Black Box Black Box ServSwitch manual

SEPTEMBER 2002 ACU5010A ACU5011A FREE tech support 24 hours a day , 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax 724-746-0746 . Mailing address: Black Box Corporation , 1000 Park Dr ., Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 World-Wide Web: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: info@blackbox.com © Copyright 2002. Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved. Customer Support Inf[...]

1 THE SER VSWITCH™ F AMIL Y W elcome to the Ser vSwitch™ Family! Thank you for purchasing a BLACK BOX ® ServSwitch™ Brand KVM extender! We appreciate your business, and we think you’ll appreciate the many ways that this product will save you money, time, and effort. Our ServSwitch family is all about breaking away from the traditional, exp[...]

2 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER FEDERAL COMMUNICA TIONS COMMISSION AND INDUSTRY CANADA RADIO-FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE ST A TEMENTS This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy, and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio commun[...]

3 EU DECLARA TION OF CONFORMITY EUROPEAN UNION DECLARA TION OF CONFORMITY This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class A computing device in accordance with the specifications in the European standard EN55022. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference. This equipment ge[...]

4 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER NORMAS OFICIALES MEXICANAS (NOM) ELECTRICAL SAFETY ST A TEMENT INSTRUCCIONES DE SEGURIDAD 1. Todas las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser leídas antes de que el aparato eléctrico sea operado. 2. Las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser guardadas para referencia futura. 3. Todas la[...]

5 NOM ST A TEMENT 12. Precaución debe ser tomada de tal manera que la tierra fisica y la polarización del equipo no sea eliminada. 13. Los cables de la fuente de poder deben ser guiados de tal manera que no sean pisados ni pellizcados por objetos colocados sobre o contra ellos, poniendo particular atención a los contactos y receptáculos donde s[...]

6 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER Contents Chapter Page 1. Specifications ............................................................................................. 8 2. Introduction ............................................................................................. 11 2.1 Features and Benefits ..........................................[...]

7 T ABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page 5. Operation ................................................................................................. 36 5.1 Power-Up Status .............................................................................. 36 5.2 The Extender’s LEDs ..................................................................... 37 5[...]

8 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 1. Specifications Cable Required — Between transmitters and receivers: Four-pair (eight- wire) Category 5 or higher unshielded twisted-pair (UTP); shielded twisted-pair (STP) can also be used at shorter distances Compliance — CE (EN55022 Class A); FCC Part 15 Subpart B Class A, IC Class/classe A Standards — VG[...]

9 CHAPTER 1: Specifications Connectors — ACU5010A transmitter: (1) Left-side-mounted DB25 female for CPU connection; (1) Left-side mounted 8-pin mini-DIN female expansion port for future features; (1) Right-side-mounted RJ-45 for CAT5 link to transmitter; ACU5010A receiver, ACU5011A: (2) Left-side-mounted 6-pin mini-DIN female, (1) for keyboard a[...]

10 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER Power (cont’d) — Consumption: ACU5010A transmitter: 0.9 watts typical, 2.5 watts maximum; ACU5010A receiver or ACU5011A: 2.5 watts maximum; Size — ACU5010A transmitter, ACU5010A receiver, ACU5011A: 1"H x 4.9"W x 3.1"D (2.5 x 12.5 x 7.9 cm); rear edge of endplate protrudes an additional 0.4"[...]

11 CHAPTER 2: Introduction 2. Introduction The ServSwitch™ Wizard Extender is designed to transfer keyboard, video, and mouse signals up to 200 meters (655 ft.) over Category 5 or higher twisted-pair cable. At its most basic, the Extender consists of a local transmitter and a remote receiver interconnected with a twisted-pair cable. The receiver [...]

12 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 2.1 Features and Benefits Some useful features of the Extender: • Enables a keyboard, monitor, and mouse to be located up to 200 meters (655 ft.) of UTP or 100 meters (330 ft.) of STP from a computer or KVM switch. • Uses a single Category 5 (or better) twisted-pair cable to carry all the keyboard, video, and m[...]

