English dropdown-ico

Black Box SW925A manual

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34

Go to page of

Similar user manuals

A good user manual

The rules should oblige the seller to give the purchaser an operating instrucion of Black Box SW925A, along with an item. The lack of an instruction or false information given to customer shall constitute grounds to apply for a complaint because of nonconformity of goods with the contract. In accordance with the law, a customer can receive an instruction in non-paper form; lately graphic and electronic forms of the manuals, as well as instructional videos have been majorly used. A necessary precondition for this is the unmistakable, legible character of an instruction.

What is an instruction?

The term originates from the Latin word „instructio”, which means organizing. Therefore, in an instruction of Black Box SW925A one could find a process description. An instruction's purpose is to teach, to ease the start-up and an item's use or performance of certain activities. An instruction is a compilation of information about an item/a service, it is a clue.

Unfortunately, only a few customers devote their time to read an instruction of Black Box SW925A. A good user manual introduces us to a number of additional functionalities of the purchased item, and also helps us to avoid the formation of most of the defects.

What should a perfect user manual contain?

First and foremost, an user manual of Black Box SW925A should contain:
- informations concerning technical data of Black Box SW925A
- name of the manufacturer and a year of construction of the Black Box SW925A item
- rules of operation, control and maintenance of the Black Box SW925A item
- safety signs and mark certificates which confirm compatibility with appropriate standards

Why don't we read the manuals?

Usually it results from the lack of time and certainty about functionalities of purchased items. Unfortunately, networking and start-up of Black Box SW925A alone are not enough. An instruction contains a number of clues concerning respective functionalities, safety rules, maintenance methods (what means should be used), eventual defects of Black Box SW925A, and methods of problem resolution. Eventually, when one still can't find the answer to his problems, he will be directed to the Black Box service. Lately animated manuals and instructional videos are quite popular among customers. These kinds of user manuals are effective; they assure that a customer will familiarize himself with the whole material, and won't skip complicated, technical information of Black Box SW925A.

Why one should read the manuals?

It is mostly in the manuals where we will find the details concerning construction and possibility of the Black Box SW925A item, and its use of respective accessory, as well as information concerning all the functions and facilities.

After a successful purchase of an item one should find a moment and get to know with every part of an instruction. Currently the manuals are carefully prearranged and translated, so they could be fully understood by its users. The manuals will serve as an informational aid.

Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    1000 Park Drive • Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 • 724-746-5500 • Fax 724-746-0746 CUSTOMER SUPPORT INFORMATION Order toll-free in the U.S.: Call 877-877-BBOX (outside U.S. call 724-746-5500 ) FREE technical 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 Drive, Lawrence[...]

  • Page 2

    1 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH FEDERAL COMMUNICA TIONS COMMISSION AND INDUSTR Y 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 communication.[...]

  • Page 3

    3 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 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 d[...]

  • Page 4

    5 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH Contents Chapter Page 1. Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 2. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 2.1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]

  • Page 5

    7 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH Chapter Page Appendix A: Serial Ports ..................................................................................53 A.1 RS-232 and RS-422 Pin Assignments ....................................................53 A.2 Connecting to Computers—RS-232 Connections ..............................54 A.2.1 RS-232 Connections to [...]

  • Page 6

    9 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 2. Introduction The Modular Smart Switch is suitable for a wide variety of applications, including printer and plotter sharing, file transfer, modem sharing, network switching, electronic point-of-sale systems, access control networks, machine tool control, data collection, and mainframe connections. 2.1 Features • Modular[...]

  • Page 7

    11 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 3. Installing Memor y and Por t Modules To fit memory and port modules, you will need to remove the lid of your Modular Smart Switch. To do this, remove the four retaining screws holding the lid in place (see Figure 3-2 ) and lift the lid away. 3.1 Fitting Expansion-Buffer Memory The Modular Smart Switch contains two memory[...]

  • Page 8

    13 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH Figure 3-2. Fitting Port Modules. To fit port modules: 1. Make sure that the Modular Smart Switch is powered off. 2. Remove the rear- panel blanking plates as appropriate. 3. Insert the modules as shown in Figure 3-2 . 4. Push the modules onto the mating connectors on the base board. Do not place too much pressure on the bo[...]

