the serial port has been successfully installed, look in Device Manager under ‘Ports (COM
&LPT)’ and in parentheses should be a COM number assigned to each port number.
Your system will assign the next available COM number, which will vary by computer (COM11
through COM18 are shown in this example).

13
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Uninstall Instructions
The SeaCOM software program adds entries to the system registry that are necessary for specifying the
operating parameters for your device. To completely remove the hardware and associated software, follow
the steps in the order they appear.
Start with the hardware installed in a PCI Express slot. Do not remove until instructed to do so.
Remove Hardware Using Device Manager
To access Device Manager, follow the steps below:
1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Right click on ‘Computer’ or ‘My Computer’ icon.
3. Click ‘Manage’ in the fly out menu to launch the ‘Computer Management’ console window.
4. In the left pane under ‘System Tools’, click ‘Device Manager’.
5. In right pane, expand the ‘Multi-port serial adapters’ section by double clicking it.
6. Locate the COMM+8.422.PCIe device in the listing.
7. Right click on the entry for the ‘COMM+8.422.PCIe’ device and click ‘Uninstall’
8. Confirm that you want to uninstall the device by clicking the ‘OK’ button. This will remove the
hardware, COM ports and all registry entries from your computer. Keep the device connected.
9. The window will refresh and the entry for the device will no longer appear. Proceed with
removing the software via Windows Control Panel.
Remove Software Using Control Panel
1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Type ‘Control Panel’ in the address bar and press enter.
3. Click ‘Uninstall a program’ under the ‘Programs’ icon.
4. Double click the ‘SeaCOM’ entry in the list.
5. Follow the dialog options to complete the uninstall.
If you want to completely remove the hardware and software from your computer, power down your
computer, remove the device from the PCI Express slot, and then reboot your computer to complete the
uninstallation.

14
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Technical Description
The Sealevel Systems 7802ec provides a PCIe interface adapter with eight (8) asynchronous serial ports
providing versatile RS-422/485 interfaces for industrial automation and control applications.
The 7802ec provides UARTs with 256 byte TX and RX FIFOs, programmable baud rates, data format, and
interrupt control.
Micro 68-pin Female Connector Pin Assignments
The 7802ec includes a Micro 68-pin female connector for attaching the included cable (Part Number
CA231).
RS-422/485 (CA-231 DB-9) Connector Pin Assignments
Pin#
RS-422/485
Pin#
RS-422/485
Pin#
RS-422/485
Pin#
RS-422/485
1
Port 1 TX+ (O)
18
GND
35
Port 5 TX+ (O)
52
GND
2
Port 1 CTS+ (I)
19
Port 3 TX+ (O)
36
Port 5 CTS+ (I)
53
Port 7 TX+ (O)
3
Port 1 RX+ (I)
20
Port 3 CTS+ (I)
37
Port 5 RX+ (I)
54
Port 7 CTS+ (I)
4
Port 1 TX+ (O)
21
Port 3 RX+ (I)
38
Port 5 TX+ (O)
55
Port 7 RX+ (I)
5
Port 1 RTS– (O)
22
Port 3 TX+ (O)
39
Port 5 RTS– (O)
56
Port 7 TX+ (O)
6
Port 1 RTS+ (I)
23
Port 3 RTS– (O)
40
Port 5 RTS+ (I)
57
Port 7 RTS– (O)
7
Port 1 RX– (I)
24
Port 3 RTS+ (I)
41
Port 5 RX– (I)
58
Port 7 RTS+ (I)
8
Port 1 CTS– (I)
25
Port 3 RX– (I)
42
Port 5 CTS– (I)
59
Port 7 RX– (I)
9
Port 2 TX+ (O)
26
Port 3 CTS– (I)
43
Port 6 TX+ (O)
60
Port 7 CTS– (I)
10
Port 2 CTS+ (I)
27
Port 4 TX+ (O)
44
Port 6 CTS+ (I)
61
Port 8 TX+ (O)
11
Port 2 RX+ (I)
28
Port 4 CTS+ (I)
45
Port 6 RX+ (I)
62
Port 8 CTS+ (I)
12
Port 2 TX+ (O)
29
Port 4 RX+ (I)
46
Port 6 TX+ (O)
63
Port 8 RX+ (I)
13
Port 2 RTS– (O)
30
Port 4 TX+ (O)
47
Port 6 RTS– (O)
64
Port 8 TX+ (O)
14
Port 2 RTS+ (I)
31
Port 4 RTS– (O)
48
Port 6 RTS+ (I)
65
Port 8 RTS– (O)
15
Port 2 RX– (I)
32
Port 4 RTS+ (I)
49
Port 6 RX– (I)
66
Port 8 RTS+ (I)
16
Port 2 CTS– (I)
33
Port 4 RX– (I)
50
Port 6 CTS– (I)
67
Port 8 RX– (I)
17
GND
34
Port 4 CTS– (I)
51
GND
68
Port 8 CTS– (I)
(I) = Input
(O) = Output

15
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
DB9 Male Cable Pin Assignments
The 7802ec includes a cable (Part Number CA231) with a Micro 68-pin male connector terminating to eight
DB25 male connectors.
Pin#
RS-422/485
1
RX+ (I)
2
RX– (I)
3
TX– (O)
4
TX+ (O)
5
GND
6
RTS+ (O)
7
RTS– (O)
8
CTS– (I)
9
CTS+ (I)
(I) = Input
(O) = Output
Please terminate any unused control signals. The most common way to do this in RS-422/485
mode is to connect RTS+ to CTS+ and RTS- to CTS-. Terminating these pins, if not used, will help
ensure the best performance from the adapter.

16
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Technical Specifications
Environmental Specifications
Specification Operating Storage
Temperature Range 0° to 70°C (32° to 158°F) -50° to 105°C (-58° to 221°F)
Humidity Range 10 to 90% R.H. Non-Condensing 10 to 90% R.H. Non-Condensing
MTBF (Telcordia SR-332 Prediction Method)
Mean Time Between Failure TBD hours At 25º C ambient
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 Requirements
Typical Power Draw TBD
Supply voltage +3.3 VDC +12 VDC
Rating TBD mA TBD mA

17
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
Appendix A – Troubleshooting
Once you have confirmed that the serial adapter COM ports are listed in Device Manager, use the Sealevel
WinSSD utility to verify communications. Detailed help is included in the WinSSD utility.
Please set the adapters Electrical Interface to RS-422.
If you have a loopback plug, put it on the adapter connector. If you do not have a loopback plug, you can
use female jumper wires to make the connection to verify the functionality.
RS-422 requires pins 1 & 4 (Receive + and Transmit +) and also pins 2 & 3 (Receive - and Transmit -) to be
jumpered as shown in this graphic:
If you do not have a loopback plug or jumper wires handy, you can use a metal device such as a
knife, screwdriver, key, or paperclip to short pins two and three.

18
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
To test communications, launch the WinSSD utility in the SeaCOM folder in the ‘Start’ menu.
On the ‘Port Information’ tab, select the associated COM port and click the ‘Open’ button.
This will first open the COM port. From this tab the port can also be closed (See image below). Click the
‘Settings’ button to open the COM Port Properties dialog box. This will allow the Port Settings to be altered.

19
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
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’.

20
© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7802ec &7802ecS Manual | SL9680 11/2022
In the main WinSSD window, click on the ‘BERT’ tab (Bit Error Rate test).
Click on the ‘Start’ button.