13 CHAPTER 2: Introduction • Flash-upgradeable through its keyboard ports. • Power/activity LED indicators confirm correct operation. • Robust metal cases ensure good shielding and video quality. • Supports IBM ® PC compatibles, Compaq ® Alpha ® , SGI™, and RS/6000 ® computers. • “Transparent” mode enables the Extender to be use[...]

14 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 2.2 Complete Packages The ServSwitch Wizard Extender Kit (ACU5010A) comes with: • (1) Local transmitter module; • (1) Remote receiver module; • (1) Power adapter for the receiver, including a region-specific input cord; • (1) 2-m (6.5-ft.) three-to-one cable to connect the transmitter to a computer or KVM s[...]

15 CHAPTER 2: Introduction 2.3 The Extender Illustrated Figure 2-1. The Extender’s transmitter (local part of ACU5010A). Figure 2-2. The Extender’s receiver (ACU5011A or r emote part of ACU5010A). DIP switch for configuration VIEW FROM RIGHT SIDE VIEW FROM RIGHT SIDE VIEW FROM LEFT SIDE VIEW FROM LEFT SIDE LED shows power status and data activi[...]

16 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER Figure 2-3. The Ser vSwitch Wizard Extender Chassis (ACU5000A). Slots for up to 16 transmitters, receivers, and chassis power supplies[...]

17 CHAPTER 2: Introduction 2.4 Safety Concerns As you prepare to install the ServSwitch Wizard Extender, please keep these things in mind: • The Extender is for use in dry, oil-free indoor environments only. • Make sure that the rated current draw in amperes of all of the devices plugged into the same extension cord, outlet, or circuit as your [...]

18 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 3. Installation 3.1 What Y ou Will Need These things must be in place before you can install your ServSwitch™ Wizard Extender: • Four-pair (eight-wire) twisted-pair cabling rated to at least Category 5. This should be long enough to reach from your Extender transmitter to the receiver, up to a maximum of 200 me[...]

19 CHAPTER 3: Installation • If your computer CPU is farther than 2 m (6.5 ft.) from your Extender transmitter: One or more cables to replace or extend the included cable for connecting the CPU to the transmitter, up to a maximum distance of 5 m (15 ft.). You can use VGA and PS/2 extension cables such as EVNPS05 and EVNPS03. To attach a CPU with [...]

20 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 3.2 Placement NOTE If you’d like to put an Extender module in a space in which its rackmount-enabling endplate doesn’t fit well, or if you need to remove its endplate for whatever other reason, you can do so by unscrewing the two end-mounted screws that hold it on. The ServSwitch Wizard Extender’s transmitter[...]

21 CHAPTER 3: Installation You can cover one (ACU5003) or four (ACU5004) empty slots in the chassis using our Blank Chassis Panels. The ACU5003 Single Blank Panel comes with one (ACU5003) or two screws that you’ll use to secure it to the chassis in the same way you’d secure a module. The ACU5004 Quad Blank Panel should be secured with one screw[...]

22 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 3.3 The Installation Procedure First make sure the power adapter is unplugged and disconnected from the ServSwitch Wizard Extender’s receiver. Also make sure that (if possible) all of the devices you want to attach to your Extender system are turned off and unplugged. (If you have to “hot-plug” a powered comp[...]

23 CHAPTER 3: Installation 4. Plug your monitor, keyboard, and mouse directly into the appropriately labeled connectors on the Extender receiver. Or, if you need to place them too far away to plug in directly, plug them into extension cables (see the Appendix ) and run the extension cables to the connectors on the receiver. 5. Plug the output cord [...]

24 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER Figure 3-3. A simplified ACU5010A Wizard Extender installation. Receiver Transmitter Computer CPU Included three-to-one cable Keyboard, mouse, and monitor plug in directly or with extension cables (see the Appendix ) To included power adapter CAT5 or higher cable, up to 200 m (655 ft.)[...]

