Black Box CAT KVM Extender manual

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Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    November 2009 ACU1022A ACU1028A ACU1049A ACUVREM ACUREMSW CAT KVM Extender 5[...]

  • Page 2

    [...]

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    THE SERVSWITCH ™ FAMILY 1 Welcome to the ServSwitch™ Family! Thank you for purchasing a B LACK BOX® ServSwitch™ Brand CAT5 KVM Extender model! We appreciate your business, and we thi nk you’ll appreciate the many wa ys that your enhanced keyboard/vid eo/mouse system w ill save you money, time, and effort. That’s because our ServSwitch fa[...]

  • Page 4

    THE SERVSWITCH ™ FAMILY 2 Copyrights and Trademarks ©2002/2009. All rights reserved. This inform ation may not be reproduced in an y manner without the prior written c onsent of the manufacturer. Information in this document is subject to ch ange without notice and th e manufacturer shall not be liable for any direct , indirect, s pecia l, incid[...]

  • Page 5

    FCC/CDC STATEMENTS 3 FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS RADIO-FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENTS This equipment generate s, uses, and can r adiate radio-frequ ency energy, and if not installed and used properly, th at is, in str ict accordance wit h the manufactur er’s instructions, m ay cause interference [...]

  • Page 6

    DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY 4 EUROPEAN UNION COMPLIANCE STATEMENT WARNING! This is a class A product. In a domest ic environment, this p roduct may cause radio interferen ce, in which case the use r might be required to take adequ ate remedial measu res. This product complies with the following h arm onized standards for Information Technology Equipm[...]

  • Page 7

    NOM STATEMENT 5 NORMAS OFICIALES MEXICANAS (NOM) ELECTRICAL SAFETY STATEMENT INSTRUCCIONES DE SEGURIDAD 1. Todas las instrucciones de se guridad y operación deberán ser leídas antes de que el aparato eléctrico sea operado. 2. Las instrucciones de seguridad y operación debe rán ser guardadas para referencia futura. 3. Todas las advertenci as e[...]

  • Page 8

    NOM STATEMENT 6 14. El equipo eléctri co debe ser lim piado únicamen te de acuerdo a las recomend aciones del fabricante. 15. En caso de exis tir, una anten a externa deber á ser localizad a lejos d e las lineas de energia . 16. El cable de corriente deberá ser desconectado del cuando el equipo no sea usado p or un largo periodo de tiempo. 17. [...]

  • Page 9

    CONTENTS 7 Safety Precautions and Installation Gu idelines To ensure reliable and safe long-term ope ration please no te the following installation guidelines: • Do not use to link between buildings. • Only use in dry, indoor environments. • If the building has 3-phase AC power, try to ensu re that equipmen t connected to the Local and Remote[...]

  • Page 10

    CONTENTS 8 Contents 1.  Quick Setup 10  2.  Overview 11  2.1  Introduction 11  2.2  Glossary 11  2.3  Features 13  2.4  Product Range 14  2.5  Compatibility 15  2.6  How to Use This Guide 16  3.  Installation 17  3.1  Package Contents 17  3.2  Interconnection Cable Requirements 18  3[...]

  • Page 11

    CONTENTS 9 Appendix A: Exampl e Applications 40  Appendix B: Rack Mount Options 44  Appendix C: Advanced Cabling Issues (Skew) 45  Appendix D: Audio/Serial Ports 47  Appendix E: Calling Black Box 49  Appendix F: Specifications 50 [...]

  • Page 12

    QUICK SETUP 10 1. Quick Setup This section briefly descr ibes how to instal l your KVM extender system and optimize the video signals. Unless you are an experience d user , we recommend that you follow the full procedures described in th e rest of this manual. . Install system 1. Connect Remote Unit to KVM and audio/serial devices (if present). 2. [...]