  • Page 9

    15 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 4.1 Setting the Global Timeout Period Figure 4-1. Setting the Global Timeout Period. 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 OFF (0) ON (1) 1 2 3 4 5 6 Timeout = 16 seconds Timeout = 30 seconds Timeout = 1 minute Timeout = 4 minutes Reserved - set to 0 TEST switch - set to 0 (OFF) for normal operation 14 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 4. Configuring the Mo[...]

  • Page 10

    17 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 4.2 Setting Parallel Ports as Inputs or Outputs Figure 4-2. Selecting the Direction of Parallel Ports (Input or Output). HIGH port Dual parallel port module LOW port HIGH port switches LOW port switches OFF (0) ON (1) 1 ON 2 3 4 1 0 0 1 1 1 Set port as INPUT Set port as OUTPUT Automatic input/output detection (* not guarant[...]

  • Page 11

    19 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH NOTE The XON/XOFF setting for printer and plotter con-nections is a bidirectional protocol that recognizes the XON and XOFF characters in both directions. The XON/XOFF setting for com-puter connections recog-nizes the XON and XOFF characters in one direction only. This allows graphics, font and other non text data to be sen[...]

  • Page 12

    21 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 5. Installing the Modular Smar t Switch 5.1 Selecting Ports for Y our Equipment Printer and Plotter Sharing Applications Unless otherwise specified, all print and plot data will automatically be routed to port 1. If you are automatically sharing a single printer or plotter, connect it to port 1. All ports have equal priorit[...]

  • Page 13

    23 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1,P <enter> This sets the baud to 9600, no parity, 8 bits per character, and 1 stop bit on COM1. You may wish to put this in your computer’s AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You may wish to use the supplied software to enhance the speed and functionality of your serial port (refer to Chapter 7 for full details [...]

  • Page 14

    25 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 5.9 Buffer Status Indicators The buffer status indicators show the state of the internal buffer memory in the form of a bar graph: • 1 ⁄ 4 Indicator —Buffer is over 1/4 full • 1 ⁄ 2 Indicator —Buffer is over 1/2 full • 3 ⁄ 4 Indicator —Buffer is over 3/4 full • F (full) Indicator —Buffer is completely [...]

  • Page 15

    27 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 6.3 Command-Line Options The control software supports a number of command line options that allow the utility to be installed and run in several different formats. They also allow a number of default settings to be changed and different hotkey combinations to be selected. Options are specified after a forward slash on the [...]

  • Page 16

    29 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH To use HOTKEY within Windows, you must first install the control software in your computer’s memory. Do this before you run Windows, because once you are within Windows, resident programs cannot be loaded. You can then activate HOTKEY by clicking on HOTKEY.COM, HOTKEY.PIF, or an icon associated with these files. The contr[...]

  • Page 17

    31 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH F. Destination Port—Indicates the port on the Modular Smart Switch that your PC is currently connected to. All data output from the currently selected PC port (G) will be routed to this destination port on the Modular Smart Switch. G. PC Port—Indicates the port on your PC that the control software will use to send contr[...]

  • Page 18

    33 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 6.8 Direct Output of T yped Keyboard Characters Normal keyboard characters and control characters can be sent to the printer using the “Direct Output” option. In the keyboard characters box, all characters typed will be sent directly to the printer except <up>, <down>, and <escape>. Control characters [...]

  • Page 19

    35 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH When in the functions menu, use the arrows to select END OF FILE and then press <enter>. The dialog box will respond with an END OF FILE message for a few seconds. The END OF FILE function can also be used to end long timeouts. 6.10 Setting the Options To enter the options menu, use the <up> and <down> cur[...]

  • Page 20

    37 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 7. Serial Por t Control Utility The control software allows serial ports on IBM compatible PCs to be run at the high baud rates supported by the Modular Smart Switch. The utility can be used to control COM1 or COM2 and supports a wide range of protocols. The time-saving advantages of running serial ports at higher baud rate[...]

  • Page 21

    39 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH OR : b) The Fast Printing Direct to Port option is switched off within Windows 3.1. This can be found within the CONTROL PANEL PRINTERS CONNECT window. 38 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH Increasing the baud rate of serial connections reduces the maximum cable lengths. As a rule of thumb, doubling the baud rate halves the maximum dist[...]

  • Page 22

    41 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH Figure 8-1. Main Menu. A=The port on the Modular Smart Switch that is connected to the computer that you wish to exchange files with. B=The port on your computer that is connected to the Modular Smart Switch. C=A flashing arrow to indicate that the Modular Smart Switch is in “file- transfer mode.” 2. Boot up the file-tr[...]

