Vertiv Avocent HMX Installation and maintenance instructions

Avocent® HMX High Performance
KVM Extender System
Installer/User Guide

Vertiv™ | Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide
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Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Product Overview 1
1.1 Features and Benefits 1
1.1.1 Additional video features 1
1.1.2 USB support 2
1.1.3 Transport Layer Security (TLS) 2
1.1.4 Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX Advanced Manager software 2
1.2 Extender System Devices 2
1.2.1 Extender interfaces 2
1.2.2 Firmware upgrades 2
1.2.3 Device ports 3
1.2.4 Management and VNC ports 3
1.2.5 Device status indicators 10
1.2.6 HMX 5150T/6150T transmitter 11
2 Installation and Configuration 13
2.1 Configuration Options 13
2.2 System Recommendations 14
2.2.1 Factory reset 15
2.3 Basic Configuration 15
2.3.1 Firmware upgrade 18
2.4 HMX 5150T/6150T Transmitter 18
2.4.1 USB and power connections 19
2.4.2 Status indicators 19
2.4.3 Restoring a firmware backup 20
2.4.4 Performing an upgrade 20
2.4.5 Configuring the HMX 6150T transmitter 21
2.4.6 Factory resetting the HMX 5150T and 6150Ttransmitters 21
3 System Configuration Utility 23
3.1 General Operations 23
3.1.1 Locating an extender within a rack or data center 23
3.1.2 Enabling system messages 23
3.1.3 Enabling HMX Advanced Manager server control 24
3.1.4 Recording bandwidth statistics 24
3.1.5 Rebooting and resetting the extender's factory default 24
3.2 Advanced Transmitter Configuration 24
3.2.1 Configuring transmitter video 24
3.2.2 Viewing video snapshots and reports 26
3.2.3 Configuring the transmitter USB and security settings 26
3.2.4 Configuring the HMX 6210T transmitter 27
3.3 Advanced Receiver Configuration 27
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Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide

3.3.1 Configuring receiver video 28
3.3.2 Configuring receiver USB and security settings 28
4 Configuring the HMX 6500 Receiver 31
4.1 Network Connections 31
4.2 OLED Screen 31
4.2.1 Front panel indicator 32
4.2.2 Viewing the configuration page 33
5 Configuring the HMX 8000 system 35
5.1 General Information 35
5.2 UI Settings 36
5.3 Presets 36
5.4 Ports 37
5.4.1 Video ports 37
5.4.2 Audio Ports 37
5.4.3 USBPorts 38
5.4.4 Serial Ports 39
5.5 Network 39
5.6 Diagnostics and Statistics 40
5.6.1 Log Settings 40
5.6.2 Network Statistics 41
5.6.3 Video Port Status 41
5.6.4 Video Port Statistics 43
5.7 System 44
5.8 Fiber Modules and Cables 44
Appendices 47
Appendix A: Technical Specifications 47
Appendix B: Pinout Information 60
Appendix C: On-Screen Display 61
Appendix D: Supported Video Modes 66
Appendix E: Troubleshooting 67
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Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide

1 Product Overview
The Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX Advanced High Performance KVM extender system is the next generation of Avocent keyboard,
video and mouse (KVM) products. The system offers flexible ways to link receivers, transmitters and systems via standard
networks.
1.1 Features and Benefits
The HMX 5000, 6000 and 8000 series extenders provide a high-performance, reliable desktop extension experience by
converting high quality DVI or DPand 4K video, audio and USB data into Internet Protocol (IP) messages. Via the included
web-based System Configuration utility, you can customize and enable audio options for the transmitters and receivers
throughout your system. All models support copper-based Gigabit Ethernet cabling and Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).
Dual models allow these to be used in parallel to provide additional Gigabit connection speeds as well as link redundancy that
maintains operation in the event of a failed connection.
The HMX high performance extenders support single-head video at single-link resolutions, but the dual models of both series
also support dual-head video at two single or one dual-link resolution. Within the HMX 6000 extender series, the HMX 6210T
extender also has a built-in Virtual Network Computing (VNC) server allowing it to stream low-bandwidth versions of high-
resolution output (via a dedicated Ethernet port). This allows remote access via a VNC viewer, through any standard network.
The HMX 8000 extender provides dual-head 4K video, audio and USBdelivered over a fiber connection.
Options HMX 5100
Extenders
HMX 5200
Extenders
HMX 6200
Extenders
HMX6200 (DP)
Extenders
HMX 6210T
Transmitter
HMX 8000
extenders
Primary video Single-link Single-link Dual-link DP++ Dual-link DP
Secondary
video No Single-link Single-link DP++ Single-link DP
VNC support No No No No Yes No
Copper cable
support Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fiber cable
support Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Table 1.1 Model Descriptions
1.1.1 Additional video features
The HMX extender system allows you to choose how to compress video transmission across your network. The system is
automatically loaded with a lossless codec compression Run-Length Encoding (RLE) scheme which encodes or decodes a
digital data stream or signal to improve the appearance of natural images, gradients or shadows. If you do not need "pixel
perfect" results for your images, a compression scheme that can be added and configured to provide increased system speed.
Anti-dither capability
While the dithering process smooths the appearance of gradually shaded areas in video images, it can slow down system
performance. If using Apple Mac or other computers with dithered video output in your network, the HMX extender system
provides an anti-dither capability to increase performance and reduce network traffic.
NOTE: Enabling the anti-dither feature may produce slight color inaccuracies on the monitor.
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Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide

Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) management
The EDID is used to provide details to the monitor graphics card so it uses the optimal video resolution. With the HMX
extender system, you can use the EDID of the monitor connected to the receiver or use a fixed EDID that is stored on the
transmitter.
1.1.2 USB support
The HMX extender system transmitters use USB Emulation technology, which enables faster keyboard and mouse switching
for up to 13 different USB devices or an infinite amount of the same devices. This technology emulates certain USB peripheral
signals to the computer, causing those peripherals to appear permanently connected to the computer, even when the
receivers are switched elsewhere. Other supported USB devices include Human Interface Devices (HID), storage devices
such as flash drives and various printers, scanners and serial adaptors.
NOTE: The HMX extender system does not support isochronous USB devices such as microphones, speakers,
webcams and television receivers.
1.1.3 Transport Layer Security (TLS)
The HMXextender system supports the industry standard TLS protocol which offers protection against third party
monitoring and tampering when data is transferred across networks.
1.1.4 Vertiv™ Avocent®HMX Advanced Manager software
The HMX Advanced Manager software is a secure, web browser-based, centralized, enterprise management solution that
provides remote management and monitoring of the extender system. The software handles all administration, access control,
monitoring and firmware upgrades across the extender system. For more information on the HMX Advanced Manager
software, see the Vertiv™ Avocent®HMX Advanced Manager Software Installer/User Guide.
NOTE: When using the HMX Advanced Manager software server to configure your HMX extender system, ensure that
all transmitters and receivers are set to their factory defaults. Otherwise, they will not be located by the HMX
Advanced Manager server.
1.2 Extender System Devices
Within the HMX extender system, transmitters and receivers allow you to seamlessly access and share one or more remote
computers that are physically separated from your local work environment.
1.2.1 Extender interfaces
Administrators and users can manage and configure transmitters and receivers in the extender system through a web-based
System Configuration utility. Receivers within the system also have an On-Screen Display (OSD) that allows users to establish
target connections from a local keyboard and mouse.
1.2.2 Firmware upgrades
Transmitters and receivers are flash upgradable at any time to ensure that your system is running the most current version
available. If your system is running the most current firmware version and is managed by the HMX Advanced Manager
software, then that same version must be used across all units in your system. Firmware versions can be mixed in
configurations not using the HMX Advanced Manager software, but it is always recommended to use the most current
version.
1 Product Overview
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Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide

1.2.3 Device ports
Transmitters and receivers in the HMX extender system share similar port layouts and functionality. After the general
descriptions provided in this section, the following graphics illustrate where these ports and other features are located on the
transmitters and receivers. For more information on configuring and working with these ports, see System Configuration
Utility on page23.
System and Teaming ports
The system port on transmitters and receivers is the default location to connect devices in either a direct connect
configuration or a matrix configuration. On HMX extender dual-head models, the teaming port can be used in conjunction
with the system port to provide immediately increased connection speeds of up to 2 Gigabits per second. On HMX8000
models, you can use two 10gb fiber cables for connection speeds up to 20 GB per second. Using these ports together also
improves video, audio and peripheral feed quality, increases bandwidth in your system and creates link redundancy that can
maintain operation in the event of a failed connection. The web-based System Configuration utility can be accessed from
either port, although the system port is the default location.
Serial port
The AUX serial port on transmitters and receivers allows RS232 signals to be extended up to a baud rate of 115200.
1.2.4 Management and VNC ports
HMX extender dual-head transmitters and receivers have a port on the left side of the front panel. For the HMX 6210T
transmitter, this port is a VNC port that transmits low-bandwidth video output to authorized remote viewers. On the remaining
dual-head models, this port is a management port that allows you to access the System Configuration utility if the system port
is already in use due to the extenders operating in a direct connect configuration.
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Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide

Figure 1.1 Avocent® HMX Receiver Overview (Dual Head HMX 6200 DVI-D Receiver Shown)
ITEM Description
1 HMX 5200/6200 receivers: Management port. This port appears on dual-head models only.
2 Device status indicators.
3 Teaming port.
4 System port.
5 Power input.
6 Option switches.
7 USB peripheral device connection, such as keyboard or mouse.
8 Video output on single-head receivers; secondary port on dual-head receivers.
9 Primary video output on dual-head receivers.
10 Audio in.
11 Audio out.
12 Serial (AUX) port.
Table 1.2 Avocent® HMX 6200 DVI-D Receiver Descriptions
1 Product Overview
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Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide

Figure 1.2 Avocent® HMX6200 DPReceiver Overview
ITEM Description
1 Status indicator
2 Reset switch
3 Headphone/headset port
4 USB peripheral device connection, such as keyboard or mouse
5 Analog audio line out
6 Status indicator
7 Secondary display port
8 Primary display port
9 SFP port
10 Power input
Table 1.3 Avocent® HMX 6200 DP Receiver Descriptions
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Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide

Figure 1.3 Avocent® HMX6500 DPReceiver Overview
Item Description Item Description
1 Reset switch 9 RJ45 network port
2 Headphones port 10 Secondary SFPport
3 Microphone port 11 Primary SFP port
4 Audio line-out port 12 Secondary display port
5 USBports 13 Primary display port
6 OLEDdisplay 14 USBports
7 OLEDcontrol button 15 Power input
8 OLEDstatus indicator
Table 1.4 HMX 6500 Receiver Overview Descriptions
1 Product Overview
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Vertiv™ Avocent® HMX High Performance KVM Extender System Installer/User Guide