SeaLevel SeaLINK+4.VC User manual

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 2407 Manual | SL91746/2021
SeaLINK+4.VC
User Manual | 2407

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© Sealevel Systems, Inc. 2407 Manual | SL91746/2021
Contents
CONTENTS...........................................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................3
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED ...............................................................................................................................5
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.....................................................................................................7
PHYSICAL INSTALLATION.................................................................................................................................. 8
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................................9
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS .....................................................................................................................12
SPECIFICATIONS ...............................................................................................................................................13
APPENDIX A –TROUBLESHOOTING................................................................................................................14
APPENDIX B –HOW TO GET ASSISTANCE .....................................................................................................15
APPENDIX C –ELECTRICAL INTERFACE ........................................................................................................16
APPENDIX D –ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS ..................................................................................17
APPENDIX E –SILK SCREEN - 2407 PCB.........................................................................................................18
APPENDIX F –COMPLIANCE NOTICES...........................................................................................................19
WARRANTY ........................................................................................................................................................20

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Introduction
The Sealevel Systems SeaLINK+4.VC (Item# 2407) is a USB device that equips the PC with four RS-232 or
RS-485 Asynchronous serial ports. The SeaLINK+4.VC supports RS-232 data rates up to 115.2K bps and
RS-485 data rates up to 921.6K bps. The box does not need to be opened nor are there any dipswitches to
set. The 2407 is housed in an attractive plastic enclosure with a high-retention USB type "B" connector that
prevents accidental disconnection of the included USB cable.
The 2407 is USB bus powered, so no external power supply is required. For conveniently powering serial
peripherals, ordering options allow an external power source up to be connected to a DC jack on the rear of
the unit. The supplied power is fused and connected to pin 5 on each of the four RJ45 connectors.
With the unique VersaCom multi-interface connector design included on the SeaLINK+4.VC, both RS-232
and two-wire RS-485 signals are always present and active on the RJ45 serial connectors. Simply select
the appropriate pin out for RS-232 or two-wire RS-485 on a port-by-port basis.
The SeaLINK+4.VC is designed to be used with a variety of Operating Systems including Windows
98/ME/2000/XP. The SeaCOM API (Application Programmer Interface) included on CD with the
SeaLINK+4.VC provides a variety of useful high-level function calls implemented as a Windows dynamic
link library (DLL). In addition to the API, SeaCOM includes sample code and utilities to simplify software
development.

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Other Sealevel USB Serial I/O Product Family
Model #
Part #
Description
SeaLINK+232
2101
- 1-Port RS-232 DB25
SeaLINK+232
2105
- 1-Port RS-232 DB9
SeaLINK+485
2102
- 1-Port RS-422/485/530 DB25
SeaLINK+232I
2103
- 1-Port Isolated RS-232 DB25
SeaLINK+485I
2104
- 1-Port Isolated RS-422/485/530 DB25
SeaLINK+422
2106
- 1-Port RS-422 Cable DB9
SeaLINK+232.PC
2108
- 1-Port Embedded RS-232 Box Header
SeaLINK+2/232
2201
- 2-Port RS-232 DB9
SeaLINK+2/485
2202
- 2-Port RS-422/485 DB9
SeaLINK+2
2203
- 2-Port RS-232/422/485 DB9
SeaLINK+2/232.PC
2208
- 2-Port Embedded RS-232 Box Header
SeaLINK+4/232
2401
- 4-Port RS-232 DB9
SeaLINK+4/485
2402
- 4-Port RS-422/485 DB9
SeaLINK+4
2403
- 4-Port RS-232/422/485 DB9
SeaLINK+4/232.RJ
2404
- 4-Port RS-232 RJ45
SeaLINK+4.VC
2407
- 4-Port RS-232/485 VersaCom
SeaLINK+8/232
2801
- 8-Port RS-232 DB9
SeaLINK+8/485
2802
- 8-Port RS-422/485 DB9
SeaLINK+8
2803
- 8-Port RS-232/422/485 DB9
SeaLINK+8/232.RJ
2804
- 8-Port RS-232 RJ45
SeaLINK+8.VC
2807
- 8-Port RS-232/485 VersaCom
SeaLINK+16/232.RJ
2161
- 16-Port RS-232 RJ45
SeaLINK+16.VC
2167
- 16-Port RS-232/485 VersaCom

