5.2.1 Connecting the VSN900X-Optical and the VSN1100X-Optical
The
EMS
optical solution allows expansion chassis to be located up to 100m away from the main controller. The Optical
solution can support up to PCIe Gen 3 x8 bandwidths between an HLink-Optical, located in the host machine and an
SLink-Optical, located in the expansion chassis. Full bandwidth is achieved by using two ExCable-Optical cables between each
HLink and SLink-Optical card .
Alternatively, PCIe Gen3 x4 bandwidth can be achieved using only one ExCable-Optical between each HLink-Optical and
SLink-Optical. This will reduce the total amount of video signal that can be transferred between the chassis. If x4 bandwidth is
acceptable, one HLink-Optical can be connected to two SLink-Optical cards, providing that the HLink-Optical is located in a x8
slot.
See creating a PCIe
x4
lane and
x8
lane link
If your optical expansion chassis is supplied as part of a complete wall controller system the HLink-Optical card will be
pre-installed in the host machine which contains the SBC. If the expansion chassis has been supplied separate to a host
machine, the HLink-Optical card provided needs to be installed in the host PC.
You are likely to need a flat blade and/or a cross head screwdriver for the installation of the HLink-Optical card. Power down
the PC (including peripherals), switch off at the mains and disconnect all the cables connected to the computer and expansion
chassis. Remove the PC cover. Locate a vacant PCIe slot (x8) on the motherboard and remove the backing plate (retain all
screws) .
Remove the HLink-Optical card from its packaging and secure it firmly into the empty PCIe slot. Screw the bracket to the back
panel of the PC and replace the cover.
If more than one expansion chassis is supplied, ensure the cards are paired correctly by connecting the cards labelled “Link1”
together, the pair labelled “link2” are connected together and so on. In the event that this is not possible i.e. the expansion
chassis are shipped separately and the cards are not labelled, connect the cards using the ExCables-Optical provided and
re-install the
EMS
Driver Install package to reset the pairings.
5.2.1.1 Connecting to a VSN1170 and VSN1190
If the VSN1100X-Optical is being connected to a VSN1170 or VSN1190 the full bandwidth (x8) is available in all PCIe slots. When
using the
EMS
VSN1170 as a host machine it is recommended to connect multiple expansion chassis in a “Star”
configuration (i.e place all HLink-Optical cards in the VSN1170 host machine). This is because each slot of the VSN1170 is
capable of supporting the full x8 Gen.3 connection to the HLink-Optical card. Other host machines that support multiple x8 or
greater slots should also be configured this way. For detailed instructions/information on connecting multiple expansion
chassis, refer to the
EMS
Expansion Chassis User Guide supplied with your expansion chassis.
Cabling
27
Cabling
The
ExCables-Optical should be inserted firmly into the connector on the HLink and SLink-Optical cards.
The correct way to insert the cable is to have the manufacturers label facing the card as shown above.
