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SERVSWITCH™

 

32 

 

 

 

4. Operation: Hardware and 

Keyboard Commands 

 

The first part of this chapter, 

Section 4.1

, gives you some guidelines that you 

should follow to make sure your ServSwitch works properly with your equipment. 

 
Section 4.2 

summarizes the ServSwitch’s keyboard commands, and 

Section 4.3 

describes these commands in detail. 

 
Section 4.4 

outlines how you can select ports or upgrade firmware from an 

optional computer or terminal connected to the ServSwitch’s RS-232 port. 

 

IMPORTANT NOTES 

If, as you prepare to operate the ServSwitch, you see a prompt on your 
screen asking you to “Enter password,” you must type in the unit’s 
access password before the ServSwitch will allow you to enter 
commands. See Section 5.5.2. 
 
To start any ServSwitch keyboard command, you must press and 
release the left Control Key ([Ctrl]). Pressing and releasing [Ctrl] cues 
the Switch to expect command characters from the keyboard. You then 
have two seconds in which to start entering a valid command. If no 
command is begun within two seconds or if an invalid command is 
entered, the ServSwitch aborts the command. 
 
When entering commands that contain numbers or math symbols, use 
only the numeral keys located at the top of your alphanumeric keyboard. 
Numbers and symbols entered from the numeric keypad to the right will 
not be recognized as valid. 

 
4.1 Guidelines for Using the ServSwitch with Your 
equipment 

 
4.1.1 CPU

Use only IBM PC/AT or PS/2 or 100% compatible machines. The ServSwitch does 
not support IBM PC/XT™ or compatible machines. It does not support machines 
that output CGA or EGA video. SGI machines must output the current type of SGI 
video on 13W3 connectors or standard VGA video on HD15 connectors. 

 
 
 
 
 

Summary of Contents for ServSwitch KV3104MA-R5

Page 1: ...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: ...e to keeping two monitors keyboards and mice on your desk Or do you need to share dozens of computers including a mix of IBM PC RS 6000 Apple Macintosh Sun Microsystems and SGI compatibles among multi...

Page 3: ...s a trademark of Logitech Inc Microsoft Windows HyperTerminal IntelliMouse and Windows NT are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and or other countries N...

Page 4: ...operated in a commercial environment Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference in which case the user at his own expense will be required to take whatever meas...

Page 5: ...o el ctrico debe ser montado a la pared o al techo s lo como sea recomendado por el fabricante 8 Servicio El usuario no debe intentar dar servicio al equipo el ctrico m s all a lo descrito en las inst...

Page 6: ...tir una antena externa deber ser localizada lejos de las lineas de energia 16 El cable de corriente deber ser desconectado del cuando el equipo no sea usado por un largo periodo de tiempo 17 Cuidado d...

Page 7: ...tings of Windows NT 4 0 CPUs 25 3 2 7 Switching from the keyboard 25 3 3 Cascading in ServSwitch Systems 26 3 3 1 Cable requirements for expansion 27 3 3 2 Installing a cascade 27 4 Operation Hardware...

Page 8: ...io connectivity 50 4 2 Serial connectivity 51 5 Operation On Screen Display 52 5 1 Overview 52 5 1 1 The main menu 52 5 1 2 Navigating the configuration pages 53 5 2 The Configure System Page 54 5 2 1...

Page 9: ...word 70 5 5 2 The Access Password 70 5 5 3 The Access Timeout 71 5 5 4 Setting The Passwords 71 5 6 The Computer Select Window 72 6 Troubleshooting 73 6 1 Restoring Factory Default Settings 73 6 2 Com...

Page 10: ...k with IBM ThinkPad 79 6 2 17 Lost Password 79 6 3 Calling Black Box 79 6 4 Shipping and Packaging 79 Appendices Appendix Page Appendix A NVRAM Factory Defaults 80 A 1 Keyboard Command Settings 80 A 2...

