Apex Digital model 140DX manual

Run Y our Servers Smarter OutLook Switch User Guide 140DX 180DX[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide CONTENTS 2 Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Console Switch User Guide © 2000 Apex Inc. All rights r eserved. First Edition June 2000 Printed in the United States of America Part Number 998-0011-00 Rev . B The information contained in this guide is subject to change without notice. Apex Inc. shall not be liable fo[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide CONTENTS 3 S AFETY Before ins talling thi s product, read the S afety Inform ation book. Antes de instala r este pro duto, leia o Manual d e Informa ções so bre Segu rança. Læs hæftet med sikker hedsfors krifter , før du ins tallerer d ette produkt . Lue Safe ty Informati on -kirja nen, ennen kuin as[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide CONTENTS 4 S AFETY ( CONTINUED ) Lees voor dat u dit p roduct ins talleert eer st het bo ekje met veiligh eidsvoo rschriften. Les hefte t om sikke rhetsinfor masjon (S afety Infor mation) f ø r du installere r dette produktet. Antes de instala r este pro duto, leia o folheto I nforma çõ es sobr e Segura[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide CONTENTS 5 G ETTING H ELP , S ERVICE , AND I NFORMA TION Getting help, service, and information If you need help, service, technical assistance, or just want more information about IBM pr oducts, you will find a wide variety of sources available fr om IBM to assist you. With the original purchase of an IBM[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide CONTENTS 6 Safety ............................................................. 3 Getting Help ................................................... 5 1 OVERVIEW .................................................. 8 Product Overview ........................................... 8 Features ......................[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide CONTENTS 7 Command Summary ...................................... 29 OSCAR Advanced Menus Screen .................. 30 Selecting Computers .................................... 31 Switching T iered Systems ............................. 32 Assigning Unique Names to Computers ........ 33 Changing Menu Attribu[...]

1 APEX OUTLOOK SWITCH USER GUIDE OVER VIEW P RODUCT O VERVIEW The Apex OutLook Console Switch enables you to contro l large computer networks using a single keyboard, monitor , and mouse. On a single video screen, you can select fr om as many as 64 computers running differ ent operating systems. The 140DX supports 4 computers and one user , while t[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 9 Introduction F EA TURES Y ou can use the OutLook Console Switch in various configura- tions to connect from 4 to 64 servers. The features of the OutLook Console Switch include: ! OSCAR – Displays system-related information on the moni- tor , such as power -up test data and configuration menus. ! Progra[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 1 Introduction There are many ways to configure the OutLook Console Switch to meet your specific organizational needs. Additional informa- tion on configuring multiple OutLook Console Switches can be found in Chapter 4, Cabling. A single switch box is used to connect 4 or 8 servers. In this configuration, [...]

11 6 Set up the Switch System T o Set up an OutLook 4-Port Switch Before installing this product, read the Safety Information on the Apex User Guide CD. Get up and running in a few easy steps. Follow the steps shown in the illustrations. Select the appropriate setup method for your switch. 2 QUICK ST ART APEX OUTLOOK SWITCH USER GUIDE Connect conso[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide QUICK ST AR T 12 6 T o Setup an 8-Port Switch Connect consoles to switch OutLook 280ES Plug in power cor d Connect the servers PS/2 keyboard, male PS/2 mouse, male HD15 video, male 50-pin, male User console A User console B PS/2 reset button S ETUP THE S WITCH S YSTEM continued Connects to the front of the[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide QUICK ST AR T 13 P OWER U P Y OUR S WITCH S YSTEM Primary switch Press to On position to power up the switch T ur n on the servers T ur n on the monitors T o Power Up Y our Switch System[...]

3 INST ALLA TION APEX OUTLOOK SWITCH USER GUIDE R ACK I NST ALLA TION Before installing this pr oduct, read the Safety Information on the Apex User Guide CD. Refer to the IBM installation instructions for installation of the console switch in a rack cabinet.[...]