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Before You Get Started
What’s Included
The SeaLINK+4.VC is shipped with the following items. If any of these items is missing or damaged, please
contact Sealevel for replacement.
•Item# 2407 –SeaLINK+4.VC USB 8-Port Serial Device
•Item# CA179 –72” USB ‘A’ to ‘B’ Device Cable
•Item# LB116 –RS-232 RJ45 Serial Loopback
•Item# LB115 –RS-485 RJ45 Serial Loopback
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 for
interfacing the SeaLINK+4.VC. All items can be purchased from our website (http://www.sealevel.com/) or
by calling 864-843-4343.
•DB9 Male to RJ45 Modular Adapter (Item# RJ9P-232)
Preconfigured for use with the SeaLINK+4.VC, this modular adapter converts the RJ45 RS-232 pinout
from the SeaLINK+4.VC to a DB9 male RS-232 serial port. Standard CAT5 patch cables can be used to
extend the serial port up to 50 feet away from the SeaLINK+4.VC.
•DB25 Male to RJ45 Modular Adapter (Item# RJ25P-232)
Preconfigured for use with the SeaLINK+4.VC, this modular adapter converts the RJ45 RS-232 pinout
from the SeaLINK+4.VC to a DB25 male RS-232 serial port. Standard CAT5 patch cables can be used
to extend the serial port up to 50 feet away from the SeaLINL+16.VC.
•DB9 Male to RJ45 Modular Adapter (Item# RJ9P8)
The RJ9P8 includes an RJ45 connector and converts it to a DB9 Male connector, which allows the use
of standard twisted pair cabling. The RJ9P8 ships unassembled and can be configured for virtually any
pin out.
•DB25 Male to RJ45 Modular Adapter (Item# RJ25P8)
The RJ25P8 includes an RJ45 connector and converts it to a DB25 Male connector, which allows the
use of standard twisted pair cabling. The RJ25P8 ships unassembled and can be configured for
virtually any pin out.
•USB ‘A’ to ‘A’ Extension Cable, 3 Meters in Length (Item# CA214)
The CA214 is a fully rated USB extension cable that allows adding 3 meters (USB maximum of 5 meters)
to any existing USB cable. The cable has a type ‘A’ male connector on one end and a type ‘A’ female
connector on the other end.
•RJ45 Patch Cable, 7’ in Length (Item# CA246)
Standard 7’ CAT5 patch cable with one-to-one pinout.
•RJ45 Patch Cable, 10’ in Length (Item# CA247)
Standard 10’ CAT5 patch cable with one-to-one pinout.

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Software Installation Instructions
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista™ Operating Systems
Do not connect the device to a USB port until the software is installed.
1. Begin by locating, selecting, and installing the correct software from the Sealevel software driver
database.
2. Select the Part Number for your device from the listing. Select ‘Download Now’for the version of
SeaCOM for your system.
3. The setup file will automatically detect the operating environment and install the proper
components. Follow the information presented on the installation screens that follow.
4. 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.
5. During setup, you 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 included to remove the driver and all registry/INI
file entries from your system.
6. Proceed with the physical installation of your SeaLINK USB serial adapter.
Windows NT is not USB aware and thus cannot support this device.

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Physical Installation
The SeaLINK+4.VC can be connected to any spare USB port.
Do not connect the device to a USB port until the software is installed.
1. Connect the SeaLINK+4.VC to a USB port with the supplied CA179 USB device cable.
2. The software drivers installed during setup will automatically recognize and configure the device.
3. You should see one or more “New Hardware Found” windows, indicating the actual device being
created.
The installation will repeat twice for each COM port (a total of 8 times on the SeaLINK+4.VC). This
is a limitation in the way Windows installs external serial devices.
4. Next, view your system’s Device Manager.
5. You should have new COM: ports in the Ports (COM & LPT) Device Class indicating the installation
was successful.
6. You can access your new COM: port by using the assigned COM: identifier. This assignment will
vary from system to system.
7. To verify operation use Sealevel Systems supplied WinSSD diagnostic utility. WinSSD can be found
in the Start, Programs group.
The SeaLINK+4.VC is now ready for use.
.

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Technical Description
The SeaLINK+4.VC utilizes four USB UARTs. These chips feature programmable baud rate, data format,
128 byte Dual Port TX Buffer, and 384 byte Dual Port RX Buffer. The transceivers support data rates up to
921.6K bps.
Connector Pin Assignments (RJ45)
Signal
Name
Pin#
Mode
D+
RS-485 Data +
1
RTS
Request To Send
2
Output
TX
Transmit Data
3
Output
GND
Ground
4
NC
No Connect
5
RX
Receive Data
6
Input
CTS
Clear To Send
7
Input
D-
RS-485 Data -
8
DCD, DSR, and RI are inputs that are not brought out on the RJ45 connector. DSR and DCD are
biased active, and RI is biased inactive.

