SeaLevel COMM+8.LPCI User manual

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7803c Manual | SL925012/2023
COMM+8.LPCI
User Manual | 7803c

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 7803c Manual | SL925012/2023
Contents
CONTENTS............................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED..............................................................................................................................................................................................4
CARD SETUP.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................7
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION................................................................................................................................................................................................8
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS..........................................................................................................................................................................................11
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION .............................................................................................................................................................................................12
HARDWARE INSTALLATION.............................................................................................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX A – TROUBLESHOOTING.............................................................................................................................................................................20
APPENDIX B – HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS.................................................................................................................................................................24
APPENDIX C – ELECTRICAL INTERFACE......................................................................................................................................................................25
APPENDIX D – ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS.............................................................................................................................................26
APPENDIX E – MECHANICAL DRAWING......................................................................................................................................................................27
APPENDIX F – 7803 VERSUS 7803C...........................................................................................................................................................................29
APPENDIX G – PCIE NATIVE CONTROL........................................................................................................................................................................30
APPENDIX H – WAKING FROM SLEEP..........................................................................................................................................................................31
APPENDIX I - COMPLIANCE NOTICES..........................................................................................................................................................................32
WARRANTY ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................33

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Introduction
The Sealevel COMM+8.LPCI (Item# 7803c) is a PCI compliant interface adapter with eight RS-232
asynchronous serial ports from a single PCI slot supporting data rates up to 230,400 bps, for industrial
automation and control applications.
All modem control signals are implemented for maximum compatibility with a wide range of serial
peripherals. The Sealevel SeaCOM for Windows software driver and utilities make installation and operation
easy in Windows 7/10 and the 7803c works out of the box on many Linux distributions.
The board meets the requirements for the MD1 "Low-Profile" specification as defined by PCISIG in PCI 2.2
"Low-Profile Addendum.” The COMM+8.LPCI also features Universal Bus (3.3 and 5.0V) operation. Both a
low profile bracket and standard profile bracket are included with this board.
The product is RoHS compliant and meets the requirements of RoHS (2011/65/EU) directive and (EU)
2015/863.
Features
•Eight RS-232 serial ports
•High-speed UART with 256-byte TX and RX FIFOs
•Asynchronous data rates up to 230,400 bps
•Includes a 36” Micro 68-pin cable that terminates to eight serial ports

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Before You Get Started
What’s Included
The COMM+8.LPCI is shipped with the following items. If any of these items are missing or damaged,
please contact Sealevel for replacement.
•COMM+8.LPCI Adapter
o7803c – PCI Board with a Low Profile Bracket and a Standard Profile Bracket
•Micro 68-pin to (8) port cable, 36in Length
oCA202 – (8) DB25 ports, ships with items 7803c
oCA231 – (8) DB9 ports, ships with items 7803c-DB9
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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Optional Items
Depending upon your application, you are likely to find one or more of the following items useful with the
7803c. All items can be purchased from our website (www.sealevel.com) by calling our sales team at (864)
843-4343.
DB25 Serial Extension Cable (Part Number CA104)
The CA104 is a standard DB25F to DB25M serial extension
cable. Extend a DB25 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 DB25 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.
DB25F to DB9M Adapter – RS-232 Converter (Part Number CA140)
The CA140 converts an RS-232 DB25 Male connector to an RS-
232 DB9 Male connector.
MDB68 to (8) DB25M Cable (Part Number CA202)
The CA202 is a 36 inch cable with a micro DB68 connector
breaking out to eight DB25 male connectors. This is the
replacement for the break-out cable that ships with the 7803
and 7161 PCI serial boards.
MDB68 to (8) DB9M Cable (Part Number CA231)
The CA231 is a 36 cable with a micro DB68 connector breaking
out to eight DB9 male connectors. This cable optionally adds
DB9 male connectors to the 7803 and 7161 PCI serial boards.
DB25F to RJ45 Modular Adapter (Part Number RJ25S8)
The DB25 Female to RJ45 Modular Adapter is an excellent
choice for using available infrastructure wiring. Item ships
unassembled and can be easily configured without tools.

