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• Does your switch have to sit solidly on a worktable and use regular everyday cables? Or does it have to be mounted in an equipment rack and use convenient many-to-one cables? No matter how large or small your setup is, no matter how simple or how complex, we’re...
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KV1602C KV1603C KV1604C TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL BLACK BOX and the logo are registered trademarks, and ServSwitch and ServSwitch Multi are trademarks, of Black Box Corporation. Apple, ImageWriter, LaserWriter, Mac, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND INDUSTRY CANADA 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. It has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 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 salen del aparato.
4. Installing CPU-Interface Cards, Server Cables, and Computers ... 37 4.1 Setting the Jumpers to Configure the Video-Output Type ... 37 4.2 Setting the DIP Switch ... 39 4.2.1 Configuring Video Options ... 39 4.2.2 Setting the Keyboard/Mouse-Inactivity Timeout ... 40 4.2.3 Setting the Keyboard Translation (Mapping) for Macintosh Computers ...
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6.2 Determining Where to Install Cards and Attach Equipment ... 56 6.3 Configuring Your Expansion Cards ... 58 6.3.1 Setting the Transmit Card’s Unit-Address DIP Switch ... 58 6.3.2 Setting the Distance Jumpers on the Transmit and Receive Cards ... 60 6.4 Installing Your Expansion Cards ...
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9.2.3 The User/Administrator-Controls Menu ... 104 9.2.3.A Scanning ... 104 9.2.3.B Menu Activation ... 104 9.2.3.C Switch Alt. User Module ... 105 9.2.3.D Control Alt. User Module ... 105 9.2.4 The Command-Line Entry Window ... 106 9.3 Administrator Functions in the Channel-List and User-List Menus (Administrator Only) ... 107 9.3.1 Channel-List Menu Functions ...
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Chapter 9. Using the On-Screen Display (continued) 9.4 Administrator Controls (Administrator Only) ... 112 9.4.1 Broadcasting (Enable/Disable Broadcast Mode) ... 112 9.4.2 Confirm Deletes (Enable/Disable Delete Confirmation) ... 112 9.4.3 System Configuration (Configure System Functions) ... 112 9.4.3.A Chassis Number ... 112 9.4.3.B Command Key Sequence ...
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11.1.12 A Serial Device Doesn’t Work ... 135 11.1.13 A Pair of Speakers/Headphones Doesn’t Work ... 136 11.1.14 A Microphone Doesn’t Work ... 136 11.2 Calling Black Box ... 137 11.3 Shipping and Packaging ... 137 Appendix A: Configuration Charts ... 138 Appendix B: Problem Report ...
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 1. Specifications Compliance — FCC Part 15 Subpart J Class A, IC Class/classe A Standards — VGA, SVGA, XGA, XGA-2, Macintosh, or Sun video; can also carry Base Unit (KV150A-R2) and MX (KV155A) only: On front panel: Interfaces — Hub (KV170RA) only: On CPU-Interface, User-Interface, and Expansion Cards: Resolution —...
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On MX (KV155A): (4) Port-selection pushbuttons (1 for each port); On CPU-interface cards: (6) Jumpers for video type; (1) 8-position DIP switch for various options (1) 2-character display panel (5-x-9-pixel area for each character); (12) Selected-port LEDs (one for each port);...
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Connectors on Chassis — All models have internal card-edge connectors in each of their Card/ Base Unit (KV150A-R2) and MX (KV155A) also have dedicated front- Hub (KV170RA) also has front-mounted serial port that will be enabled by All Cards and Modules have rear-mounted card-edge connectors; Cards and Modules —...
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Power — Input: 90 to 240 VAC at 47 to 63 Hz from utility-power (mains) outlet, Consumption: Size — MX (KV155A): 5.5"H x 8.2"W x 13.6"D (14 x 20.8 x 34.5 cm); Hub (KV170RA): 15.75"H (9U) x 19"W x 13.5"D (40 x 48.3 x 34.3 cm); All other models: 5.25"H (3U) x 17.1"W x 13.6"D (13.3 x 43.4 x 34.5 cm) Weight —...
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 2.1 Overview With the ServSwitch Multi™, multiple users at your site can operate sets of IBM Macintosh ® , Sun Microsystems ® , and other computers at the same time. Each ServSwitch Multi Expansion Chassis (product code KV160A-R2)—the preferred “starting” model for mid- to large-scale applications— supports as many as 14 external connections through plug-in cards.
RS-232 serial port. Modems, serial printers and scanners, and other serial devices are accessible through the serial port; if you attach a PC to this port, you can view the Switch’s system configuration or firmware-revision level, or download upgraded firmware into the Switch.
ServSwitch Multi (see Section 8.4) make it possible for a Mac keyboard attached to the Switch to emulate the functions of a PC or Sun keyboard, at the time of this writing there is no way for a one-button Apple mouse attached to the Switch to emulate a mouse with more buttons.
• Use only Black Box supplied cable with the ServSwitch Multi. Poorly constructed or miswired cabling will diminish video quality and could possibly damage your equipment.
If you didn’t receive everything, or if anything arrived damaged, call Black Box right away. In addition, you’ll need other components to build a complete ServSwitch Multi system (contact Black Box Technical Support if you’re not sure what you’ll need for your application). With the Base Unit, MX, EXP, or SB, you’ll need some combination of:...