Page 11: ...on interlaced Refer to Section 4 1 3 Refresh Rate Up to 100 Hz Protocol RS 232 Asynchronous Data Format RS 232 8 data bits 1 stop bit no parity fixed Data Rate RS 232 9600 or for firmware update only...

Page 12: ...s Proprietary composite of IBM PC AT or PS 2 keyboard RS 232 or PS 2 mouse and video standards listed above Connectors All rear mounted 1 RJ 12 6 wire RJ 11 female RS 232 1 DB25 female MONITOR KEYBOAR...

Page 13: ...0 5 A Consumption Up to 15 VA 15 watts All other models From AC outlet through included power cord and IEC 320 male inlet to UL CUL and T V approved internal transformer Input 100 to 240 VAC at 50 or...

Page 14: ...manual If you didn t receive everything or if anything arrived damaged contact Black Box 2 2 Operating Features Some of the useful features of the ServSwitch Microprocessor controlled keyboard and mou...

Page 15: ...their RS 232 ports Rackmount kits are available Full size 8 and 12 port units can be expanded up to 16 ports by installing 4 Port Expansion Boards Please contact Black Box Tech Support if you ever wa...

Page 16: ...tors To familiarize yourself with these controls and indicators refer to Figures 2 1 2 2 and 2 3 below and the descriptions that follow on the next page Figure 2 1 The front panel of a 2 to 1 ServSwit...

Page 17: ...ponding port is powered ON NOTE The 2 port mini chassis has 4 each of the Select and CPU Power LED slots The slimline model chassis has 8 each of these slots and the full size chassis has 16 each of t...

Page 18: ...ese ports with CPU Adapter Cables At the ServSwitch end these cables have a DB25 male connector at the other ends they have appropriate connectors to plug into your CPUs video keyboard and mouse ports...

Page 19: ...a DB25 male connector at the other ends it has appropriate connectors to plug into your monitor keyboard and mouse cables Only one MKM Adapter Cable is needed See Section 2 5 RS 232 RJ 12 F If you con...

Page 20: ...ing for your application Refer to Appendix B for the available types of these cables and the corresponding product codes Also refer to Chapter 1 or the first Caution notice on page 22 for information...

Page 21: ...a monitor and a mouse to the ServSwitch unit Connectors will vary depending on the types of equipment you are installing Figure 3 1 Basic system setup for a slimline 8 port unit If the serial or audi...

Page 22: ...ze models our product code for a 19 23 or 24 Kit is RMK19C RMK23C or RMK24C respectively See Appendix E for more information 3 2 2 CONNECTING THE MONITOR KEYBOARD AND MOUSE A Monitor Keyboard Mouse MK...

Page 23: ...m because some CPUs can drive and receive keyboard and mouse signals at greater distances than others To go even farther you might want to use Station Extenders or CAT5 KVM Extenders see Appendix B 1...

Page 24: ...trix ServSwitch ServManager etc to a master ServSwitch run a ServSwitch to ServSwitch Expansion Cable our product code EHN055 for original cable or EHN274 for recommended coaxial cable from one of the...

Page 25: ...ould boot normally but if the unit s firmware has become corrupted probably as the result of a firmware upgrade going wrong it will display this message on the attached monitor Kernel is bad load new...

Page 26: ...e field scroll from the Enhanced setting to the Standard setting For more information consult your Windows NT manual 3 2 7 Switching from the keyboard Your ServSwitch is now ready for operation using...

Page 27: ...ekeyboard and mouse type you re using with Ctrl Mxx Enter and makesure that those settings are saved in the submasters NVRAM with Ctrl K 4 All of the CPUs attached to any PC only submaster must use th...

Page 28: ...tion numbers you ll use in keyboard commands in a rational sequence Figure 3 2 on the next page illustrates the proper layout and numbering of your submasters and CPUs Keep these restrictions in mind...

Page 29: ...SERVSWITCH 28 Figure 3 2 Basic ServSwitch cascading...

Page 30: ...s say you ve installed a four port submaster on a four port ServSwitch master and you have a four port submaster yet to install You must install the second submaster on the master s CPU 2 port not on...