25 CHAPTER 3: Installation Figure 3-4. A simplified ACU5011A Wizard Extender receiver installation. Receiver Remote user #1 Optional local user #1 Local user #2 Local users’ monitors, keyboards, and mice plug in directly or with extension cables ServSwitch Duo (KV6108SA) Computer CPUs connected with EHN408 cables Keyboard, mouse, and monitor plug[...]

26 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 4. Configuration To configure your ServSwitch™ Wizard Extender system, first you’ll need to configure any directly attached PC, as directed in Section 4.1 . Then you’ll need to configure the Extender itself, as directed in the rest of this chapter. IMPOR T ANT NOTE Throughout the rest of this manual, the [Ent[...]

27 CHAPTER 4: Configuration 4.2 Configuring the Extender The ServSwitch Wizard Extender ships from the factory in a default state that’s suitable for most applications, but it has a large number of configuration options. You’ll set different options using one of two different methods: • Set the 8-position DIP switches on the Extender’s rece[...]

28 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER Figure 4-1. The receiver’s DIP-switch settings. Transmitter’s DIP switch (leave all positions OFF—the default settings—for normal operation): • Position 1: Move this position to ON to put the transmitter in upgrade mode (see Chapter 6 ) so that new firmware can be downloaded into its flash memory. • Pos[...]

29 CHAPTER 4: Configuration • Position 3: If you’ve password-protected the Extender’s receiver and lost the password, move this switch position to ON to put the Extender in configuration mode when it powers up. This will allow you to reset the password, as described in Section 4.4 . • Position 4: To reset the Extender without removing power[...]

30 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 4.2.2 U SING C ONFIGURATION M ODE If hotkeys are currently enabled (see Section 4.2.1 ), you can put the Extender in configuration mode by pressing the currently selected hotkeys along with the [Enter] key. For example, if the currently selected hotkey combination is the default pairing of [Ctrl] and [Shift], press[...]

31 CHAPTER 4: Configuration they’re flashing slowly (to a minimum of one cycle per second for zero distance), the Extender is compensating at a low level suitable for shorter runs of twisted-pair cable. If they’re flashing quickly (to a maximum at which the cycling can no longer be distinguished and it looks like all the LEDs are “half on” [...]

32 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 4. When you find the best possible picture—and finish entering any other configuration commands (see Section 4.2.2.B )—press [Enter] to save the configuration setting and exit configuration mode. The compensation setting is saved in EEPROM, so it will persist even if the Extender is powered off. For this reason[...]

33 CHAPTER 4: Configuration [M] [6] [Enter] = Restore regular mouse [M] [7] [Enter] = Restore IntelliMouse • Set/clear password (see Section 4.4 ): [P] [Enter] (password) [Enter] = Sets the Extender’s password [P] [Enter] [Enter] = Clears the Extender’s password • [F] [1] [Enter] = Display firmware version (see Section 7.5 ) • [F] [2] [En[...]

34 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 4.4 Setting a Password for the Extender There are many situations where access to corporate file servers or sensitive information needs to be controlled. In such circumstances, the ServSwitch Wizard Extender’s transmitter and the attached CPU can be locked away in a secure room or cabinet and controlled from the [...]

35 CHAPTER 4: Configuration If you want to remove the password after setting one, get into configuration mode, type the letter “P”, and press the [Enter] key as before, but then press [Enter] again without typing in any other characters. (If you try to lock the Extender before you’ve set a password, or after you’ve removed the password, the[...]

36 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 5. Operation This chapter explains the general operation of the ServSwitch™ Wizard Extender. We recommend that you read this chapter carefully before starting to use the Extender; also make very sure you have read the important note at the start of Chapter 4 ! 5.1 Power-Up Status Under normal circumstances, the S[...]

