SeaLevel SIO-485.LPCI User manual

www.sealevel.com
PO Box 830 Liberty, SC 29657
864.843.4343
SIO-485.LPCI User Manual
Part Number 7107

© Sealevel Systems, Inc.
SL9055 Revision 8/2015
SIO-485.LPCIUserManual
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 1
Other Sealevel Low Profile PCI Serial I/O Products 1
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED 2
What’s Included 2
Optional Items 2
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION 3
Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP 3
Linux 3
3rd Party Software Support 3
PHYSICAL INSTALLATION 4
Physical Connection 4
CARD SETUP 5
Address and IRQ selection 5
Electrical Interface Selection 5
Line Termination 5
RS-485 ‘Echo’ 5
Clock Modes 5
RS-485 Enable Modes 7
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS 8
Specifications 8
APPENDIX A - TROUBLESHOOTING 9
APPENDIX B - HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE 10
APPENDIX C – ELECTRICAL INTERFACE 11
RS-422 11
RS-485 11
APPENDIX D - ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS 12

© Sealevel Systems, Inc.
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SIO-485.LPCIUserManual
APPENDIX E – SILK SCREEN – 7107 PCB 13
APPENDIX F - COMPLIANCE NOTICES 14
Federal Communications Commission Statement 14
WARRANTY 15

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Introduction
The SIO-485.LPCI, Item Number 7107, is a low profile PCI module that provides a
single RS-422/485 serial interface port. The board is designed using the OX16C950
UART, which features a 128-byte FIFO and flexible clock prescalar (from 1 to
31.875), with support for 9-bit protocol and isochronous mode.
RS-422 provides excellent communications for long distance device connections up
to 4000ft., where noise immunity and high data integrity are essential.
RS-485 is optimized for ‘Multi-Drop’ or ‘Party-line’ operations selecting data from
multiple peripherals (as many as 31 devices can be connected on an RS-485 bus).
The SIO-485.LPCI is designed to be used with a variety of Operating Systems
including Windows 98/NT/ME/2000/XP, Linux and DOS. The SeaCOM API
(Application Programmer Interface) included on CD with the SIO-485.LPCI
provides a variety of useful high-level function calls implemented as a Windows
dynamic link library (DLL) and as a Linux kernel module and library. In addition to
the API, SeaCOM includes sample code and utilities to simplify software
development.
Other Sealevel Low Profile PCI Serial I/O Products
COMM+850.LPCI (P/N 7104) - 1-Port RS-232
Ultra 530.LPCI (P/N 7106) - 1-Port RS-232/422/485
Ultra COMM+I.LPCI (P/N 7108) - 1-Port Isolated RS-232/422/485
Ultra COMM+2.LPCI (P/N 7205) - 2-Port RS-232/422/485
COMM+4.LPCI (P/N 7406) - 4-Port RS-232
COMM+8.LPCI (P/N 7803) - 8-Port RS-232

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Before You Get Started
What’s Included
The SIO-485.LPCI is shipped with the following items. If any of these items is
missing or damaged please contact Sealevel for replacement.
•SIO-485.LPCI Adapter
•7107 includes low profile PCI bracket
•7107S includes standard size PCI bracket
•Sealevel SeaCOM Software CD
Optional Items
Depending upon your application, you are likely to find one or more of the
following items useful for interfacing the SIO4-104.485. All items can be purchased
from our website (http://www.sealevel.com/) or by calling 864-843-4343.
•DB9 Female to RJ45 modular adapter (Item Number DB112)
The DB112 is pinned out for RS-485 signals and converts the 7107 DB9 Male
connector to an RJ45 connection. Designed for use with SeaI/O M-series
modules, it takes power from pin 9 on the 7107 and sends it out over any
standard RJ45 patch cable. This eliminates the need for an external power supply
when communicating with SeaI/O RS-485 devices.
•DB9 Male to DB9 Female Optomux adapter (Item Number DB103)
The DB103 is designed to convert a Sealevel DB9 Male connector to a pinout
compatible with AC24AT and AC422AT Opto-22 ISA bus cards. This allows
Optomux devices to be controlled from any Sealevel RS-422 board with a DB9
Male connector.
•DB9 Male to DB9 Male Sony SMPTE 207M cable (Item Number CA190)
This cable allows any Sealevel RS-422 adapter with a DB-9 to connect directly
to a Sony (or compatible) 207M 9-Pin connector.