Page 31: ...ady to begin hooking up the actual units follow these steps 1 If this hasn t already been done connect the monitor s keyboard s and mouse mice to the MONITOR KEYBOARD MOUSE port s of your master devic...

Page 32: ...rs are powered up 7 Set each master s Maximum computers Expansion units and Expansion width values so that the master can scan correctly and properly control the interplay of the submaster units You c...

Page 33: ...board command you must press and release the left Control Key Ctrl Pressing and releasing Ctrl cues the Switch to expect command characters from the keyboard You then have two seconds in which to star...

Page 34: ...e CPUs use only the generic Microsoft mouse driver MOUSE COM version 4 0 at least and preferably version 9 01 or higher When you first switch between CPUs you might notice wide variations in mouse sen...

Page 35: ...ecommend a 17 or larger high quality Multi sync monitor capable of displaying a maximum resolution of not less than 1280 x 1024 at a maximum refresh rate of not less than 75 Hz The higher the resoluti...

Page 36: ...y vs Distance for Coaxial Cables Quality 3 Near perfect screen defects are not conspicuous Quality 2 Good to very good images are clear there are small reflections around text lettering depending on t...

Page 37: ...5 m 10 3 m 15 4 6 m 20 6 1 m 25 7 6 m 640 x 480 3 3 3 3 3 800 x 600 non interlaced 3 3 3 2 2 1024 x 768 interlaced 3 3 2 2 2 1024 x 768 non interlaced 3 2 2 2 2 1280 x 1024 interlaced 2 1 1 1 1 1280...

Page 38: ...he ServSwitch returns to normal operation This keeps the Switch from getting stuck waiting for you to finish the command The Ctrl character is always passed through to the CPU The command characters a...

Page 39: ...se if one of them malfunctions or gets stuck Send Null Byte Ctrl N Causes the ServSwitch to send a null byte to the CPU s PS 2 mouse port Issue this command to correct the current CPU if it gets out o...

Page 40: ...the three digit number s third numeral key For single and double digit ports you can enter the number by including one or two leading zeros 001 for port 1 or 027 for port 27 or by pressing Enter afte...

Page 41: ...creen Saver Interval to nonvolatile memory NVRAM once you issue this command the current screen saver interval becomes the new default interval that s loaded at power up To enter the Keep Setting comm...

Page 42: ...power up effects or plugging and unplugging of cables from live equipment the currently selected CPU in a ServSwitch system can lose one or two bytes of this control information and get out of sync wi...

Page 43: ...urrently selected CPU see Section 5 4 3 If this label is not on screen you can use this command to cause the Switch to display the label for the length of time you have configured for the label s fade...

Page 44: ...or moves the mouse To log out press and release the left Control key then type L 4 4 Using the RS 232 Port 4 4 1 Connecting equipment to the port For your convenience a computer or terminal with an E...

Page 45: ...the single or master Serv unit will send the number of the currently selected port minus one back to the remote computer or terminal as an 8 bit binary byte For example if you currently have port 1 se...

Page 46: ...ch means its firmware may be reloaded upgraded in order to support new features or fix any problems in its operation To get new firmware revisions when they become available you can download them from...

Page 47: ...DEM ZMODEM etc The Switch will send back a series of ASCII period characters decimal 46 hex 2E that shows the progress of the file copying procedure It will also flash LED 1 or 4 depending on the data...

Page 48: ...nstead LED 3 will go dark briefly while the ServSwitch reboots itself and runs its new firmware The Switch should then light LED 4 and send some diagnostic information about itself In particular make...

Page 49: ...other means of setting your serial ports to higher data rates Call Black Box for technical support if you have difficulty finding such a utility program 3 Make sure the ServSwitch is turned OFF then...

Page 50: ...3 will go dark briefly while the ServSwitch reboots itself and runs its new firmware Once this phase is successfully completed LED 4 will light If however an error occurs LED 4 will remain dark and yo...

