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CHAPTER 6: Operation (Port Selection)
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the Sharer will end that slave’s session and select a new active port.
When the Sharer times out a slave, it continues to monitor that slave’s
RTS signal. It will deny that slave any further line access (that is, it will
ignore that slave’s port each time it chooses a new active port) until the
slave’s RTS goes low and then high again (a good sign that the slave
device has been reset, fixed, or replaced).
NOTE
Some asynchronous dumb terminals continuously assert RTS from the time they
are powered ON until they are powered OFF. This behavior can cause an
RS-232 Data Sharer to time out such a terminal and never switch back to it. If
you must put such a terminal on your system, call your supplier. They might
be able to provide you with equipment better suited to your application.
4.
Once the active slave device drops RTS, the RS-232 Data Sharer either
(a) locks onto the requesting port with the highest priority (this is the
case for 2-port Sharers and for 4- and 8-port Sharers with jumper W4 in
the B–C position), or (b) begins polling at the next port in sequence and
locks onto the first device it detects with RTS asserted (this is the case for
4- and 8-port Sharers with jumper W4 in the A–B position).