IBM eServer 370 xSeries, User Reference Manual

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Input/Output port connectors
The input/output (I/O) port connectors are for attaching external devices, such as
printers, keyboards, and displays, to your server. The I/O port connectors on your
server include:
Two serial-port connectors
One parallel-port connector
One video-port connector
One keyboard-port connector
One auxiliary-device-port connector
One external Wide Ultra-2 SCSI (LVD) port connector
Two USB-port connectors
One 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port connector on the Advanced System
Management PCI adapter
One dual serial-port connector on the Advanced System Management PCI
adapter
One Advanced System Management Interconnect port connector
See the illustration in “Input/output connectors and expansion slots” on page 11 for
the locations of the connectors.
Serial port
Your server comes with two serial ports. (See “Input/output connectors and
expansion slots” on page 11 for the locations of the connectors.) These ports are
used to communicate with printers, plotters, external modems, scanners, and
auxiliary terminals. You can also use these ports to transfer data between
computers.
Serial ports transfer data one bit at a time, using direct memory access (DMA).
DMA is a method of transferring data between I/O devices and system memory
without intervention by the system processor.
Serial ports can transfer data asynchronously , which means that they can transmit
any number of characters at any time, with no restriction on the duration of the
pauses between characters.
The serial ports can transmit and receive data and commands at rates of from 300
bits per second up to 345 600 bits per second. To use a serial port at 345 600 bits
per second, you need a shielded serial cable. For information about this cable,
contact your IBM marketing representative or your IBM authorized reseller.
Each serial port has a 9-pin, male D-shell connector on the back of the server. The
pin-number assignments of this connector conform to the industry standard.
1
5
6 9
Chapter 4. Installing options
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