4 CABLING APEX OUTLOOK SWITCH USER GUIDE C ABLE L ENGTHS Cable length affects video quality as well as keyboar d and mouse data timing. The maximum cable length is determined in part by the computer and peripherals used. Not all systems give satisfactory results at the maximum length. U SING L OCKING C ABLE C ONNECTORS Keyboard and mouse connectors[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 16 CABLING D ISCONNECTING C ABLES 1 2 3 Attention Failure to follow proper disconnect procedures could result in damage to the cable or your unit. T o properly disconnect the keyboar d or mouse cable: 1 Grasp the housing. 2 Slide it back to release the locking mechanism. 3 Remove the cable. D ISCONNECTING [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 17 CABLING C ONNECTING C ABLES Connecting the Keyboard Cable in the Pr oper Sequence When you are connecting the video, PS/2 mouse and keyboar d cables from your servers to the OutLook switch, always connect the keyboard cable after the mouse cable. The switch detects the system power of the secondary swit[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 18 CABLING C ONNECTING C ABLES ( CONTINUED ) DANGER Electrical current from power, telephone, and communication cables is hazardous. To avoid a shock hazard: – Do not connect or disconnect any cables or perform installation, maintenance, or reconfiguration of this product during an electrical storm. – [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 19 CABLING T o connect cables: 1 Connect the mouse, keyboard, and video cables to the appropriate switch connectors. Note that all keyboar d and mouse cables are 6-pin mini-DIN PS/2 style, and all the video cables are 15-pin VGA/SVGA style. (These connectors ar e located on the left rear of each of the swi[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 20 CABLING S T AR TING THE S WITCH B OX It is important to turn on the switch box before turning on the computers because when the servers boot up, their drivers send device settings to the switch. P OWERING U P THE S YSTEM T o power up the system: 1 Press the power switch located on the r ear panel of the[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 21 CABLING S T AR TING THE C OMPUTERS During startup, the computers send device settings to the switch box. The unit then generates standard r esponses to these commands and allows the computers to boot successfully without being physically connected to the keyboard, monitor , or mouse. As the switch gener[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 22 CABLING U NA TTENDED R EBOOT After a power outage, each server connected to the switch box reboots (if configur ed to do so) when power returns without operator intervention. The switch generates responses to ensur e that the reboot is successful and that it is r eady to switch be- tween computers. Note[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 23 CABLING M AKING C ONNECTIONS U NDER P OWER Y ou can connect additional computers to the switch while it is powered up. When you power up the newly connected comput- ers, the switch recognizes them, and you can switch to the new computers without taking any additional steps. Y ou can also connect the mou[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 24 CABLING A L TERNA TIVE C ONFIGURA TIONS There ar e other ways to configur e your system, such as the tiered switch configuration. Tiered Switch Configuration In tiered systems, you can connect additional switches to ports on a primary unit. That is, switches can be tiered in primary/ secondary configura[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 25 CABLING Connecting Tiers while the System is Powered Up If necessary , you can connect a primary unit to a secondary unit while the system is powered up. This technique can be used to isolate any problems with minimum disruption to the system. When plugging a primary switch box into a secondary unit, fi[...]