• To attach user stations to the Switch, 1-foot (0.3-m), 10-foot (3-m), or 20-foot (6.1-m) User Cables attached to additional Universal User-Interface Cards (KV2500C) or User-Interface Cards with On-Screen Display (KV2550C-R2) as necessary—up to a maximum of: – one into an MX whose Local Console you’re using;...
You can use these connectors to attach a keyboard, monitor, and mouse (and optionally a microphone, speakers, and serial device) to the Switch’s front panel. Any peripherals attached to the front of a Base Unit or MX together constitute its local console (user station). Through these peripherals, you can access every computer attached to the Switch.
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(on the MX) or three (on the Base Unit) Card consoles can have access, as the local console does, to every computer on that Switch. (It can be two or four Card consoles if you don’t use the local console at all.) See Section 8.3 for details.
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Autosensing CPU-Interface Card (our product code KV2000C) for each computer you plan to attach to the Switch, as well as one Universal User-Interface Card (KV2500C) or User-Interface Card with On-Screen Display (KV2550C-R2) for each secondary console. The CPU-Interface Card, shown in Figure 2-4, has an HD44 female connector as a single composite interface for all I/O to and from the attached computer.
(KV162RA), shown in Figure 2-7, has fourteen pairs of channel LEDs, each of which corresponds to a channel slot in which you can install any kind of ServSwitch Multi Card. The Switch’s front panel also has POWER and FAIL LEDs.
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Front of ServSwitch Multi Figure 2-8. The ServSwitch Multi’s Expansion Cards. Each regular Expansion Card has two HD26 ports on it (male on the Transmit Card, female on the Receive Card); each of these is an endpoint for an independent expansion link. For example, if you run cables from both of the ports on a Transmit Card to the corresponding ports on a Receive Card in another unit, two different user stations on the other unit will be able to access different computers on the Transmit Card’s unit at the same time.
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Instead of single connectors, the two ports on CAT5 Expansion Cards consist of three RJ-45 sockets each, because three 4-pair cables are required to carry all of the signals necessary for expansion. The ports of the regular Cards and the CAT5 Cards are shown in Figures 2-9 and 2-10; the pairing of the CAT5 RJ-45 connectors is shown in Figure 2-11.
CAT5 Expansion Card in some other ServSwitch Multi model to two of the ports on one of the Hub’s Modules. This centralized distribution through the Hub makes it possible to assemble very large KVM-switching systems using fewer Expansion Cards, fewer cables, and often fewer Switch units. For more information, see Chapter 7.
CHAPTER 3: Installing User-Interface Cards, User Cables, and Console Devices 3. Installing User-Interface Cards, User Cables, and Console Devices If you are installing a cascaded ServSwitch Multi system, you should make sure your Expansion Cards and Cables are installed properly before you begin installing other types of Cards or attaching devices to the system.
(Save these screws; you’ll be replacing them momentarily.) 4. If you look into the open slot on the Switch, you will see “guide tracks” that the top and bottom of the Card should slide along when you install it. Slide new User-Interface Card gently into the slot along these tracks, until the Card’s HD62 connector lines up flush with the back of the unit, as shown in Figure 3-2.
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CHAPTER 3: Installing User-Interface Cards, User Cables, and Console Devices Local console module (not available) BASE UNIT: Local console module (not available) EXP and SB: Figure 3-3. The ServSwitch Multi rear panels (as shipped from the factory). Option slot Slots corresponding to lettered (available) channels (all available) Slots corresponding to lettered...
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 3.3 Connecting User Cables and Console Equipment to Your User Cards Except for the local consoles on the Base Unit and MX, you’ll use User Cables to connect your consoles to the User Cards installed in your ServSwitch Multi. You will need one of these cables for each User-Card console in your system.
CHAPTER 3: Installing User-Interface Cards, User Cables, and Console Devices 3.3.1 F IBM S TYLE EYBOARD AND If you are using an IBM PS/2 or PC/AT style keyboard and a PS/2 or serial mouse at a given console, the User Cable you’ll need will be labeled KV2505, KV2515, KV2545, or KV2585 depending on the options you ordered (see Table 3-1 at the start of Section 3.3).
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 3.3.2 F PPLE ACINTOSH TYLE If you are using an Apple Macintosh style (ADB, Apple Desktop Bus) keyboard and an ADB or RS-232 mouse at a given console, the User Cable you’ll need will be labeled KV2700, KV2710, or KV2740 depending on the options you ordered (see Table 3-1 at the start of Section 3.3;...
CHAPTER 3: Installing User-Interface Cards, User Cables, and Console Devices 3.3.3 F ICROSYSTEMS TYLE If you are using a Sun Microsystems style keyboard and mouse at a given console, the User Cable you’ll need will be labeled KV2800, KV2810, KV2840, or KV2880 depending on the options you ordered (see Table 3-1 at the start of Section 3.3).
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 3.3.4 C ONNECTING ULTISYNC Most ServSwitch Multi applications that involve more than one hardware platform will require multisync monitors for all user stations, because PC, Mac, and Sun computers typically use sets of resolutions and refresh rates that differ greatly from one another. But if all of your computers are from the same platform, or if your platform-dedicated non-multisync monitor is nonetheless able to handle the video output of all your computers, we offer various adapters that will let you connect your monitor to the ServSwitch Multi.