Page 51: ...ponding ServSwitch s CPU port using a CPU adapater cable configured with a DB25M connector on one end and a PS 2 keyboard and mouse connector HD15M video connector and 2 3 5 mm Stereo connectors on th...

Page 52: ...video connector and a DB9M serial connector on the other end When connected serial data is passed between the computer and the connected serial device Serial CPU adapter cables EHN382S nnnn PS 2 keybo...

Page 53: ...sition of this window 3 See the name of the computer you are currently switched to The font color position and timing of displayed text are all user selectable 5 1 1 The main menu Access the main menu...

Page 54: ...r exits to normal keyboard operation or goes to the Configure system Configure computers or Configure overlay page From these other pages choosing a selection by hitting the Enter key will bring up an...

Page 55: ...system is highlighted Figure 5 2 The Configure system page 5 2 1 Configure system Keyboard Normally the ServSwitch will autodetect the keyboard type but you can set it differently in this field if you...

Page 56: ...pressed the input box disappears and the new setting appears in the Mouse field PS 2 mouse refers to those IBM PS 2 compatible mice that have a 6 pin mini DIN connector and either two or three buttons...

Page 57: ...rial RS 232 interfaces usually with a DB9 connector are Mouse Systems compatible and use a 5 byte 8 bit 1200 bps no parity data format Most PC serial mice with 3 buttons fall into this category Certai...

Page 58: ...will usually autodetect this value but if for whatever reason you have no CPUs attached the first time you boot the Switch it will use its factory default values instead 4 for 2 port units the number...

Page 59: ...iated with which physical connector For example if you are using four port submasters then the expansion width should be set to four Do not use submasters that have different numbers of CPU ports both...

Page 60: ...ervSwitch operates normally when it is powered up or begins scanning immediately To change the power on scan setting press Enter while Power on scan is highlighted An off on input box appears Use the...

Page 61: ...figure System Typematic Delay This item determines how soon keystrokes will begin to repeat after the operator begins holding down a key on the shared keyboard There are four possible settings slow 1...

Page 62: ...gure 5 5 The arrow in the column after the computer number points to the currently selected computer Figure 5 5 The Configure computers page Use the left and right arrow keys to move the highlight bar...

Page 63: ...s highlighted An Input new name box appears as shown in Figure 5 6 below The default computer names are Computer n where n is the port number also as shown below Figure 5 6 Changing a computer s name...

Page 64: ...rs in the appropriate Keyboard field There are three possible keyboard modes mode 1 PC1 mode 2 PC2 the factory default or mode 3 PC3 Most regular PCs are mode 2 and don t require you to change the def...

Page 65: ...ghted A mouse type input box appears as shown in Figure 5 8 below Figure 5 8 Changing a CPU port s mouse type Use the arrow keys to select the desired mouse type and hit Enter The input box disappears...

Page 66: ...rlay is highlighted Figure 5 9 The Configure overlay page 5 4 1 Configure Overlay Miscellaneous 5 4 1 A Color Scheme This item determines which colors the ServSwitch uses for the configuration menus T...

Page 67: ...s pressed or the shared mouse is moved If you are not in an on screen display menu then the computer name label is also displayed as if you had just switched to a new computer While the screen saver i...

Page 68: ...move the pointer the name of each color is shown in that color so you can see how it looks Hit Enter to select the color pointed to The input box disappears and the new setting appears in the appropri...

Page 69: ...ter the name of each color is shown in that color so you can see how it looks Hit Enter to select the color pointed to The input box disappears and the new setting appears in the appropriate Backgroun...

Page 70: ...0 for the corresponding number of seconds if Fade out is set to 1 to 254 or always if Fade out is set to 255 Factory default is 5 seconds To change the fadeout setting press Enter while Fade out secon...

Page 71: ...on 5 5 4 Once you do an Enter password box will appear whenever the configuration menu is requested and the ServSwitch will not permit any changes to options in the menu until the user enters that pas...

Page 72: ...s this is actually the factory default value You can also disable the timeout by setting it to zero in this setting users will never be automatically logged out so the Enter password box will only be...