37 CHAPTER 5: Operation 5.2 The Extender’ s LEDs The ServSwitch Wizard Extender’s transmitter and receiver modules each have one LED mounted on their right sides next to their RJ-45 interconnect ports. There is a similar LED on the right side of the power-supply module. If you have the modules mounted in the Extender Chassis, this LED can be re[...]

38 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 5.3 How the Extender Uses the Keyboard LEDs The ServSwitch Wizard Extender also uses the LEDs on the attached keyboards to indicate various conditions. It will light the Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock LEDs in several different ways: • Configuration-mode indication—rolling sequence. As shown in Figure 5-1,[...]

39 CHAPTER 5: Operation 5.4 Things to Keep in Mind About the Keyboards and Mice PC bootup sequence: When your PC CPUs are powered on, they communicate with any attached keyboards and mice and load the setup parameters required by their particular operating systems. It is necessary for the Extender to be attached and powered on during this sequence [...]

40 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 5.5 Keyboard Control: Hotkey Commands You can control several functions on the ServSwitch Wizard Extender—including CPU connection/disconnection, screen blanking, locking, and entering configuration mode—from the keyboard, using commands triggered with the Extender’s currently selected hotkey combination. All[...]

41 CHAPTER 5: Operation Extender is locked, you will have to press [Enter] to clear those characters so that they won’t invalidate the password when you proceed to type it in. • Use {Hotkeys} + [Enter] to cause the Extender to go into configuration mode. See Section 4.2.2 . Examples of how to enter these hotkey commands (assuming the hotkeys ar[...]

42 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 5.6 Hot-Plugging PS/2 Mice and Mouse Ports into the Extender and Re-Enabling Disconnected CPU PS/2 Mouse Ports It is advisable to switch off the computer systems that are going to be connected to the ServSwitch Wizard Extender before you install them. However, even if this is not possible, most systems can be “ho[...]

43 CHAPTER 5: Operation To restore lost mouse movement on a CPU connected to the Extender: 1. At the receiver’s keyboard, select the CPU that has lost its mouse movement. 2. Enter configuration mode (see Section 4.2.2 ) by pressing the hotkeys followed by [Enter]. 3. To restore a PS/2 mouse connection, issue the [M] [6] [Enter] command. Or, to re[...]

44 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 6. Upgrading the Extender’ s Firmware The ServSwitch™ Wizard Extender uses flash-rewritable program memory, and you can upgrade its firmware code by using a PC program to download new firmware into the transmitter and receiver through their keyboard connections. (The transmitter and receiver may be independentl[...]

45 CHAPTER 6: Upgrading the Extender’ s Firmware 3. Power down the computer that will be running the upgrade program. 4. Disconnect the twisted-pair cable and any previously connected CPU from the transmitter. 5. Connect the transmitter to the computer that will be running the upgrade program as shown in Figure 6-1. You only need to connect the k[...]

46 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 11. Power down the Extender’s receiver and disconnect the twisted-pair cable and any previously connected keyboard from it. 12. Use standard PS/2 extension cable such as product code EVNPS03 to connect the receiver’s keyboard port to the keyboard port of the computer that will be running the upgrade program, as[...]

47 CHAPTER 6: Upgrading the Extender’ s Firmware 18. Reconnect the upgraded transmitter and receiver to each other and to any previously connected equipment.[...]

48 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER 7. T roubleshooting If your ServSwitch™ Wizard Extender is not providing sharp video, you can force it to apply automatic video compensation as described in Section 7.1 . If one or more of the red, green, and blue colors in the video it’s displaying seems separated or offset, have the Extender report how much s[...]

49 CHAPTER 7: T roubleshooting 7.2 Reporting and Compensating for Video Skew If you notice that one or more of the primary colors (red, green, or blue) in the video image displayed on your monitor has separated from the others and is horizontally offset from them on your screen—for example, if colored shadows trail bright white objects, as shown [...]