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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
Interface Selection
With the unique VersaCom multi-interface connector design, both RS-232 and two-wire RS-485 signals are
always present and active on the RJ45 connectors. Simply select the appropriate pin out for RS-232 or two-
wire RS-485 on each individual port. The unused interface on each connector should be left unconnected.
All inputs have appropriate biasing to keep them in an inactive state. If the unused interface pins are
connected to a cable, the outputs will attempt to drive the lines while the inputs will attempt to interpret any
voltage on the line as data, which can limit cable length and may result in communication failures.
Optional DC Power on Pin 5
The 2407 is USB bus powered, so no external power supply is required. For conveniently powering serial
peripherals, ordering options allow an external power source up to be connected to a DC jack on the rear of
the unit. The supplied power is connected to pin 5 on each of the four RJ45 connectors. Each serial port
utilizes an auto-resetting fuse rated at 500mA. Ordering options are shown below:
•Item# 2407-DC05
Configured for 5VDC input power using a 2.1mm DC jack
•Item# 2407-DC12
Configured for 12VDC input power using a 1.3mm DC jack
•Item# 2407-DC24
Configured for 24VDC input power using a 1.3mm DC jack
Optional RJ45 to DB9 RS-232 Adapter
Preconfigured for use with Sealevel USB RJ45-enabled serial adapters, the RJ45 to DB9 modular adapter
(item# RJ9P-232) converts the RJ45 RS-232 pin out to a DB9 male RS-232 serial port. Standard CAT5 patch
cables can be used to extend the serial port up to 50 feet away from the RJ45 port. The pin out for the
RJ9P-232 is shown below.

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TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
RS-485 Biasing and Termination
120W termination resistor always present
between Data+ and Data-
510W Biasing pull-up resistors on Data+
510W Biasing pull-down resistors on Data-

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Electrical Characteristics
Features
•Provides four RJ45 serial ports with status LEDs
•Allows RS-232 or RS-485 pin out selection on port-by-port basis
•Housed in rugged, attractive plastic enclosure
•Integrates transmit and receive LED indicators on each port
•High-retention USB type “B” connector prevents accidental disconnection of USB cable
•Powered by USB connection

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Specifications
Temperature Range
Specification
Operating
Storage
Temperature Range
-0º to 70º C (32º to 158º F)
-50º to 105º C (-58º to 221º F)
Power Requirements
Supply Line
+5 VDC
Rating
500 mA
Physical Dimensions (excluding bracket)
Length
9.2” (23.37 cm)
Width
5.3” (13.46 cm)
Height
1.7” (4.32 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.

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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. If your adapter is not working, first check to make sure that USB support is enabled in the System
BIOS, and it is functioning properly in the operating system. This can be done by using either the
Windows 98/ME or Windows 2000 Device Manager.
2. Ensure that the Sealevel Systems software has been installed on the machine so that the necessary
files are in place to complete the installation.
3. When the SeaLINK+4.VC is configured properly, Sealevel’s WinSSD utility and a loopback plug can
be used to check communications. You can make a simple Loopback in the field by connecting the
TX and RX pins. If you decide to test the Modem Control Signals, a full pin loopback plug will be
required. Details on loopback plugs are included within WinSSD. Contact Sealevel Systems if you
need further assistance.
4. When testing the SeaLINK+4.VC in loopback mode, you should see both the TD and RD echoed as
data on the screen. The loopback test first transmits a HEX pattern, 55AA, and then an ASCII string
of data. If this test passes, then the SeaLINK+4.VC is ready for use in your application.
5. 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 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday.
For email support contact sup[email protected].

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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 AM to 5:00 PM 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
SeaLINK+4.VC is a DTE device.
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 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 E –Silk Screen - 2407 PCB

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Appendix F –Compliance Notices
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Statement
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 user’s 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”.
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 I/O 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 achieved ISO-9001:2015 certification in 2018.
Warranty Policy
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 the warranty period. 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, abuse, accidents, or acts of nature
are not covered under this warranty.
Warranty service may be obtained by delivering the Product to Sealevel and providing proof of purchase.
Customer agrees to ensure 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.
This warranty applies to Sealevel manufactured Product. Product purchased through Sealevel but
manufactured by a third party will retain the original manufacturer's warranty.
Non-Warranty Repair/Retest
Products returned due to damage or misuse and Products retested with no problem found are subject to
repair/retest charges. A purchase order or credit card number and authorization must be provided in order
to obtain an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number prior to returning Product.
How to obtain an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization)
If you need to return a product for warranty or non-warranty repair, you must first obtain an RMA number.
Please contact Sealevel Systems, Inc. Technical Support for assistance:
Available Monday –Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM EST
Phone [phone]
Email [email protected]
Trademarks
Sealevel Systems, Incorporated acknowledges that all trademarks referenced in this manual are the service
mark, trademark, or registered trademark of the respective company.