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Software Installation
Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
Do not install the Adapter in the machine until the software has been fully
installed.
1. Start Windows.
2. Insert the Sealevel Systems CD in to your CD drive.
3. If ‘Auto-Start’ is enabled for this drive the software will automatically launch.
Otherwise, point your browser to the ‘Index.htm’ on the root directory of the CD
4. Select ‘Install Software’.
5. Select the Part Number for your adapter from the listing.
6. Select ‘Windows 98/ME/2000/XP’. The setup file will automatically detect the
operating environment and install the proper components. Next (depending on
the OS version) select the ‘Run this program from its current location’ or ‘Open’
option. Follow the information presented on the screens that follow.
7. A screen may appear with the declaration: “The publisher cannot be determined
due to the problems below: Authenticode signature not found.” Please select 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.
8. 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.
Linux
Refer to D:\software\seacom\Other\Linux\Linux.serial.readme (where D: = your
CDROM driver letter) found on the Sealevel Systems CD. This file contains valuable
information on installing your adapter in the various Linux releases. Also in this sub-
directory is the Linux SerialHOWTO. This series of files explains typical Linux
serial implementations, as well as informing the user to Linux syntax and preferred
practices.
3rd Party Software Support
Third party software support for many HMI/MMI and other process control software
is included on the product installation CD. For the most up to date information on
third party software support, please visit
http://www.sealevel.com/thirdpartysoftware.asp.

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Physical Installation
The adapter can be installed in any PCI expansion slot.
Do not install the Adapter in the machine until the software has been fully
installed.
1. Turn off PC power. Disconnect the power cord.
2. Remove the PC case cover.
3. Locate an available PCI slot and remove the blank metal slot cover.
4. Gently insert the PCI adapter into the slot. Make sure that the adapter is seated
properly.
5. Replace the screw. (This is required to ensure FCC Part 15 compliance.)
6. Replace the cover.
7. Connect the power cord
8. Installation is finished.
The SIO-485.LPCI is now ready for use.
Physical Connection
RS-422
Signal
Name
Pin #
Mode
GND
Ground
5
TX +
Transmit Data Positive
4
Output
TX-
Transmit Data Negative
3
Output
RX+
Receive Data Positive
1
Input
RX-
Receive Data Negative
2
Input
5V/12V
Power selected by E1
9
Output
RS-485

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Signal
Name
Pin #
Mode
GND
Ground
5
DATA+
Data Positive
1
I/O
DATA-
Data Negative
2
I/O
5V/12V
Power selected by E1
9
Output

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SIO-485.LPCIUserManual
Card Setup
Address and IRQ selection
The SIO4-104.485 is automatically assigned I/O addresses and IRQs by your
motherboard BIOS. Only the I/O address may be modified by the user. Adding or
removing other hardware may change the assignment of I/O addresses and IRQs.
Electrical Interface Selection
The SIO-485.LPCI can be individually configured via SW1 as RS-422, or as a
two/four wire RS-485 interface. The following table illustrates the electrical modes
for SW1:
Electrical Mode
Switch Position 1
Switch Position 2
Switch Position 3
RS-422
Off
Off
Off
RS-485 4 Wire
On
On
Off
RS-485 2 Wire
Off
On
On
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 the RS-422/485 data
input in addition to a 1K-ohm pull-up/pull-down combination that biases the receiver
inputs. The 120-Ohm termination is ‘switched’ in or out by SW1 (silk screen position
‘T’). With the switch in the ‘On’ position, termination is present. With it in the ‘Off’
position termination is removed.
RS-485 ‘Echo’
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. The SIO-485.LPCI
automatically suppresses this ‘Echo’.
Clock Modes
The SIO-485.LPCI utilizes a 14.7456 MHz oscillator. This is eight times faster than
the standard COM: port oscillator, which typically is 1.8432 MHz. This allows the
adapter to achieve a maximum data rate of 921.6Kbps. The following sections outline
the baud rate calculations and instructions for achieving your desired baud rate.