  • Page 13

    OVERVIEW 11 2. Overview 2.1 Introduction TheServSwitch™ Brand CAT5 KVM Extender pr oducts described in this manual enable high-resolution video, PS/2 keyboa rd and m ouse, stereo aud io, and serial por t signals to be communicated up to 300m over Category 5/5e (CATx) cab le. A basic KVM extension s ystem comprises a Loca l Unit (transmitter) and [...]

  • Page 14

    OVERVIEW 12 Figure 1 ServSwitch™ Brand CAT5 KVM Extender system Local Access ACU1009A, ACU1008A and ACU1005A kits onl y . Serial and Audio Trans mission Kits : ACU1022A,ACU1028A Remote Unit : ACUVREM KVM extension over CAT5/5e cables up to 300m. Local Unit Remote Unit KVM Switch Kit : ACU1049A Remote Unit : ACUREMSW[...]

  • Page 15

    OVERVIEW 13 2.3 Features All members of the ServSwitch™ Brand CAT5 KVM Extender product f amily described here offer the following features: • Support for high video resolution over extended distances: 1600x1200@60Hz up to 65m 1280x1024@75Hz up to 120m 1024x768@75Hz up to 300m • Adjustable video equalization compensates fo r lo ss of image qu[...]

  • Page 16

    OVERVIEW 14 2.4 Product Range This manual describes the following five pr odu cts from the ServSwitch™ Brand CAT5 KVM Extender range: KVM, Audio and Serial Extension kits ACU1022A Single Vid eo Channel, PS/2 KB & Mouse, Serial, Stereo Audio Local Unit (Single Access) + Re mote Unit ACU1028A Single Vid eo Channel, PS/2 KB & Mouse, Serial, [...]

  • Page 17

    OVERVIEW 15 2.5 Compatibility Interface Compatibility • PS/2 Keyboard: Compatible with all standard keyboards. Certain keyboards with enhanced features may also be su pported with custom firmware. • PS/2 Mouse: Com patible with all standard 2- button, 3-button and wheel mice. To connect to a PC that does not have a PS/2 mouse port, an active se[...]

  • Page 18

    OVERVIEW 16 2.6 How to Use This Guide This guide describes the installation and configur ation of Standard and Serial members of the ServSwitch™ Brand CAT5 KVM Extender r ang e. Although the connec tion and operation of these systems is relativel y straightforward, y ou should consider th e following before getting started: Connection & Compa[...]

  • Page 19

    INSTALLATION 17 3. Installation For first-time users , we recommend that you carry out a test placem ent, confined to a s ingle room, before comm encing full installation. Th is will allow you to identif y and solve any cabling problems, and experiment with the KVM extender system more conveniently. 3.1 Package Contents You should receive the follo[...]

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    INSTALLATION 18 3.2 Interconnection Cable Requirements To connect the Local and Rem ote Units you will need CATx (any category 5 , 5e, 6 or high er) cable terminated with RJ 45 plugs . Please no te that shielded cable is advised to maintain regulatory EMC compliance. Interconnect cables must be solid -core type. St r anded patch cable will give poo[...]

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    INSTALLATION 19 3.3 Remote Unit Installation Setting the Cable Length Jumpers If your appli cation uses a CATx cable less t han 75m i n length, yo u can continue to t he next section. Remote Units incorporate video equalization ci rcuitry, allowing you to compensate for the loss in image quality that occurs when vide o signals are transmitted along[...]

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    INSTALLATION 20 4. Set the three cable length jumpers as follows: Interconnect Ca ble Length (m) Jumper Position (as viewed from front, with RJ45 connector tow ards you) 0 – 100 No jumpers (default) 100 – 200 200 – 300 If you are at the top end of a cable ran ge, a n d you are usi n g a hi g h screen resolution (1024x768 or high er), you may [...]

  • Page 23

    INSTALLATION 21 3.4 Connecting the Remote Unit To instal l a Re mot e Unit: 1. Switch off all devices. Connect your keyboard, monitor(s) and mouse to the R emote Unit as shown in Fig ure 3 (Switching) or Figure 4 (Audio/Serial). These ports may also be attached to the CPU side of a KVM switch in order to have a remote CPU. However , if you are atte[...]