• Two Autosensing CPU-Interface Cards (KV2000C), one to handle the computer’s primary video stream and one to handle the secondary video. These Cards must be installed side by side in the Switch chassis, with the Card that will be handling the secondary video having the higher address. For example, if the computer’s primary video output is going to a CPU Card installed in channel 1B, the CPU Card handling the secondary video must be installed in channel 1C.
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Once you have all of the components of your entire ServSwitch Multi system installed, you will need to use the UICD to enable the dual-monitor setup. Here’s how to do so: 1. If you haven’t yet added the dual-monitor computer to the Switch’s on-screen configuration records, follow the instructions for doing so in Section 9.3.1.A.
(see Section 4.1) and an eight-position DIP switch that determines three other things: how the ServSwitch Multi handles the video signal and sync from that computer (see Section 4.2.1), how long that computer’s inactivity timeout is (see Section 4.2.2), and how the Switch maps certain keyboard keys if the computer is a Macintosh model (see Section 4.2.3).
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Figure 4-2. The possible settings of the Card’s video jumpers. 1 2 3 IBM VGA/SVGA 1 2 3 Apple HiRes (Horizontal and Vertical Sync) 1 2 3 Apple Portrait 1 2 3 Sun 1152 x 900 @ 66 Hz *There are two jumper settings for Sun 1152 x 900/76-Hz displays, because some will require one of these jumper settings and some will require the other—there is no way to tell which other than by trial and error.
Note that, even after you’ve installed the Card, you can change any of its DIP- switch settings from a console keyboard with a simple hotkey sequence; see Section 8.14. As you set each Card’s DIP switch, add this info to the Card’s record in the System-Configuration Chart (see Appendix A).
PC keyboard. In this mode (while Scroll Lock is ON), the Switch always maps the PC’s [F11] key to the Macintosh (Power) key. If the PC keyboard is a Windows 104-/105-key type, it will also normally always try to remap the ...
In most cases, any slot that is covered with a blank (connectorless) panel will be available. However, note that on the Base Unit and MX, the local-console module on the far left end of the Switch’s rear panel is covered by a blank panel but is not an available slot; no ServSwitch Multi Card of any type can be installed in that slot.
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(Save these screws; you’ll be replacing them momentarily.) 4. If you look into the open slot on the Switch, you will see “guide tracks” that the top and bottom of the Card should slide along when you install it. Slide the Card gently into the slot along these tracks, until the Card’s HD44 connector lines up flush with the back of the unit, as shown in Figure 4-5.
Sun Microsystems with KV2320 Sun video (Section 4.4.3) Sun Microsystems with KV2420 VGA video (Section 4.4.3) ® workstations; please call Black Box Technical Support if you Table 4-2. Product codes for Server Cables. Product Codes 20' (6.1-m) 30' (9.1-m) Standard Standard...
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 4.4.1 F IBM PS/2 PC/AT C If you are using an IBM PS/2 or PC/AT compatible computer on a given channel, the Server Cable you’ll need will be labeled KV2020-R2, KV2025, KV2030, KV2040-R2, KV2060-R2, or KV2080-R2 depending on the options you ordered (see Table 4-2 on the previous page).
CHAPTER 4: Installing CPU-Interface Cards, Server Cables, and Computers 4.4.2 F PPLE ACINTOSH OMPATIBLE For an Apple Macintosh compatible computer outputting Apple type video on a DB15 connector, the Server Cable you’ll need will be labeled KV2220, KV2225, KV2230, KV2240, KV2260, or KV2280 depending on the options you ordered (see Table 4-2 at the start of Section 4.4).
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 4.4.3 F ICROSYSTEMS OMPATIBLE For a Sun Microsystems compatible computer outputting Sun type video on a 13W3 connector, the Server Cable you’ll need will be labeled KV2320, KV2325, KV2330, KV2340, KV2360, or KV2380 depending on the options you ordered (see Table 4-2 at the start of Section 4.4). The cable will have these computer-end connectors: KV2320, KV2325, and KV2330 Cables will have:...
1 through 3 of the CPU-Interface Card’s DIP switch to OFF OFF ON, the setting that causes the Card to generate horizontal and vertical sync from sync on green (see Section 4.2).
Serial Control Card it is attached to. The Management Card functions similarly to an CPU-Interface Card (KV2000C) in that you switch directly to it from your keyboard or with the ServSwitch Multi’s on-screen menus or front-panel pushbuttons. Once you’ve switched to the Management Card, on-screen menus allow you to name and select the attached terminals in your ServSwitch Multi system.
CHAPTER 5: Installing Management and Serial Control Cards and Associated Equipment 5.2 The Cards and Cables Illustrated The Management Card and Serial Control Card are shown in Figure 5-1. The Management Card has a DB9 male connector that functions as an EIA/TIA RS-232 serial interface (pinned out according to TIA-574, like the serial ports of an IBM PC/AT or PS/2 computer) so that you can upload security logs from the Card (see Section 10.4.7) or download firmware upgrades to the Card (see Section 10.4.4).
(Save these screws; you’ll be replacing them momentarily.) 4. If you look into the open slot on the Switch, you will see “guide tracks” that the top and bottom of the Card should slide along when you install it. Slide the new Management Card or Serial Control Card gently into the slot along these tracks, until the Card’s connector or connectors line up flush with the back of the...
CHAPTER 5: Installing Management and Serial Control Cards and Associated Equipment 5.4 Attaching Terminals to the Serial Control Card The Serial Control Card has four ports available for attaching terminals, hubs, routers, and other serial equipment. To attach your devices to these ports, you will need: •...