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Baud Rates and Oscillator value
The following table shows some common data rates and the rates you should choose
to achieve them when using the SIO-485.LPCI. If the O/S of choice is Windows
95/98/ME/2000/NT/XP, the oscillator value (14.7456 MHz) should be entered into
the ‘Advanced Tab’ on 95/98/Me/2000/XP Device Manager applet. Typically this is
done automatically when the Sealevel Software driver is loaded.
When using Windows NT, the ‘Advanced Ports’ applet in the Control Panel should
be launched and the oscillator value entered manually in the ‘Advanced’ tab, or all
data rates will be eight (8) times the selected rate. For example if a data rate of
19.2Kbps is selected, the actual data rate will be 153.6Kbps.
When using any other OS (i.e. Linux) the following table should be used:
For this Data Rate
Choose this Data Rate
1200 bps
150 bps
2400 bps
300 bps
4800 bps
600 bps
9600 bps
1200 bps
19.2K bps
2400 bps
38.4K bps
4800 bps
57.6K bps
7200 bps
76.8K bps
9600 bps
115.2K bps
14.4K bps
153.6K bps
19.2K bps
230.4K bps
28.8K bps
460.8K bps
57.6K bps
921.6K bps
115.2K bps
If your communications package allows the use of baud rate divisors, choose
the appropriate divisor from the following table:

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For this Data Rate
Choose this Divisor
1200 bps
768
2400 bps
384
4800 bps
192
9600 bps
96
19.2K bps
48
38.4K bps
24
57.6K bps
16
115.2K bps
8
230.4K bps
4
460.8K bps
2
921.6K bps
1

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RS-485 Enable Modes
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.
This capability allows multiple PCs to be connected in a multi-drop bus and
selectively polled. Failure to correctly utilize the enable can cause transmitter
contention problems preventing operation by any node on the network. The SIO4-
104.485 utilizes the automatic RS-485 capabilities of the OX16C950 to control the
RS-485 tri-state enable. This is a highly efficient method of enable and allows for
minimum ‘turn-around’ times. If the Sealevel Systems Windows Software driver is
used, a ‘Radio’ style button on the ‘Advanced’ property page under the Device
manager can be selected that will configure the OX16C950 automatic RS-485 enable.
Another way of controlling the tri-state enable is with the output modem control
signal Request To Send (RTS). Some communication software packages refer to RS-
485 as RTS enable or RTS block mode transfer. The SIO4-104.485 is compatible
with this RS-485 mode as well. If the Sealevel Systems Windows Software driver is
used, a ‘Radio’ style button on the ‘Advanced’ property page under the Device
manager can be selected that will automatically toggle RTS for use as an enable.
Switch SW1 is used to control the RS-485 mode functions for the driver circuit. The
selections are:
‘RTS’ enable (silk-screen ‘R’) The ‘RTS’ mode uses the ‘RTS’ modem control
signal to enable the RS-485 interface and provides backward compatibility with
existing software products.
‘DTR’ enable (silk-screen ‘D’) The ‘DTR’ mode uses the ‘DTR’ modem control
signal to enable the RS-485 interface, provides backward compatibility with existing
software products and with the Oxford Semiconductor 16C950 RS-485 enable
feature.
Power Supply
The SIO-485.LPCI has the ability to provide DC power on pin 9 of the DB-9
connector to be used by the integrator in low power implementations. This power is
fused at 1A and is selectable as +5, +12 VDC or no power required.
+12 E1 +5

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Electrical Characteristics
Specifications
RS-422/485 Transceiver
•Bidirectional Transceiver
•Meet or Exceed the Requirements of ANSI Standards TIA/EIA-422-B and
TIA/EIA-485-A and ITU Recommendations V.11 and X.27
•Designed for Multipoint Transmission on Long Bus Lines in Noisy
Environments
•3-State Driver and Receiver Outputs
•Individual Driver and Receiver Enables
•Wide Positive and Negative Input/Output Bus Voltage Ranges
•Driver Output Capability . . . ±60 mA Max
•Thermal Shutdown Protection
•Driver Positive and Negative Current Limiting
•Receiver Input Impedance . . . 12 kΩMin
•Receiver Input Sensitivity . . . ±200 mV
•Receiver Input Hysteresis . . . 50 mV Typ
•Operate From Single 5-V Supply
Temperature Range
•Operating: -0°C – 70°C
•Storage: -50°C – 105°C
Power Requirements
•+5VDC @ 400 mA
Physical Dimensions
•Length:4.721 inches (11.99 cm)
•Height: 2.536 inches (6.44 cm)