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    INSTALLATION 22 Figure 3 Switching Remote Unit (ACUREMSW – als o supplied with ACU1049A ki t) – rear vi ew Figure 4 Audio Remote Units (ACUVREM – also supplied with ACU1022A and ACU1028A kits)– rear view Connect to monitor. Connect PS/2 keyboard and mouse. Connect to additional PC using DB25 male connector of 3-in-1 CPU KVM cable. Connect a[...]

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    INSTALLATION 23 Figure 5 Rem ote Unit - fr ont view Interconnect – carries video and data signals. Connect to Interconnect port on Local Unit using CATx cable. Brightness – adjusts image brightness Focus – compensates video for smearing or over-sharpness[...]

  • Page 26

    INSTALLATION 24 3.5 Local Unit Installation To instal l a L ocal Unit: 1. Switch off the PC and any peripher al devices bef o re connection. 2. Using the supplied CPU KVM cable(s), conn ect the keyboard, m onitor(s) and mouse connectors on the computer (or KVM switch) to the correspondin g connectors on the Local Unit as shown in Figure 6. Ensure t[...]

  • Page 27

    INSTALLATION 25 Figure 6 Standard Local Unit - re ar view Figure 7 Local Unit – front view INTERCONNECT – carries video and data signals. Connect to CA Tx cable connected to INTERCONNECT on Remote Unit. Connect to Local monitor. Connect to audio ports on computer. Connect to serial port on computer. ACU1022A and ACU1028A o nly ACU1028A and ACU1[...]

  • Page 28

    INSTALLATION 26 3.6 Connection to Local Hubs Remote Units are com patible with S ervSw itch™ Brand CAT5 K VM Extender Local Hubs belonging to th e same family: Remote Units Compatible Local Rack Hubs ACUREMSW ACU1006RA, ACU1006DRA, ACU1012RA ACU1022A, ACU1028A, ACUVREM ACU1006VRA, ACU1006DVRA A simple example of the use of a Local Hub Unit in whi[...]

  • Page 29

    INSTALLATION 27 Figure 8 Simple system using ACU1006VRA Hub and ACUVREM Remote Units to extend audi o, serial and KVM for up to six PCs[...]

  • Page 30

    REMOTE UNIT CONFIGURATION & OPERATION 28 4. Remote Unit Configuration & Operation Cat5/5e cables are specifi cally designed for networking app lications and not for tr ansmitting analog video. Your CATx KVM extender includ es, and requires, advanc ed technology to enable its use at high screen reso lutions. This section describes how to opt[...]

  • Page 31

    REMOTE UNIT CONFIGURATION & OPERATION 29 Skew only tends to be a problem at high scr een resolutions with lo ng interconnect cables. We recommend the use of low skew CAT5/5e cabl e fo r all applications. P lease contact Technical Support for more information. With some cab les, video perfo rmance may be improve d by using a crossover patch cabl[...]

  • Page 32

    REMOTE UNIT CONFIGURATION & OPERATION 30 If you are at t he top end of a cable range, for exa mple, 80m (250ft), and you are using a high screen reso lution (1024x768 or higher), yo u may achieve better quality video compensati on by selecting t he next cable length range using the cabl e length jum pers (see page 1 9). Use the Brightness contr[...]

  • Page 33

    REMOTE UNIT CONFIGURATION & OPERATION 31 4.3 Other Remote Configuration & Operation Options Keyboard ‘hot’ keys are used to carry out va rious functions on both Remote and Local Units. To enter these com mands: 1. Press and releas e the initial ‘hot’ key. By default, th e initial ‘ho t’ key i s < Right Control > 2. Press a[...]

  • Page 34

    REMOTE UNIT CONFIGURATION & OPERATION 32 Hot Key Commands After pressing the initial ‘hot’ k ey on the remote keyboard, you can issue a number of commands by pressing additional keys. These co mmands allow you to start a private mode session on the remote console or to reset the ke yboard and m ouse. Command Key Sequence Private Mode (ACU10[...]