L AUNCHING OSCAR Press PRINT SCRN to access the keyboard/monitor/mouse OSCAR menus. OSCAR Selection Screen When you press the PRINT SCRN key to open OSCAR menus, the first screen that appears is called OSCAR Selection . Basic func- tions such as selecting computers and checking port/computer status are performed fr om the Selection scr een. The Sel[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 27 USING OSCAR T o open OSCAR or to access OSCAR Selection Screen on a primary switch 1 Pr ess PRINT SCRN . T o open OSCAR or to access OSCAR Selection Screen on a secondary switch 1 Press PRINT SCRN to access OSCAR Selection screen at the primary switch. 2 Highlight the number of the port you want to acce[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 28 USING OSCAR OSCAR S T A TUS P ORT S YMBOLS + Indicates computer connected and running X Denotes Secondary switch connected and running A Identifies the user console connected to the server . Note OSCAR screens in this document are examples. Y our screens may vary depend- ing on your configuration. OSCAR[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 29 USING OSCAR C OMMAND S UMMAR Y This section describes the key sequences that are used to activate OSCAR functions. Apex OutLook Console Switch OSCAR OSD Keyboard Sequences Print Scrn Pressing once activates OSCAR (ON Screen Configuration and Activity Reporting), immediate double entry sends the print sc[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 30 USING OSCAR OSCAR A DV ANCED M ENUS S CREEN All commands other than selecting computers are performed fr om OSCAR Advanced Menus . The Advanced Menus scr een contains two menus. The Commands menu shows the commands that cause an action to take place. The Setup menu shows menu screens to set configuratio[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 31 USING OSCAR S ELECTING C OMPUTERS Use OSCAR menus to switch computers, that is, to select which computer receives commands fr om and displays output to the console. When you select a computer , the switch reconfigures the keyboard and mouse for the selected computer using the settings stored in its memo[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 32 USING OSCAR S WITCHING T IERED S YSTEMS T o switch the Keyboard/Monitor/Mouse Switch Box to a com- puter that is connected to the primary through a secondary unit, proceed as follows: 1 Press PRINT SCRN . The OSCAR appears on the monitor . 2 T ype the number of the port to which the slave unit is connec[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 33 USING OSCAR A SSIGNING U NIQUE N AMES TO C OMPUTERS Y ou may find it easier to identify the computers in a system by name rather than by port number . For example, in a network environment, you can assign the same names to each computer as those assigned by the network. T o list the computers by name in[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 34 USING OSCAR Note: Port numbering scheme After you have specified a device type, the port numbering structure is reorganized so that the secondary ports display in OSCAR. Secondary ports have a different numbering scheme from the primary switch ports: Primary port numbers: Port 1, Port 2, Port 3, etc Sec[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 35 USING OSCAR C HANGING M ENU A TTRIBUTES On the OSCAR Attributes screen, you can change the display order of computer ports to port number or port name. Other attributes of OSCAR screens, such as the position and color , can be changed to suit the particular needs of the user . T o change menu attributes[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 36 USING OSCAR Screen Appearance Settings TO CHANGE… SELECT… VALUES Size of screen Re s ol u t io n Select 384 or 768—the lower the value, the larger the size. Size of text He i g ht Higher values display larger text. Loc atio n of scre en Horiz ontal 0-127 V ertical 0-255 Color of screen and text Ba[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 37 USING OSCAR C HANGING S T A TUS F LAG A TTRIBUTES The status flag indicates the name or port number of the cur - rently selected computer . Y ou can choose to display the status flag at all times, for a few seconds after switching, or not at all. Y ou can also change the color of the status flag and its[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 38 USING OSCAR V ALUES AND E FFECTS OF S ETTINGS ON F LAG A PPEARANCE Flag Appearance Settings SETTING VALUES EFFECT Enabled Fl ag Of f Fl ag does not appear . Ports On Flag always on, indicating selected port number . Names On Flag always on, indicating selected computer by name. Ports T imed Port number [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 39 USING OSCAR S CANNING THE C OMPUTERS In scan mode, the switch automatically switches from port to port (computer to computer). Y ou can scan the entire system sequentially or designate a custom scan pattern by specifying computers and durations. Placing the switch in scan mode T o place the switch in sc[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 40 USING OSCAR Setting a custom scan pattern T o set a custom scan pattern: 1 In the Advanced Menus scr een, highlight the Setup menu. 2 Highlight Scan and press ENTER . The Scan Pattern Setup screen appears with the first port position (or computer name) highlighted. 