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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. 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
by the BIOS or Operating system. Some BIOS setup software will allow
changing the IRQ, but others do not. Another method of changing assigned
resources is to try changing PCI slots. This will typically cause the BIOS or OS
to reassign the resources.
4. Make sure the Sealevel Systems adapter is securely installed in a motherboard
slot.
5. For Windows95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP, 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.
6. Remember that a loopback test is not possible in the RS-485 2-wire mode.
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 Systems’ Technical
Support, [phone]. Our technical support is free and available from 8:00AM-
5PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday. For email support contact
mailto:[e-mail].

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Appendix B - How To Get Assistance
Begin by reading through the Trouble Shooting Guide in Appendix A. If assistance
is still needed please see below.
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.
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
Sealevel Systems maintains a Home page on the Internet. Our home page address is
http://www.sealevel.com. The latest software updates, and newest manuals are
available via our FTP site that can be accessed from our home page.
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-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.
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 - 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
starting 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.
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 refereed 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 E – Silk Screen – 7107 PCB

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Appendix F - Compliance Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
FCC - This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class
A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in such case the user will be required to correct the interference at the
users expense.
EMC Directive Statement
Products bearing the CE Label fulfill the requirements of the EMC directive
(89/336/EEC) and of the low-voltage directive (73/23/EEC) issued by the European
Commission.
To obey these directives, the following European standards must be met:
EN55022 Class A - “Limits and methods of measurement of radio interference
characteristics of information technology equipment”
EN55024 – “Information technology equipment Immunity characteristics Limits and
methods of measurement”.
EN60950 (IEC950) - “Safety of information technology equipment, including
electrical business equipment”
Warning
This is a Class A Product. In a domestic environment, this product may cause
radio interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate
measures to prevent or correct the interference.
Always use cabling provided with this product if possible. If no cable is provided or
if an alternate cable is required, use high quality shielded cabling to maintain
compliance with FCC/EMC directives.

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Warranty
Sealevel's commitment to providing the best I/O solutions is reflected in the
Lifetime Warranty that is standard on all Sealevel manufactured products. We are
able to offer this warranty due to our control of manufacturing quality and the
historically high reliability of our products in the field. Sealevel products are
designed and manufactured at its Liberty, South Carolina facility, allowing direct
control over product development, production, burn-in and testing.
Sealevel Systems, Inc. (hereafter "Sealevel") warrants that the Product shall conform
to and perform in accordance with published technical specifications and shall be
free of defects in materials and workmanship for life. In the event of failure,
Sealevel will repair or replace the product at Sealevel's sole discretion. Failures
resulting from misapplication or misuse of the Product, failure to adhere to any
specifications or instructions, or failure resulting from neglect or abuse are not
covered under this warranty.
Warranty service is obtained by delivering the Product to Sealevel and providing
proof of purchase. Return authorization must be obtained from Sealevel Systems
before returned merchandise will be accepted. Authorization is obtained by
calling Sealevel Systems and requesting a Return Merchandise Authorization
(RMA) number. The Customer agrees to insure the Product or assume the risk of
loss or damage in transit, to prepay shipping charges to Sealevel, and to use the
original shipping container or equivalent. Warranty is valid only for original
purchaser and is not transferable.
Sealevel Systems assumes no liability for any damages, lost profits, lost savings or
any other incidental or consequential damage resulting from the use, misuse of, or
inability to use this product. Sealevel Systems will not be liable for any claim made
by any other related party.
This warranty applies to Sealevel manufactured Product. Product purchased through
Sealevel but manufactured by a third party will retain the original manufacturer's
warranty.
Sealevel Systems, Inc.
2779 Greenville Highway
P.O. Box 830
Liberty, SC 29657 USA
[phone] FAX: [phone]
www.sealevel.com
email: [e-mail]
Technical Support is available Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time