To expand your ServSwitch Multi system beyond the confines of a single unit, you will need to add Expansion Transmit and Receive Cards to your system. Connecting a Transmit Card in one Switch to a Receive Card in another melds those two Switches into one larger switching matrix; see Figure 6-1 on the next page. If you install Transmit Cards in the same ServSwitch Multi as a set of computers, those computers can communicate with consoles (user stations) attached to other Switches.
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To successfully configure and install your expanded ServSwitch Multi system, you will need to figure out all of these things: 1. Where to put your ServSwitch Multi units and how to interconnect them (see Section 6.1—also Chapter 7 if your system includes any ServSwitch Multi Hub). 2.
Figure 6-3. (Note that in both Figure 6-2 and Figure 6-3, the users on Switch 0 can access any computer attached to any of the four Switches in the system.) The star configuration is the more common of these two approaches and is the...
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2. The maximum number of ServSwitch Multis between any user and any accessible computer is four, including the Switches attached to the user’s console and the computer. If a user attempts to switch to a computer more than four Switches away (that is, a computer that would have to send its video signal through more than four Switches to reach the user), the command will be ignored;...
1. In order for a computer attached to a ServSwitch Multi to transmit its video signal to consoles attached to other Switches in the system, you must install at least one Transmit Card in the computer’s Switch. Refer to Figure 6-5.
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Card on Switch 0, so this would work if there were fewer users on Switch 1. But because there are four users on Switch 1, and all of them will be using at least one of Switch 1’s data pathways at all times, Switch 1 has no available pathways left.
Transmit Card that you’ll be installing in a given ServSwitch Multi to the same unit address; if a Switch detects that it contains Transmit Cards with different addresses, it will not operate at all. Make very sure not to set Transmit Cards installed in different Switch units to the same address;...
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CHAPTER 6: Planning and Installing an Expanded System (Optional) 3. Choose a unique unit address and set the DIP switch for that address; refer to Table 6-1 for addresses up to 16 decimal or Appendix C for higher addresses. Table 6-1. DIP-switch settings for unit addresses.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 6.3.2 S ETTING THE ISTANCE UMPERS ON THE Every pair of Transmit and Receive Cards that will be communicating with each other through one of their ports must be configured for the length of the Expansion Cable(s) that will connect them together. This involves setting a series of “distance jumpers”...
Back these screws out slightly until they are flush with the Card’s cover plate. 5. If you look into the open slot on the Switch, you will see “guide tracks” that the top and bottom of the Card should slide along when you install it. Slide the Card gently into the slot along these tracks, until the Card’s two HD26 connectors or six RJ-45 connectors line up flush with the back of the unit, as shown in...
6.5 Installing Your Expansion Cables To connect your Expansion Cables to the Expansion Cards, take these steps: 1. Get Expansion Cable(s) whose length matches the jumper settings of the chosen port on your first communicating pair of Transmit and Receive Cards. 2A.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 7. The ServSwitch Multi Hub 7.1 Overview The ServSwitch Multi Hub is designed to make configuring and installing large, complex cascaded ServSwitch Multi systems as efficient and economical as possible. By channeling the expansion signals that pass between other ServSwitch Multi units through a “central switching station,”...
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CHAPTER 7: The ServSwitch Multi Hub The Hub, shown in Figure 7-2, is a rackmountable chassis that’s 9U (15.75", 40 cm) high. It contains two power supplies, two fan assemblies, and as many as nine total Transmit Modules and Receive Modules. The power supplies are fully redundant and hot-swappable, so you can replace one at any time without powering down the system.
Receive or Transmit Module respectively. Refer to the sample layouts in Section 7.7. If you still have any questions, please call Black Box Technical Support. (We strongly encourage you to call Black Box Tech Support anyway, to discuss your application, before you perform any large or complex ServSwitch Multi installation.)
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Transmit port, leave all of the switch positions set to OFF if the cable you’ll be attaching to that port isn’t more than 25 ft. (7.6 m) long. If the cable is longer, move a position of each switch to ON for each 50 ft.
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175 ft. (53.3 m) to 225 ft. (68.6 m) From over 225 ft. (68.6 m) to 250 ft. (76.2 m) Figure 7-4. The Transmit Module’s possible DIP-switch settings. Video Keyboard/ Mouse Figure 7-5. The port layout of the Transmit and Receive Modules.
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Figure 7-6, and their possible settings are shown in Figure 7-7. For any given Receive port, leave all of the switch positions set to OFF if the cable you’ll be attaching to that port isn’t more than 125 ft.
The existing ID number is shown next to “old ID”; a new Hub will have the factory-default ID number 0. This is not a valid ID; you need to change it to another number—different from that of any other Switch chassis in your system—immediately.
7.5 The Functions of the Hub’s LCD Panel and Pushbuttons There is also a 4-line-by-20-character LCD panel on the Hub’s front panel. You can use this display and its four associated pushbuttons (Up, Down, Escape, and Enter) to configure your Hub, view its status, etc. 7.5.1 T ISPLAY CREEN...
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 7.5.2 T ONTRAST CREEN If the Hub’s display either is too bright or cannot easily be seen, press the Enter button at the Idle Display screen to reach the Contrast screen: Use the Hub’s Up and Down buttons to increase or decrease the contrast of your display. The black bar on the line below 0 and 100% will widen or shrink to show the approximate percentage of current contrast.