  • Page 35

    LOCAL UNIT OPERATION 33 5. Local Unit Operation 5.1 Overview You need to read this section if you have pur chased an extender system kit containing both a Local and Remo te Unit. For more information about serial/audio port operation, see Appendix D: Audio/Serial Ports , page 47. Keyboard and Mouse Emulation Local Units have keyboard and mouse emul[...]

  • Page 36

    LOCAL UNIT OPERATION 34 5.2 Operation of Dual Access Local Units Models ACU1028A and ACU1049A offer dual a ccess with a second console a t the Local Unit. This operates on a first-come, f irst-served basis . When one console is in use, the system blocks out the other console until ther e is no keyboard or mouse use at the active console for a set t[...]

  • Page 37

    LOCAL UNIT OPERATION 35 Local Console Commands After pressing the initial ‘hot’ key on the local k eyboard, you can issue a number of commands by pressing additional keys. These co mmands allow you to start a private mode session on the local console or to reset th e keyboard and mouse. These commands only app ly to Local Units having firm ware[...]

  • Page 38

    TROUBLESHOOTING & FAQ 36 6. Troubleshooting & FAQ 6.1 Video The image is not sharp, or is badly smeared. Have you adjusted th e video equalizat ion? Follow the instruc tions on page 29. Check the Interconnect cable betw een the Remote and Local Units . Is it of the recommended type (see page 17)? Is it in ta ct along its entir e length and [...]

  • Page 39

    TROUBLESHOOTING & FAQ 37 The PC won’t boot into the correct graphics mode The extender includes DDC emulation for al l standard resolutions and th ere should not normally be any issues. For non-standard resolutions, you will need to explicitly set the resolution in your operating system configuration ig noring th e DDC data re ad from the Loc[...]

  • Page 40

    TROUBLESHOOTING & FAQ 38 6.4 Keyboard & Mouse When I am typing, I get wrong or missing characters on the screen. Your keyboard may be in the wrong mode . Use the appropriate commands to reset the keyboard and mouse as descr ibed in the se ctions covering loca l and remote operation. The PC comes up with ‘keyboar d error’. Press <F1&g[...]

  • Page 41

    TROUBLESHOOTING & FAQ 39 6.5 General Questions Is it possible to use a cable longer than 300m? It might be possible to use a cable of up to 500m at lower resolutions. However, we do not recommend this and cannot guar antee that it will work. Can the extender be daisy chained? In certain circum stances, it is possible to cascade extend ers, thou[...]

  • Page 42

    APPENDIX A: EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS 40 Appendix A: Example Applications This section illustrates thre e specific application s using ServSwitch™ Brand CAT5 KVM Extender units: • Six remote serial touch screens w ith lo cal access through a KVM switch (Figure 11). • Information distribution system sharing a si ngle P C at up to six remote locatio[...]

  • Page 43

    APPENDIX A: EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS 41 Figure 11 Touch screen network with local access to CPUs through KVM switch. A CU1006DVR A Extender Hub Takes KVM and serial signals from each CPU (only two shown). A CUVREM Remote Units connect to touch screens. KVM Switch Local access ports connect to single KVM console through switch.[...]

  • Page 44

    APPENDIX A: EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS 42 Figure 12 Information distributio n system sharing a single PC A CU1006DVR A Extender Hub CPU connects to Port 1. Local access ports are daisy-chained to allow opera tion from any console and/or video to be distributed to multiple locations. A CUVREM Remote Units connect to KVM consoles. 5V PSU[...]

  • Page 45

    APPENDIX A: EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS 43 Figure 13 ACU1049A kit wit h switching Remot e Unit A CU1049A Kit (uses ACUREMSW Remote Unit) Allows user at Remote console to switch between extended CPU and CPU connected to Remote Unit. Dual access to extended CPU available at Local Unit[...]