3 T ype the port number of the first c[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 41 USING OSCAR Removing a computer from the scan list T o remove a computer from the scan list: 1 On the Scan Pattern Setup screen, type the port number of the computer to be removed. — or — If your computers are listed by name, type the first few letters of the name of the computer . 2 Highlight the S[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 42 USING OSCAR B ROADCASTING C OMMANDS Broadcasting enables you to simultaneously contr ol more than one computer in a system. This feature is useful when you want to ensure that all selected computers r eceive identical input. For each computer receiving the br oadcast, you can choose to broadcast keystr [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 43 USING OSCAR T o turn off the br oadcast mode: 1 From the Commands menu in the Advanced Menus , highlight Broadcast and press ENTER . Broadcasting to Tier ed Configurations In a tiered system you can broadcast to any combination of computers on the entire system. B ROADCASTING C OMMANDS ( CONTINUED )[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 44 USING OSCAR T o broadcast to tiered configurations: 1 From the OSCAR Selection scr een at the primary switch, highlight the port number of the secondary switch (for example, Port 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, etc) to which you want to broadcast commands; pr ess ENTER . 2 Pr ess PRINT SCREEN twice; the OSCAR Selection [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 45 USING OSCAR 14 From a computer attached to the primary switch and con- nected to the secondary switch, type information and/or make mouse movements you want to broadcast. Note Broadcast only to systems directly connected to a primary OutLook switch or only to secondary OutLook switches connected to a pr[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 46 USING OSCAR S ECURING S ER VER A CCESS S ECURING S ER VER A CCESS Advanced server applications should be protected against unauthorized users. The switch security feature enables you to lock the keyboard and monitor , requiring you to type a password before r esuming operation. Y ou can also set a time [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 47 USING OSCAR 6 T o enable the screen saver mode, pr ess ENTER either in the T ime Delay or Mode fields. — or — Highlight T est and press ENTER to start the screen saver mode immediately . See the Security Configuration Settings table below for a description of the settings. Security Configuration Set[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 48 USING OSCAR T urning off the Screen Saver T o turn off the scr een saver: 1 If you are in scr een saver mode, press any key on your keyboard and then type your passwor d if your console is passwor d protected. 2 In the Advanced Menus scr een, highlight the Setup menu. 3 Highlight Security and pr ess ENT[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 49 USING OSCAR Blanking the Monitor without Locking the Console T o blank the monitor without locking the console: 1 If you are in scr een saver mode, press any key on your keyboard and then type your passwor d if your console is passwor d protected. 2 In the Advanced Menus scr een, highlight the Setup men[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 50 USING OSCAR D ISPLA YING V ERSION I NFORMA TION T o facilitate system troubleshooting and support, you can display the version number of the switch firmware as well as information about any auxiliary devices connected to the switch. The Version screen also displays specific device information for the cu[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 51 USING OSCAR S A VING THE H ARDW ARE S ETTINGS Whenever you add or remove computers to or fr om the system, or whenever you change the mouse or monitor , you should save the hardwar e settings. If you do not save the settings, they ar e lost when power is lost or turned off, and it might be necessary to [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 52 USING OSCAR R ESETTING THE M OUSE AND K EYBOARD If the keyboard or mouse locks up, you may be able to r ecover the device settings by resetting the switch. Resetting the mouse and keyboard attempts to r estore the corr ect settings for the selected computer . T o reset the mouse and keyboar d values: 1 [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 53 USING OSCAR A SSIGNING S PECIFIC D EVICE T YPES If your system includes one or more secondary switches in a tiered configuration, you must make the primary switch awar e of the secondary switches by assigning a specific device type. T o assign a device type: 1 On the Advanced Menus screen, highlight the[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 54 USING OSCAR C APTURING THE S CREEN The OSCAR relies on the PRINT SCRN key for various operations. If you want to use the PRINT SCRN key to capture the scr een, you will need to press the key various times in or der to captur e the screen, depending on your configuration. T o capture the screen using the[...]