7.5.4 T NSTALLED ODULES AND Press the Hub’s Down button twice from the Idle Display screen, or once from the Chassis ID screen, to reach the Installed Modules screen: This screen displays the type of Module currently installed in each of the Hub’s nine Module slots, referred to as slot “A”...
Press the Up and Down buttons to toggle between the two available rates: 57,600 bps and 38,400 bps. When the rate you want is displayed, press the Hub’s Enter button to switch to that rate and return to the Serial Port screen, or press the Hub’s Escape button to return to the Serial Port screen without switching to the new rate.
English and German. When the language you want is displayed, press the Hub’s Enter button to switch to that language and return to the Language screen, or press the Hub’s Escape button to return to the Language screen without switching to the new language.
This section shows a few examples of money-saving cascaded ServSwitch Multi systems designed around ServSwitch Multi Hubs. You can call Black Box Tech Support for help in determining whether your ServSwitch Multi system would benefit from using Hubs and, if so, how best to design your Hub-centered system.
CHAPTER 7: The ServSwitch Multi Hub 7.7.2 A 16 384 M ATRIX In this configuration, 16 users can simultaneously access 384 attached computers. Here 256 computers have been added to the 16 x 128 matrix in Section 7.7.1, but any user can still freely connect to any computer. This configuration uses three Hubs, 48 ServSwitch Multi SB chassis to connect computers to the system, and four ServSwitch Multi EXP chassis to connect the users.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 7.7.3 A 32 256 M ATRIX In this configuration, 32 users can simultaneously access 256 attached computers. Here the 16 x 128 matrix in Section 7.7.1 is effectively doubled, but any user can still freely connect to any computer. (There aren’t enough dedicated signal paths from any one EXP to any one Hub, or from any one Hub to any one SB, to make this work.
For units with addresses higher than 9, the display will show an asterisk (“*”) in place of a unit address. For example, if channel G in Switch 7 is the current active channel at the local console, the display would show “7G”.
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Table 8-1. Channel-LED states and what they mean. Base Unit EXP and SB: and MX: Green Amber Green ON LOW BLINKING HIGH/OFF at 1 Hz BLINKING HIGH/LOW at 1 Hz ON HIGH BLINKING BLINKING at 2 Hz BLINKING BLINKING BLINKING Meaning:...
1. Type in “<CM>D[Enter]” to select channel D. 2. Type in “<CM>A[Enter]” to select channel A. 3. Typing in “<CM>G[Esc]” gets you out of Command Mode without any channel switch or other instruction being executed. Channel A remains selected as the active channel.
D and F. Now let’s say that user 2 wants to use computer A. User 2 can switch to computer A, but until user 1 finishes working with it, user 2 will only be able to see its video output, not send keyboard or mouse input. This is called “shared access.”...
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For example, refer to Figure 6-4 in Section 6.1: For a user on Switch 0 to establish an independent connection to a computer on Switch 5, it would require the...
Where a key is listed in one of these tables as “untranslated,” the Switch passes the character generated by that key directly through to the computer without altering or substituting for it, regardless of the state of the Scroll Lock.
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Table 8-2. Remapping of the 101/102-key PC keyboard. When the It sends this Switch character to receives this the selected key from the Sun computer: PC keyboard: [F1] [Stop] [F2] [Again] [F3] [Props] [F4] [Undo] [F5] [Front] [F6] [Copy] [F7]...
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Table 8-3. Remapping of the 104/105-key “Windows ready” PC keyboard. When the Switch receives this key from the PC keyboard: [F1] [F2] [F3] [F4] [F5] [F6] [F7] [F8] [F9] [F10] [F11] [F12] Keypad [*] [Num Lock] Keypad [/] Keypad [–]...
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While these remapping functions make it possible for a Mac keyboard attached to the Switch to emulate the functions of a PC or Sun keyboard, at the time of this writing there is no way for a one-button Apple mouse attached to the Switch to emulate a mouse with more buttons.
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI While Scroll Lock is ON, when the Switch receives this key from the Sun keyboard: [Stop] [Again] [Props] [Undo] [Front] [Copy] [Open] [Paste] [Find] [Cut] (power) (command) [Compose] [Help] [Mute] [Vol –] [Vol +] [Alt] [Alt Graph] [Control] Table 8-5.
8.5 Audio and Serial Functions (Audio Cables Only) The ServSwitch Multi supports attaching speakers/headphones and a microphone to every console in the system. If you have installed User Cables and Server Cables with audio capabilities, then you will have access to these features.
10 seconds, then the next channel in sequence for 10 seconds, and so on. 3. Type in “<CM>KD3[Enter]” to set the dwell time to 3 seconds. The Switch will continue scanning, but will begin pausing at each channel for only 3 seconds.
8.7 Broadcast Mode Using “Broadcast Mode,” each user on a ServSwitch Multi system can send commands to multiple computers in the system at the same time. By creating your own customized “broadcast group,” you can designate which computers you want to broadcast to. Once you enter Broadcast Mode, whatever you type is sent to all of the computers in your group regardless of which channel is active.
When you select your computer channel in Privacy Mode by entering the “<CM>XAddr[Enter]” keystroke- sequence command, no other console in the system can switch to your channel. If any other users try to select your private channel, they will simply remain on their present channels instead. Take your channel out of...