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OPTIONAL ITEMS, CONTINUED
Terminal Block
Terminal Block (Part Number TB04-KT)
The TB04-KT terminal block can be used to break out serial and
digital DB25 connectors to 25 screw terminals. The TB04-KT
makes it easy to field wire networks with different pin out
configurations. Compatible with any cable with a DB-25 male
connector.
The TB04-KT ships with a terminal block, a 6 inch piece of
slotted Snap Track, and two DIN-rail mounting clips.
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, yet it will work with
any DB9 serial connection, including RS-
232. The KT105
includes one DB9 terminal block (Item# TB05) and one DB9M
to DB9F 72 inch extension cable (Item# CA127). 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 KT104)
The KT104 terminal block kit bundles a DB25 breakout board,
a 6 inch piece of slotted Snap Track, two DIN-rail mounting
clips, and a DB25 serial extension cable.
Developed to simplify field wiring requirements, the Terminal
Block KT104’s onboard DB25F can be connected directly to
boards that include DB25M cables.

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Card Setup
Address and IRQ Selection
The 7803c 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 7803c derives a 125MHz clock for the Baud Rate Generator (BRG) from a 100MHz onboard, dual-
channel clock buffer. The internal BRG offers a wide range of possible baud rates configurable by software.
The best choice of clock divisor for a given baud rate is made automatically by the driver, with no need to
manually set clock divisor jumpers. The bit rate difference is within the +/– 2% recommended tolerance for
proper serial communication.
On-board LED indicator
Power LED (D1) is lit when the 7803c card and the UART [U6] are powered.

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Technical Description
The Sealevel Systems 7803c provides a PCI interface adapter with eight (8) asynchronous RS-232 serial
ports for modems, printers, and plotters, as well as industrial automation and control applications.
The 7803c 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 7803c includes a Micro 68-pin female connector for attaching the included cable.
Pin#
RS-232
Pin#
RS-232
Pin#
RS-232
Pin#
RS-232
1
Port 1 TD (O)
18
GND
35
Port 5 TD (O)
52
GND
2
Port 1 RI (I)
19
Port 3 TD (O)
36
Port 5 RI (I)
53
Port 7 TD (O)
3
Port 1 DCD (I)
20
Port 3 RI (I)
37
Port 5 DCD (I)
54
Port 7 RI (I)
4
Port 1 DTR (O)
21
Port 3 DCD (I)
38
Port 5 DTR (O)
55
Port 7 DCD (I)
5
Port 1 RTS (O)
22
Port 3 DTR (O)
39
Port 5 RTS (O)
56
Port 7 DTR (O)
6
Port 1 DSR (I)
23
Port 3 RTS (O)
40
Port 5 DSR (I)
57
Port 7 RTS (O)
7
Port 1 RD (I)
24
Port 3 DSR (I)
41
Port 5 RD (I)
58
Port 7 DSR (I)
8
Port 1 CTS (I)
25
Port 3 RD (I)
42
Port 5 CTS (I)
59
Port 7 RD (I)
9
Port 2 TD (O)
26
Port 3 CTS (I)
43
Port 6 TD (O)
60
Port 7 CTS (I)
10
Port 2 RI (I)
27
Port 4 TD (O)
44
Port 6 RI (I)
61
Port 8 TD (O)
11
Port 2 DCD (I)
28
Port 4 RI (I)
45
Port 6 DCD (I)
62
Port 8 RI (I)
12
Port 2 DTR (O)
29
Port 4 DCD (I)
46
Port 6 DTR (O)
63
Port 8 DCD (I)
13
Port 2 RTS (O)
30
Port 4 DTR (O)
47
Port 6 RTS (O)
64
Port 8 DTR (O)
14
Port 2 DSR (I)
31
Port 4 RTS (O)
48
Port 6 DSR (I)
65
Port 8 RTS (O)
15
Port 2 RD (I)
32
Port 4 DSR (I)
49
Port 6 RD (I)
66
Port 8 DSR (I)
16
Port 2 CTS (I)
33
Port 4 RD (I)
50
Port 6 CTS (I)
67
Port 8 RD (I)
17
GND
34
Port 4 CTS (I)
51
GND
68
Port 8 CTS (I)
(I) = Input
(O) = Output
“N/C” = Not Connected (unused)
“–” = Reserved