50 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER • If none of the other solutions are practical or if none of them work, you can install a ServSwitch™ Wizard Skew Compensator (product code ACU5100A) between your transmitter and receiver, as shown in Figure 7-2. Figure 7-2. An Extender system with a Skew Compensator installed. Receiver Skew Compensator Transmi[...]

51 CHAPTER 7: T roubleshooting Before you install or configure a Skew Compensator—or try the other remedies— you might want to have the Extender report how much skew is occurring in your system. To do this, take these steps: 1. Make sure the transmitter and receiver are connected with the twisted-pair cable you want to use. If you already have [...]

52 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER The first section of the report indicates the length differences between the twisted pairs that are carrying the red, green, and blue color signals. One of the colors will have a reported length difference of “+0.0M”; this is the color carried by the shortest twisted pair. The other reported differences are how[...]

53 CHAPTER 7: T roubleshooting 7.3 Other Problems and Possible Solutions Problem: Poor video quality with smearing, fuzziness, or rippling. Possible Solution: Make sure that the video compensation has been set for your system, as described in Sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2.A . Check for video skew; see Section 7.2 . Make sure your Category 5 cable is pin[...]

54 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER Problem: Compaq MX11800 model integrated keyboard and mouse only: The mouse consistently fails to boot when the Extender is connected to a PC running Windows NT ® 4.0 through its PS/2 style mouse port. Possible Solutions: There are three possible solutions to this problem: 1. Use a different type of mouse. 2. Conn[...]

55 CHAPTER 7: T roubleshooting 7.6 Calling Black Box If you determine that your ServSwitch Wizard Extender is malfunctioning, do not attempt to alter or repair the unit . It contains no user-serviceable parts. Contact Black Box Technical Support at 724-746-5500. Before you do, make a record of the history of the problem. We will be able to provide [...]

56 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER Appendix: Cable Guidelines NOTE The maximum supported cable lengths vary widely between devices and cables. It might be possible to use cables that are longer than those specified in this Appendix with certain computers and peripherals, but this can’t be guaranteed. If you have problems, try using shorter cables.[...]

57 APPENDIX: Cable Guidelines Figure A-1. The RS-232 mouse adapter’s pinout. 6-pin mini-DIN attaches to Wizard or cable from Wizard N/C RLSD (DCD) RD KDAT TD SGND +5V KCLK -12V TD (-12V) DTR SGND DSR RTS CTS RI N/C N/C DB9 attaches to PC’s serial port or cable to PC’s serial port 12 2 3 4 4 3 56 6 5 Female Male 1 1 Male Female 5 69 51 96[...]

58 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER A.3 T wisted-Pair Cabling Between the T ransmitter and Receiver To interconnect the transmitter and receiver of your ServSwitch™ Wizard Extender, you can use either shielded twisted pair (STP) or unshielded twisted pair (UTP) rated to Category 5 or higher. It should be pinned straight-through and paired according[...]

59 APPENDIX: Cable Guidelines Cable Pinning: Straight-through (Pin 1 to Pin 1, 2 to 2, etc.) Cable Pairing: Pair 1: Pins 4 and 5 (differential green video and vertical sync) Pair 2: Pins 1 and 2 (differential blue video) Pair 3: Pins 3 and 6 (differential red video and horizontal sync) Pair 4: Pins 7 and 8 (keyboard and mouse data) Figure A-2. T wi[...]

60 SER VSWITCH™ WIZARD EXTENDER TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL BLACK BOX and the logo are registered trademarks, and ServSwitch and ServSwitch Wizard are trademarks, of Black Box Corporation. Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Compaq and Alpha are registered trademarks of Compaq Computer Corporation. Hewlett-Pac[...]

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JANUARY 2001 ACS235A ACS236A R G B 2 1 FIBER KVM EXTENDER Power Remote Unit FREE tech support 24 hours a day , 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax 724-746-0746 . Mailing address: Black Box Corporation , 1000 Park Dr ., Lawrence, P A 15055-1018 World-Wide W eb: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: info@blackbox.com © Copyright 2001. Black Box Corporati[...]