8.11 Command Forwarding In the ServSwitch Multi system, one user can do “command forwarding” to send commands that affect another user’s connection. For example, suppose Melissa and John are users at different consoles, and that Melissa is training John and needs him to be in Follow Mode (see Section 8.8). No matter where she is relative to John’s location, she can use command forwarding to put John in Follow Mode without any intervention on his part.
If a Black Box Technical Support technician asks you to do so, you can access the ServSwitch Multi’s firmware- configuration display by following one of the procedures described below. If, based on the information displayed, the technician determines that you need new firmware for a given component, he or she will tell you how to receive the new firmware from us.
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3 below—option 2 is quite useful for quickly disseminating the new firmware to all of the components of the same type in your system.) The Switch will prompt you for the addresses of the source Card/Module and the destination Card/Module, and will then copy the firmware from source to destination.
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At any point that the terminal is at a prompt (when the Switch is idle, waiting for input from the terminal), you can go back to the console from which you entered the command to access the firmware-configuration menu;...
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6. The “Serial #” column lists the component’s serial number. Unless the component is an eval, demo, or special unit, the serial number should always be numeric. 7. The “Other Information” column shows the Switch’s best guess of what the component is attached to (if anything) based on the states of the ground leads of the component’s connector(s).
CPU-Interface Card in question is far away or otherwise hard to get at.) Any changes to the virtual switch will remain in effect until you either change it again or you move the positions of the physical DIP switch.
Cards to get that Switch working again. <CM>Kn[Enter] Sets the scan mode (n = 1, 2, or 3) of the keyboard signals the Switch should send to the currently selected IBM PC compatible computer. Scan mode 2 is used by the vast majority of CPUs, and is also the default state of all 101-key and PS/2 keyboards.
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Command Function <CM>SUN=n[Enter] Consoles with non-U.S.-English Sun keyboards only: Forces all CPU-Interface Cards attached to Sun computers to emulate key codes specific to the keyboard language corresponding to decimal number n. To determine the number of the correct keyboard language for your system, refer to your Sun documentation.
Section 9.3.2.A). When you are finished working with the Switch, activate the on-screen display (if it isn’t already active) and press the [F10] key. The User Login screen will appear again. That’s all there is to it; you or any other user will have to log back in to continue working on the system.
You can move immediately to the top or bottom of the list with the [Home] and [End] keys. Press [Enter] to switch to your selected channel. To exit the on-screen display without changing channels, press [Esc].
To switch to a channel normally, simply highlight that channel and press [Enter]. To switch to a channel in Privacy Mode (see Section 8.10), highlight that channel and press [Alt] and [Enter] at the same time. To sort the channel list by name, press the [+] key on the keypad of the shared keyboard while the Channel-List Menu is on screen.
User-List Menu—see Section 9.2.2.) If you are logged in as a user, you will see this menu as the User- Controls Menu; it will have the four options “Scanning,” “Menu Activation,” “Switch Alt. User Module,” and “Control Alt. User Module” that are described in the following subsections. If you are logged on as the system administrator, you will see the expanded options of the Administrator-Controls Menu instead (see Section 9.4).
2. Enter the chassis address of the remote User-Interface Card. 3. If the remote User-Interface Card that you want to switch is a UICD, enter the administrator password for that Card. If the remote module is a UUIC or local-console module, leave this field blank.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 9.2.4 T OMMAND NTRY INDOW You can access the Command-Line-Entry Window (shown in Figure 9-3) by pressing the [Ctrl] key twice, then pressing [Alt] + [Tab] twice. (System administrators will have to press [Alt] + [Tab] three times, because they have to bypass the User-List Menu—see Section 9.2.2.) You can also access this window by pressing the <CM>...
4. Enter the ID-window-display information. The ID window displays the name of the current channel on your screen after you switch channels. You can enter the window’s text size, field length, text color, and background color from this menu, or visually adjust these values later as described on the next page.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI To adjust the ID window visually, starting from the Channel-List Menu: 1. Highlight the desired channel. 2. Press [F3]. 3. Adjust the ID window using these keys: • Use the [+] and [–] keys on the shared keyboard to set window width; •...
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Remove the selected channel from the menu. [Enter] Switch to the highlighted channel. [Alt] + [Enter] Switch to the highlighted channel in privacy mode. For more information on privacy mode, refer to Section 8.10. [Alt] + [Tab] Cycle through the available menus.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 9.3.2 U UNCTIONS To perform any of these functions, first access the Channel-List Menu by pressing the [Ctrl] key on the shared keyboard twice within one second, then press [Alt] + [Tab] to reach the User-List Menu. Note that the white bar at the bottom of the menu lists all of the available menu options;...
9.3.2.E Setting Users’ Access Privileges At the User-List Menu, take these steps to configure access privileges for each user: 1. Highlight the user for whom you want to configure access. 2. Press [F3] to bring up the user-access options. 3. Highlight the first listed computer channel. 4.
1 and 254. Unit addresses of “0” and “255” are reserved. If you already have a chassis number assigned to this Switch, leave the value in this field at “0”. This doesn’t mean that the chassis address is “0”; it just means that the UICD won’t try to give the unit a chassis number itself.
101/102-key keyboards that don’t include these keys should use the DIP-switch translation option instead. (See Section 4.2.3. Unlike the DIP-switch function, this option involves the console rather than the computer, is not affected by Scroll Lock, and operates only when a Mac is selected rather than continually.) Do not activate both types of remapping at the same time.