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DB25 Male Cable Pin Assignments
The 7803c includes a cable (Part Number CA202) with a Micro 68-pin male connector terminating to eight
DB25 male connectors.
Pin#
RS-232
Pin#
RS-232
1
N/C
14
N/C
2
TD (O)
15
N/C
3
RD (I)
16
N/C
4
RTS (O)
17
N/C
5
CTS (I)
18
N/C
6
DSR (I)
19
N/C
7
GND
20
DTR (O)
8
DCD (I)
21
N/C
9
N/C
22
RI (I)
10
N/C
23
N/C
11
N/C
24
N/C
12
N/C
25
N/C
13
N/C
N/A
N/A
(I) = Input
(O) = Output
“N/C” = Not Connected (unused)
“N/A” = Not Applicable
Please terminate any unused control signals. The most common way to do this in RS-232 mode is
to connect RTS to CTS and RI. Also, connect DTR to DCD and DSR.
DB9 Male Cable Pin Assignments
The 7803c includes a cable (Part Number CA231) with a Micro 68-pin male connector terminating to eight
DB9 male connectors.
The DB9M connectors are compatible with a variety of serial peripherals. Their RS-232 pin assignment
meets EIA/TIA/ANSI-574 DTE specifications for DB9 type connectors.

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(I) = Input
(O) = Output
Please terminate any unused control signals. The most common way to do this in RS-232 mode
is to connect RTS to CTS and RI, and to connect DTR to DCD and DSR.
Pin# RS-232
1 DCD (I)
2 RD (I)
3 TD (O)
4 DTR (O)
5 GND
6 DSR (I)
7 RTS (O)
8 CTS (I)
9 RI (I)

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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
MTBF (Telcordia SR-332 prediction method)
Mean Time Between Failure 1,025,240 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 Consumption
Typical Power Draw: 1.4 W
Supply voltage: +3.3 VDC
Rating: 410 mA

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Software Installation
Do not connect the hardware until the software has been successfully 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 o r e m a ilin g [e-mail].
This section contains helpful information pertaining to the installation of supported Sealevel Systems, Inc.
software packages. First, the process of acquiring the software is discussed. Next, the installation is
detailed in a step-by-step guide for Windows and Linux operating systems.
Where to Get Software
Current versions of Sealevel software packages can be obtained from the Sealevel website. If you already
have all the required software, proceed to the installation section for your operating system.
•For Windows:
oSoftware for Windows
oClick on the ‘Download File’ link to download the current version.
oProceed to the Windows Installation section.
•For Linux:
oNo Sealevel software required. Proceed to Linux Installation section.
Windows Installation
To in s t a ll Se a le ve l s o ft wa re , yo u m us t lo g in a s a n a d m inis tra t o r o r h a ve a d m in is t ra t o r p rivile g e s .
1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the downloaded Sealevel software. For example:
C:\Downloads\SS030705.exe
2. If you are using Windows Vista or newer operating systems, right click on the installer executable
and choose ’Run as Administrator’. If you are using an operating system prior to Windows Vista,
double click on the executable to launch the InstallShield wizard and initiate the driver installation.

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3. Once opened Select ‘Next’ as demonstrated in the image below.
4. When the ‘License Agreement’ window appears, accept the terms, and click ‘Next’ to continue. If
you do not accept the terms of the agreement, the wizard will stop.

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5. When the ‘Ready to Install the Program’ window appears, click the ‘Install’ button to install the
software onto the hard drive of your computer. Some versions of Windows will halt the installation
and provide you with a dialog box which will ask you for permission for the installer to make
changes to your computer. Click on the button to continue installation of your Sealevel software.
The below warning will appear when installing the driver on Windows 7. Select “Install this driver
anyway”on the warning.