  • Page 46

    APPENDIX B: RACK MOUN T OPTIONS 44 Appendix B: Rack Mount Options Extender units can be mounted i n a 19 ” rack using the mounting kit::RMK19U-R2. Each kit consists of two angled b rackets. To mount a unit: 1. Remove the two screws from one side of the unit. 2. Match up the lower pair of holes on a bracket with the vacant screw holes on the side [...]

  • Page 47

    APPENDIX C: ADVANCED C ABLING ISSUES (SKE W) 45 Appendix C: Advanced Cabling Issues (Skew) This section discusses skew and how to minimize its effects. What is Skew? Each color in th e RGB (Red, Green, Blue) video signal is sent down a sep arate pair of wires in the Interconnect cable. On many cab les, the tw i st rates differ and this leads to eac[...]

  • Page 48

    APPENDIX C: ADVANCED C ABLING ISSUES (SKE W) 46 You can measure pair lengths wi th a LAN cablin g tester (TDR) or view pairs by s tripping back a small pi ece of cable and viewing how tightl y the pairs are twisted. The m ost tightly twisted pair is the slowest (longest) and the loos est pair the fastest (shortest). You can also observe relative de[...]

  • Page 49

    APPENDIX D: AUDIO/SERIAL PORTS 47 Appendix D: Audio/Serial Ports Operation & Multi-Port Configuration This appendix describes audio & serial interface operation for: • ACU1022A • ACU1028A • ACUVREM These extender products con tain daughter boards that allow bi-directional stereo audio and a full-duplex serial data link to be sent acro[...]

  • Page 50

    APPENDIX D: AUDIO/SERIAL PORTS 48 Audio Interface Set Up and Operation The audio interface is line-level and is designed to take the output from a sound card (or other line-level) source and be connected to a set of powered speakers at the other end of the link. Stereo audio may be transmitted either way a cross the link (simult aneousl y). No setu[...]

  • Page 51

    APPENDIX E: CALLING BLACK BOX 49 Appendix E: Calling Black Box If you determine that your ServSwitch™ Br and CA T5 KVM Extender is malfunctioning, do not attempt to alter or repair it . It con tains no user-service abl e parts. C ontact Black Box Technical Support at 724-746-5500. Before you do, m ake a record of the histor y of the problem . We [...]

  • Page 52

    APPENDIX F: SPECIFICATIONS 50 Appendix F: Specifications Video Maximum Resolution 1600x1280@60Hz up to 65m 1280x1024@75Hz up to 120m 1024x768@75Hz up to 300m Operation at higher resolu tions/refresh rates ma y be possible at shorter distances Video Compatibility VGA to UXGA, RGB Video I/O 0.7V P-P Video Compensation 3-stage continuously variable. V[...]

  • Page 53

    APPENDIX F: SPECIFICATIONS 51 Serial Interface Max Baud Rate Supported 19.2K Baud Serial Data Format Transparent Signals Transferred TX, RX, RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR Local Unit Connector DB9 Female (DCE) Remote Unit Connector DB9 Male (DTE) Audio Interface Description Bi-directional stereo audio link Transmission method Digitized virtuall y CD quality au[...]

  • Page 54

    APPENDIX F: SPECIFICATIONS 52 Size and Shipping Weight ACUREMSW Remote Unit: 202x100x36mm Shipping Weight: 1.08 Kg ACUVREM Remote Unit: 202x100x44mm (1U) Shipping Weight: 1.14 Kg ACU1022A Local Unit: 202x100x44mm (1U) Remote Unit: 202x100x44mm (1U) Shipping Weight: 2.53 Kg ACU1028A Local Unit: 202x100x44mm (1U) Remote Unit: 202x100x44mm (1U) Shippi[...]

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    NOTES[...]

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    Customer Support Information: For FREE T echnical 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 Web: www .blackbox.com • Email: info@blackbox.com © Copyright 2009. Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved. Order toll-fre[...]