2. Press the four keys [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Shift] + [M] simultaneously. 3. The UICD will begin cycling through various types of synchronizations. It will switch to a different sync type approximately every ten seconds. When it gets to one that your monitor can display, press [Enter] to have the UICD save that sync type in NVRAM as its default.
10. Using Management and Serial The ServSwitch Multi Management Card (KV1608C-R2) and Serial Control Card (KV1609C) add advanced serial-control features to the ServSwitch Multi. For an introduction to these Cards and for instructions on how to install them and their associated cables and equipment, see Chapter 5. 10.1 Addressing Terminals on the Serial Control Card Since each Serial Control Card has four ports, channel addressing (for port-selection purposes) requires more than just a chassis number and slot letter.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 10.2 Getting Started: The Options Screen When you first select your Management Card, this Options Screen appears on your monitor: User Options ------------------------------------------- ALT-M to view the Terminal List ALT-O to open a Terminal Session ALT-N to view the Security Monitor ALT-T to view the System Management Tools ALT-C...
Stop bits: 1 or 2; Parity: None, Even, or Odd; Flow control: None, X-ON/X-OFF, or RTS/CTS. Press Enter when configuration has been completed. [Enter] Switch to the highlighted channel. [F11] See more available options. [F4] Quickly edit the selected channel’s name or address.
The System Management Tools window contains ten items, nine of which can be selected. You can display information on the type and revision level of each Card installed in the Switch, as well as the Flash-ROM status of any installed Card that has Flash ROM. You can also download firmware to your Management Cards or relay firmware from the Management Cards to other Cards.
M, select the channel from the menu, and press Enter. The second way is to use the Open-Session Menu. To do so, channel-switch to the port that contains your Management Card. Press Alt-O to bring up the Open-Session Menu. Type in the address of the channel you wish to open a session for, and press Enter. To leave the menu...
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 10.3.3.C How to Make Your Session Persistent and Scrollable (Using History Mode) To make your session “persistent” (so that events are kept in memory even after they scroll off the screen) and “scrollable” (so that you can pull these retained off-screen events back onto the screen), press Alt-H after you open your session to start “history mode.”...
10.4 Using the System Management Tools Once you have cycled to the Administrator Control Menu with Alt-Tab, choose the System Management Tools option. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Alt-T from any menu when the Management Card is selected. The menu shown below will appear on your monitor.
6. The “Serial #” column lists the component’s serial number. Unless the component is an eval, demo, or special unit, the serial number should always be numeric. 7. The “Other Information” column shows the Switch’s best guess of what the component is attached to (if anything) based on the states of the ground leads of the component’s connector(s).
10.4.2 D ROM S ISPLAY LASH TATUS When you choose option 2 from the main menu, you will be prompted to enter a channel address. Enter a remote address or leave the field blank for the local channel (that is, for the Management Card itself). The firmware type and current firmware-revision level of the selected Card—which can be any type of ServSwitch Multi Card—will be displayed as shown below.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 10.4.3 D OWNLOAD OCAL TO EMOTE If the main menu serial-port function is enabled (you can check this by selecting option 10), you can use option 3 to transfer firmware from the local Management Card to any other ServSwitch Multi Card in your system that you can transmit to.
Section 10.4.7.) Depending on whether the transfer succeeds or not, one of these messages will be displayed: Flash ROM download was SUCCESSFUL Flash ROM download FAILED If you have difficulty, call Black Box for technical support. CHAPTER 10: Using Management and Serial Control Cards ROM (D LASH...
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 10.4.5 S EARCH FOR ONNECTED Choose option 6 to search your ServSwitch Multi system for all connected chassis. You will be prompted for the range of chassis numbers you want to search. Enter the first and last chassis numbers for your search or press Enter to accept the default values of 1 and 25.
10.4.7 T RANSFER ECURITY To connect the Management Card to an IBM PC/AT or PS/2 compatible computer, you will need a PC/AT style null-modem cable such as our product code EYN257H. Attach one end of this cable to the Card’s DB9 male serial port and the other end to the computer’s serial port.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 10.4.8 T RANSFER HANNEL You can use the Serial Channel-List Menu to edit the local Management Card’s channel list in any of several ways (see Section 10.3.1). Once you finish making your desired changes, you can choose option 9 at the main menu in order to send the new and improved channel list to another Management Card elsewhere in your system—or to receive the list from another Card if there’s a better version elsewhere, or if changes you made to the local Card’s list turn out to have been mistaken.
10.5 Using the Security Monitor Once you have cycled to the Administrator Control Menu with Alt-Tab, choose the System Security Monitor option. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Alt-T from any menu when the Management Card is selected. A screen like the one shown in Figure 10-4 will appear on your monitor.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 10.5.1 T CTIVE The Active User List shows which users are currently logged on and what channel they are switched to. Each user’s address and name are listed as well as their selected computer channel. You have the option of paging up to the previous page of users, paging down to the next page, returning to the top of the list, or dropping down to the end of the list.
10.5.3 T INDOW The Log Window tracks all logging and switching activity for every system user. The date, time, user name, channel, and activity are listed. You have the option of paging up to the previous page of history, paging down to the next page, returning to the top of the log, or dropping to the end of the log.
9. If you’re trying to switch channels through the on-screen display system, make sure that the User-Interface Card to which your console is attached is in fact a UICD. If it is, verify that you can get the Command-Line- Entry Window to appear (see Section 9.2.4). If you can, make sure that you don’t have menu activation turned OFF (see Section 9.2.3.B).