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6. Click ‘Finish’ to complete the installation of SeaCOM onto your PC.
7. If prompted, reboot your computer for changes to take effect.
Linux Installation
No installation is required if your system meets the following requirements:
•Linux Kernel Version 6.1 or higher
•8250_exar kernel module present
Check Kernel Version
You may determine your kernel version by running the command below:
$ uname -a
If uname is not present on your system, you can try:
$ cat /proc/version
If you have a kernel version prior to 6.1 it is still possible that your distribution has incorporated
support for earlier kernel versions. We recommend researching the status of commit 14ee78d as
it re la t e s to yo u r s p e c ific d is t rib u tio n.

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Check presence of 8250_exar driver
The 8250_exar driver is included by default many distributions, but you can use the following
commands to verify it is present on your system.
If 8250_exar is installed, the command below will output detailed information about the driver.
$ modinfo 8250_exar
If modinfo is not present on your system, you can try the alternative below. If 8250_exar is installed,
the command below will output the file path of the driver.
$ find /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/ -iname 8250_exar.ko
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.
For additional software support or if you have any questions about using the 7803c in your system, 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].

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Hardware Installation
Do not install the PCI board until the software has been successfully installed.
Install the 7803c into an available PCI 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 is complete, you may need to restart the computer to finalize the
installation process.
Verifying Installation on Linux
To confirm the serial port has been installed, open a terminal, and run the command below. If the 7803c is
installed, you should see output indicating the assigned ttyS* ports.
$ dmesg | grep XR17V35X
[ 1.295217] 0000:01:00.0: ttyS0 at MMIO 0xf5cfc000 (irq = 24,
base_baud = 7812500) is a XR17V35X
[ 1.295306] 0000:01:00.0: ttyS1 at MMIO 0xf5cfc400 (irq = 24,
base_baud = 7812500) is a XR17V35X
[ 1.295395] 0000:01:00.0: ttyS2 at MMIO 0xf5cfc800 (irq = 24,
base_baud = 7812500) is a XR17V35X
[ 1.295484] 0000:01:00.0: ttyS3 at MMIO 0xf5cfcc00 (irq = 24,
base_baud = 7812500) is a XR17V35X
[ 1.295573] 0000:01:00.0: ttyS4 at MMIO 0xf5cfd000 (irq = 24,
base_baud = 7812500) is a XR17V35X
[ 1.295662] 0000:01:00.0: ttyS5 at MMIO 0xf5cfd400 (irq = 24,
base_baud = 7812500) is a XR17V35X
[ 1.295751] 0000:01:00.0: ttyS6 at MMIO 0xf5cfd800 (irq = 24,
base_baud = 7812500) is a XR17V35X
[ 1.295840] 0000:01:00.0: ttyS7 at MMIO 0xf5cfdc00 (irq = 24,
base_baud = 7812500) is a XR17V35X

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Verifying Installation on Windows
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 va ry by co m pute r (COM60
through COM67 are shown in this example).
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 slot. Do not remove until instructed to do so.

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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 the right pane, expand the ‘Multi-port serial adapters’ section by double
clicking it.
6. Locate the COMM+232.PCI device in the listing.
7. Right click on the entry for the ‘COMM+232.PCI’ 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 SeaCOM software via Windows Control Panel.
If you want to completely remove the hardware and software from your computer, power down your
computer, remove the device from the PCI slot, and then reboot your computer to complete the
uninstallation.

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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.
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-232 requires pins 2 (Receive) & 3 (Transmit) to be jumpered as shown in this graphic for CA202:
CA202
RS-232 requires pins 2 (Receive) & 3 (Transmit) to be jumpered as shown in this graphic for CA231:
CA231
If you do not have a loopback plug or jumper wires handy, you can use a metal device such as a
knife, s crewdriver, key, or paperclip to short pins two and three.