  • Page 23

    43 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 8.4 General Hints and Tips 1. Always use the control software when using file-transfer software: Many packages such as Laplink Pro will not operate without the control software installed. 2. File transfer requires a protocol of 8 bits per character, 1 stop bit, no parity, and hardware handshaking. When using RS-232 with har[...]

  • Page 24

    45 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 9.2 Connect Command 9.2.1 S ELECTING A D ESTINATION P ORT By default, the Modular Smart Switch automatically sends all data to port 1. To send data to a different port or route back to port 1, use the following command: <PM CONNECT port> where “port” represents a port number from 1 to 12. The new destination will [...]

  • Page 25

    47 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH <PM CONNECT port SOFTWARE:DISABLE> 9.2.6 R EMOVING L INE F EEDS AT E ND OF S OFTWARE C OMMANDS When programming applications such as DBASE to automatically send data to a specific printer, you might want to remove linefeed and carriage-return characters that are automatically inserted by the application at the end of [...]

  • Page 26

    49 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 9.6 Sending Default Start-of-Day Destination Ports At the start of each day, each port will be routed through to port 1. However, for IBM compatible PCs, individual start-of-day destinations can be set for each computer. To do this, create a text file containing the desired selection command (see Section 9.5 ) and modify yo[...]

  • Page 27

    51 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH 10.4 Problems Interfacing Serial Devices Most problems experienced with connecting serial devices are caused by incorrect cabling or incorrect handshake/protocol settings. Do not assume that, because a cable has the correct connectors and works between two other devices, it will work when connected to the Modular Smart Swit[...]

  • Page 28

    53 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH Appendix A: Serial Por ts A.1 RS-232 and RS-422 Pin Assignments The serial ports on the Modular Smart Switch use DB25 connectors. The following table lists RS-232 and RS-422 pin assignments and signal descriptions. Those pins not appearing in the table are not used. T able A-1. DB25 Serial Pinouts. Pin Description RS-232 RS[...]

  • Page 29

    55 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH Figure A-1. IBM PC/XT Serial Cable Pinning. If you already have a cable that works directly between your IBM PC and serial printer, it may be suitable for use as the input cable to your Modular Smart Switch. A.2.2 RS-232 C ONNECTIONS TO IBM AT AND C OMPATIBLES The IBM AT and compatibles provide a DB9 connector for the seria[...]

  • Page 30

    57 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH A.4 Connecting to Modems The cable shown in Figure A-4 can be used to connect to most standard modems. Do not connect additional lines. Figure A-4. Cable Pinout for Modems. Modular Smart Switch end 25-Pin socket connector Printer end 25-pin plug connector 1 2 3 4 5 7 20 1 2 3 4 5 7 20 56 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH Figure A-2. IB[...]

  • Page 31

    59 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH A.6 Connecting to NEC Spinwriter The NEC Spinwriter ® series of printers also provide a DB25 socket connector for serial data. However, their “printer ready” flow-control signal is output on pin 19 (unlike most printers, which output this signal on pin 20). Suitable wiring is as shown in Figure A-6 . Figure A-6. NEC Sp[...]

  • Page 32

    61 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH A.8 RS-422 Cables The pins and connector types used for RS-422 communication vary widely between devices. Standard cables therefore do not exist. Connect the cable as shown in Figure A-8 . For systems using XON/XOFF handshaking, only RXD +, RXD -, TXD +, and TXD - need to be connected. Figure A-8. RS-422 Cable Pinouts. Modu[...]

  • Page 33

    63 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH T able B-1. DB25 Parallel Connector Pinouts. Pin Name Input from Computer Output to Printer 1 STROBE INPUT OUTPUT 2-9 DATA 0 to 7 INPUT OUTPUT 10 ACKNOWLEDGE OUTPUT no connection 11 BUSY OUTPUT INPUT 12 PAPER END OUTPUT low no connection 13 SELECT OUTPUT high no connection 14 AUTOFEED XT no connection no connection 15 ERROR[...]

  • Page 34

    64 MODULAR SMAR T SWITCH B.2 Cable for IBM PC, PC/XT , A T , or Compatible Parallel cables to connect from IBM compatibles to the Modular Smart Switch require a 25-pin plug on both ends. All lines should be connected “straight- through” (that is, 1 to 1, 2 to 2, etc.). B.3 Cable to 36-Pin Amphenol Connector A standard IBM Centronics ® cable wi[...]