1. Send the Command-Mode hotkey sequence (see Section 8.2.1) to the ServSwitch Multi from the keyboard. If this sends the Switch into Command Mode (the LED for your current channel should blink), at least the keyboard and Switch are communicating, so the problem is likely on the computer side; skip to step 5. If the Switch won’t go into command mode, go on to step 2.
6. Check the affected computer’s Server Cable. Make sure that all its connections, especially the strand that runs to the computer’s keyboard port, are tight and secure. (If your Server Cable is a PC type, make sure that the PS/2 keyboard and mouse strands haven’t been connected backwards at either end; the PS/2 mouse strand is marked with a yellow band.) 7.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI 11.1.13 A P AIR OF PEAKERS EADPHONES 1. Make sure that the selected computer is actually supposed to be outputting sound at this point. 2. Make sure that the speaker/headphone volume is turned up high enough to be audible. 3.
If you need to transport or ship your ServSwitch Multi: • Package it carefully. We recommend that you use the original container. • Before you ship the unit back to Black Box for repair or return, contact us to get a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number.
If you need to contact Black Box Technical Support, have all this info on hand (and please fill out a copy of the Problem Report in Appendix B) before you call.
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ServSwitch Multi System Configuration Company Name: ______________________________________________________________ Site/Department: ______________________________________________________________ Name of/Position of/Contact Info for Person Who Maintains ServSwitch Multi System: ____________________________________________________________________________ Orders for ServSwitch Multi Equipment 1. Order Number: _______________________________ Purchase Date: ______________ Equipment Purchased: _____________________________________________________ Install Date(s): _______________________________ 2. Order Number: _______________________________ Purchase Date: ______________ Equipment Purchased: _____________________________________________________ Install Date(s): _______________________________ 3.
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*If you look at the Card’s HD26 or RJ-45 connector(s) from the rear, the Card’s label is to the right of the connector(s). †If this port is connected to a matching port on a Receive Card in a ServSwitch Multi Base Unit, MX, EXP, or SB, record that Receive-Card port’s switch address and channel letter here.
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*If you look at the Card’s HD26 or RJ-45 connector(s) from the rear, the Card’s label is to the right of the connector(s). †If this port is connected to a matching port on a Transmit Card in a ServSwitch Multi Base Unit, MX, EXP, or SB, record that Transmit-Card port’s switch address and channel letter here.
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*Only one of the three 8-position DIP switches is shown here because all three DIP switches must be set the same way. †If this port is connected to a port on a Receive Card in a ServSwitch Multi Base Unit, MX, EXP, or SB, record that Receive-Card port’s switch address and channel letter here.
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*Only one of the three 2-position DIP switches is shown here because all three DIP switches must be set the same way. †If this port is connected to a port on a Transmit Card in a ServSwitch Multi Base Unit, MX, EXP, or SB, record that Transmit-Card port’s switch address and channel letter here.
Report form before calling Black Box Technical Support. Have this report, as well as a copy of your system- configuration charts from Appendix A, ready to be faxed to Black Box if the technician asks that you do so. Today’s Date: _________________ Your Name: __________________________________________________ Your Phone No.: ____________________________...
DIP switches set to the same unit address, and this address must be unique to that Switch. So if you want a new Switch you’re adding to the system to be unit 7, look up 7 decimal in Table C-1; it will show you that you should set the DIP switch to 00000111 binary, which corresponds to (left to right—position 8...
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Table C-1. DIP-switch settings on the CPU-Interface Card and their numeric equivalents. Dec. Binary No. Dec. Binary No. No. (DIP-Switch No. (DIP-Switch Positions Positions 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
Appendix D: Cables We offer a large number of cables for use with the ServSwitch Multi. This appendix lists those we currently have available and their connectors. Cable product codes, availability, and construction are subject to change without notice. D.1 CPU (Server) Cables All CPU Cables have an HD44 male connector on the end that plugs into the ServSwitch Multi.
SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Description Cable Prod. Lengths Codes Sun with Older Sun Video: Standard...KV2320 KV2325 KV2330 Audio ...KV2340 KV2360 KV2380 Sun with VGA Video: Standard...KV2420 KV2425 KV2430 Audio ...KV2440 KV2460 KV2480 D.2 User Cables All User Cables have an HD62 male connector on the end that plugs into the ServSwitch Multi. At the console end, all audio-type cables have (1) RCA mono female for audio input, (1) RCA stereo female for stereo output, and (1) DB9 male for serial-device I/O.
D.3 Adapters In addition to the standard cabling, we offer a set of adapters that you can use to connect legacy equipment to the ServSwitch Multi system: • To attach a legacy monitor with a 13W3 video connector, plug an HD15 male to 13W3 video adapter cable into the user cable’s monitor strand: Use the 1-ft.
• Other interfaces: To connect serial devices or ports designed for some other interface (EIA/TIA RS-530 or RS-449, ITU V.35 or X.21, etc.) to the ServSwitch Multi, you will need an interface converter. We don’t recommend that you make connections like these; if you absolutely have to do so, call Black Box Technical Support.
2. Remove the three screws that secure each side of the ServSwitch Multi’s cosmetic shell, as well as the four screws that secure the top of the shell. Then remove the shell. (If you might ever be using the Switch as a standalone unit again, save the shell and its screws;...
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SERVSWITCH™ MULTI Figure F-1. Removing the Switch’s shell and attaching the new faceplate (Base Unit and RMK19L shown).