6 UPDA TING FIRMW ARE APEX OUTLOOK SWITCH USER GUIDE U PDA TING THE F IRMWARE The Apex Web site has information on this pr oduct as well as the latest drivers and firmware update images. Y ou can access the site at http:// www .apex.com/support/outlook-sup.htm to find updates for your OutLook product. Y ou can update the switch firmwar e; the appli[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 56 Firmwar e T o update firmware: 1 Connect the standard serial cable to the serial connector on the PC computer and to the serial connector on the back panel of the switch. 2 Navigate to the drive where you have saved the firmwar e update. 3 Double-click to open the file WUpDate.exe . 4 In the dialog box [...]

7 TROUBLESHOOTING APEX OUTLOOK SWITCH USER GUIDE SYMPTOM PROBABLE CA USE RECOMMEN DED SOL UTION No OSCAR or video at server Video cable problem Check for loose video cable connection. Replace vide o cable. Incorrect settings i n Devices, Name s, or Flag dialog boxes Confirm settings in these dialog boxes. Reset settings to default i n these dialog [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 58 T r oubleshooting SYMPT O M PROBABLE CAUSE RE COMME NDED S OLUT I ON Console keyboard is not working or Cannot start OSCAR menus OSCAR Delay Time in effect Defective keyboard Turn off Delay Ti me: Setup>Menu Type 0 secs for Dela y Time. Check to see i f the Nu m Lo ck, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock keys[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 59 T r oubleshooting SYMPTOM PROBABLE CA USE RECOMMEN DED SOL UTION Keyboard signal did work on all servers, bu t then stopped or Keyboard signal never did work on all servers Console keyboa rd Check for loose console keyboard cable. Reconnect the console keyboard cable.* Check maximum le ngth of the conso[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 60 T r oubleshooting SYMPTOM PROBABLE CA USE RECOM MENDED SOLUTION Mouse error on start-up Mouse cable problem Check for l oose m ouse c able connection. Check fo r PS/2 keybo ard and mo use cable cross-connections. 1 Replace mouse cable. Updated system software Ch eck the i nternet for the latest firmware[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 61 T r oubleshooting SY MP T OM PRO BA BLE CA US E R ECO MME NDE D S O L UTI ON S w it ch se le ct s s er ver s at wi ll S ca n m o de e nabl ed T urn of f s c an ni ng: M ain >Co m man ds , th en c l e ar Enab l ed. Sa me key s trok es o r m ouse mo v e me n t s di s pl ay on one or m or e se r ve r s [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 62 T r oubleshooting Firmware Update S YMP TO M PR OB A B L E CA US E R EC O MME ND ED SO L UTI O N F i rm wa re doe s n ot dow n loa d C a b l e p r o b l e ms C h e c k f or l o os e c a bl e co nn e c t i on s . R epla c e seria l ca ble. Ch eck th at th e s eri al c ab l e i s c o n n ec ted t o th e C[...]

APPENDIX A PE X OUTLOOK SWITCH USER GUIDE A S PECIFICA TIONS Apex OutLook Console Switch 4- and 8-Port Specifications DIMENSIONS He i g ht 1.7 in (4.3 cm) Depth 8.0 in (20.3 cm) Wi d t h 17 in (43.2 cm) W e ight 5.25 lbs (2.38 kg) INPUT POWER REQUIREMENTS Rated V oltage 100-240V AC Rated Frequency 50- 60 Hz Rated Input Current 1 A m aximum TEMPERA [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 64 Appendix Electronic emissi on notices Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Class A Statement Note: This equipme nt has been te sted and found to comply wi th the limits for a Class A digital device, purs uant to Part 1 5 of the FCC Rul es. These li mits are de signed to provide rea sonable protec tio[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 65 Appendix Attention: This is a Class A product. In a domestic environmen t this product may cause radio interferen ce in whi ch case the user may b e required to take ad equate measures. T aiwan electrical emission statement Japanese V oluntary Control Council for Interfe rence (VCCI) statement[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 66 Appendix C P OWER C ORD S ET R EQUIREMENTS The power cord set meets the r equir ements for use in the country where you pur chased your equipment. The voltage selection switch allows you to select the appropriate line voltage for your server . Power cord sets for use in other countries must meet the r e[...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 67 Appendix Country-Specific Requirements Use the following table to identify the appropriate accr edited agency in your country . Power Cord Set Requir ements – By Country APPLICABLE COUNTRY A CCREDITING AGENCY NOTE NUMBERS Australia EANSW 1 Austria OV E 1 Bel gium CEBC 1 Canada C S A 2 Denmark DEMKO 1 [...]

Apex OutLook 140DX/180DX Switch User Guide 68 Appendix Before installing this pr oduct, read the Safety Information on the Apex User Guide CD. Notes: 1 Flexible cord must be <HAR> T ype HO5VV -F , 3-conductor , 1.0 mm 2 conductor size. Power cord set fittings (appliance coupler and wall plug) must bear the certification mark of the agency res[...]