McPC Gigabit™
by IMC Networks
Installation
Guide
About McPC Gigabit
McPC Gigabit
™ is a low-cost, IEEE 802.3 sin-
gle-conversion, PC Card media converter that
converts between 1000Base-TX twisted pair and
1000Base-SX multi-mode or 1000Base-LX sin-
gle-mode fiber. It is available with one RJ-45
connector for the twisted pair port and a SC
connector for the fiber port.
McPC Gigabit
can be mounted into any PC
with a standard PCI or ISA slot that includes diagnostic LEDs for each port.
Configuring McPC Gigabit
Before installing,
McPC Gigabit
should be configured for its mode of
operation via a DIP switch located at position
S1
on the PCB. The following
illustration shows the location of the DIP switch as well as its default settings.
Consult the chart below for each switch’s functions. See page 2 of this man-
ual for more on the modes and their functions.
D
U P L E X
M
O D E
The Duplex mode settings of the
McPC Gigabit
converter are used with
Auto-Negotiation
. The default Duplex mode for
McPC Gigabit
is Full-
Duplex. In this mode, Full-Duplex is advertised during
Auto-Negotiation
.
OFF / ON
12345678
(Default settings shown)
DIP Switch
S1
FDX/HDX
SLV/MSTR
FA
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
1
Q U I C K S T A R T
Configuration
1
DIP Switch Settings
1
Negotiation
2
FiberAlert
2
Installation
4
Troubleshooting
4
LED Indicators
5
Tech Support
5
1
Duplex Mode (
ON
: Half-Duplex,
OFF
: Full-Duplex)
OFF
2
Master/Slave Mode (
ON
: Master,
OFF
: Slave)
ON
4
FiberAlert
OFF
3, 5-8
Factory Use Only —
DO NOT CHANGE
N/A
S
WITCH
F
UNCTION
D
EFAULT
To make the unit operate in Half-Duplex, simply move DIP switch
1
from
the
OFF
to the
ON
position. This will allow only Half-Duplex to be adver-
tised during
Auto-Negotiation
. The
Auto-Negotiation
takes place on the
twisted-pair interface only. When the twisted-pair interface is resolved, the
configuration will be encoded into the fiber side. No
Auto-Negotiation
takes
place on the fiber side. As a result, it is usually best to disable
Auto-
Negotiation
on the remote fiber end. Since most gigabit networks run at
Full-Duplex, it is recommended to set the remote fiber end to Full-Duplex.
M
A S T E R
/ S
L A V E
M
O D E
This feature determines which clock will be used between the
McPC Gigabit
and the device it is connected to (a switch, NIC, or another
McPC Gigabit
,
etc.). Master mode is the default setting, where
McPC Gigabit's
clock is
used. To change this to the Slave setting, move DIP switch
2
to the
OFF
position.
McPC Gigabit
will then receive and use the clock of the other con-
nected device. The Master/Slave mode is only valid for the twisted pair link.
Negotiation and McPC Gigabit
McPC Gigabit will negotiate between Master and Slave mode. To avoid
conflicts with devices connected to McPC Gigabit, it senses which mode is
appropriate and will then choose that mode. McPC Gigabit also negotiates
between Half- and Full-duplex.
Typically, when McPC Gigabit is connected to a NIC or switch, it func-
tions as a Master, as the NIC and switch auto-negotiate and determine
which mode will not cause conflict. The McPC
Gigabit
should drop down
to Slave mode when connected to a switch or other multiport device. When
connected to another McPC Gigabit, there is a period of time where, while
negotiation is taking place, errors may be seen. After a short period of time,
the device returns to normal operation.
About FiberAlert
FiberAlert
is an advanced troubleshooting features that can help you
locate "silent failures" on your network. However, it is vital that you under-
stand exactly how
FiberAlert
works, and how they will react in your network
configuration, before attempting to install the enclosed module(s).
Installing modules without understanding the effects of
FiberAlert
can cause perfectly functioning units to appear flawed or even
dead
.
If you are unfamiliar with
FiberAlert
, IMC Networks strongly encourages
you to read the following information. Contact IMC Networks technical
support at (800) 624-1070 (U.S. and Canada), +32-16-550880 (Europe)
or
for more information and assistance.
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