Page 73: ...s the computer select window on top of your current video Use the upand down arrow keys on the shared keyboard to select the desired computer when it is highlighted hit Enter to immediately switch to...

Page 74: ...y 1 Make sure that the ServSwitch any submasters attached to it and all CPUs directly or indirectly connected to it are turned OFF 2 Press and hold in the or previous port button on the front of the S...

Page 75: ...cable the old cable is probably defective F If swapping cables doesn t solve the problem try plugging the CPU into a different CPU port on the ServSwitch If the CPU boots when it s connected to a dif...

Page 76: ...en reversed plug them into the proper ports F You might be using the keyboard incorrectly Make sure to use the left Control key to start port switching commands Make sure to use the numeric keys at th...

Page 77: ...for the correct port C PS 2 or PS 2 wheel mouse To recognize the mouse the CPU must be directly connected to it or indirectly connected to it through the ServSwitch and if one is involved the submast...

Page 78: ...5 m and this assumes that your CPUs can drive keyboard and mouse signals that far you might only be able to run 20 ft 6 1 m Bottom line If you re running IBM or Mac video over original Serv cable you...

Page 79: ...ot be set up correctly for your desired resolution 6 2 13 On Screen Display Not Synchronized A This can happen when no video is coming from the currently selected port or CPU and the Configure overlay...

Page 80: ...ns no user serviceable parts Contact Black Box Technical Support at 724 746 5500 Before you do make a record of the history of the problem We will be able to provide more efficient and accurate assist...

Page 81: ...s for the Switch s current operating period as well as what commands or actions if any can save changed settings to NVRAM so that they become the new defaults Option Factory Default Setting To Change...

Page 82: ...computers 2 port models 4 Other models No of ports on unit Expansion units 0 Expansion width 16 Scan time 5 seconds Scan mode Off Power On Scan Off Typematic rate 20 characters per second Typematic de...

Page 83: ...er label Background color Transparent blue Text color White Position X 3 Y 90 Show computer number Yes Fade out 5 seconds Font 16 x24 modern Security Configuration password None Access password None A...

Page 84: ...and the video resolution you re using you might be able to use the one of the Extender types to connect the ServSwitch to monitor keyboard mouse stations or CPUs as much as 200 ft 61 m away If your mo...

Page 85: ...2 keyboard mouse 3 5mm stereo audio EHN382A nnnn PS 2 keyboard mouse 3 5mm stereo audio EHN485A nnnn USB keyboard mouse 3 5mm stereo audio Audio KVM adapter cables EHN154A nnnn PS 2 keyboard mouse 3 5...

Page 86: ...Pin Signal Name Abbrev Direction Description 1 Data Set Ready DSR Input Reserved not used 2 Data Terminal Ready DTR Output Pulled high with 1 K resistor 3 Transmit Data TD Output Serial data from port...

Page 87: ...Home Insert Here Insert Remove Delete Select End Prev Page Up Next Page Down F13 Same passed through unaltered F14 Same passed through unaltered F15 Help Same passed through unaltered F16 Do Same pass...

Page 88: ...ch of these Kits consists of two rackmounting ears and four screws To use a kit to mount a ServSwitch take these steps referring to Figure G 1 below 1 Match up the two holes in the Switch end of each...

Page 89: ...r cable you can connect directly to a CPU s sound card and to a pair of computer speakers or headphones at the KVM station You can also with special cables connect to the CPU s MIC input and add a mic...

Page 90: ...nector HD15F video connector and 2 3 5mm Stereo audio connector on the other end speaker and microphone output Audio produced from each connected computer can be listened to when you switch to that CP...

Page 91: ...ssed between the computer and the connected serial device Table Ad 2 Serial adapter cables Type of Cable Product Code Serial CPU adapter cables EHN382S nnnn PS 2 keyboard mouse DB9 serial Serial KVM a...

Page 92: ...ut Black Box Black Box provides an extensive range of networking and infrastructure products You ll find everything from cabinets and racks and power and surge protection products to media converters...

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