Adder Technology ALGTX/ALGRX manual

I N S T A L L A T I O N & U S E www .addertec.com AL Extender pair AL TX/ALRX AL Silv er pair ALSTX/ALSRX AL Gold pair ALGTX/ALGRX ADDER L L i i n n k k ADDER L L i i n n k k The AdderLink contains f ine video compensation amplif ier s to maximise the video quality f or any given length of twisted pair cable . T o adjust the compensation and sh[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 1 About this manual AdderLink - Installation and Use www.addertec.com Third edition (May 2000) Part No. ADD0035/3 (c) 2000 Adder Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. Whilst every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual, Adder Technology Ltd assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Ne[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 2 Warranty Adder Technology Ltd warrants that this product shall be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of one year from the date of original purchase. If the product should fail to operate correctly in normal use during the warranty period, Adder will replace or repair it free of charge. [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 3 Radio Frequency Energy A Category 5 (or better) twisted pair cable must be used to connect the AdderLink units in order to maintain compliance with radio frequency energy emission regulations and ensure a suitably high level of immunity to electromagnetic disturbances. All other interface cables used with this [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 4 Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 6 1.1 AdderLink features ..................................................................................6 1.2 Additional AdderLink Gold features .....................................................[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 5 3. Using the AdderLink ...................................................................... 31 3.1 Power on status ......................................................................................31 3.2 AdderLink indicator lights ........................................................................32 [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 6 1. Introduction Thank you for purchasing the AdderLink extender. Your AdderLink is designed to transfer keyboard, video, mouse and RS232 signals up to 200 metres over Category 5 twisted pair cable. The AdderLink system consists of a transmitter (XL) and a receiver (XR) unit that are connected together by a twis[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 7 Power and activity indication confirm correct operation. Standard cable connections make installation easy and inexpensive. Robust metal case ensures good shielding and video quality. 19 inch rack mount kit available. Supports IBM PC compatibles and RS6000 computers. 1.2 Additional AdderLink Gold features Suppo[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 8 1.3 Product information Figure 1 – AdderLink XL transmitter and XR receiver[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 9 Figure 2 – AdderLink Gold XL transmitter and XR receiver[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 10 Figure 3 – Mounting the AdderLink in the optional 19 inch rack mounting kit[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 11 1.4 Package contents AdderLink package contents (part code: ALTX/ALRX) Quantity Description 1 AdderLink XL transmitter unit 1 AdderLink XR receiver unit 1 Instruction manual 1 Power adapter for the XR receiver unit (Please note that the XL transmitter unit does not normally require a power adapter because it d[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 12 AdderLink cable pack (part code: VSCP5) This cable pack is suitable for connecting your computer to the AdderLink XL unit. It is also suitable for connecting your computer to the AdderLink Gold XL unit or the AdderLink Gold XR unit if you do not wish to use speakers or microphones. Your PS/2 keyboard, PS/2 mou[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 13 AdderLink Gold cable pack (part code: VSCP6) This cable pack is suitable for connecting a computer to the AdderLink Gold XL unit and a second computer to the AdderLink Gold XR unit. Your PS/2 keyboard, PS/2 mouse, monitor, stereo speakers and microphone may be plugged into the AdderLink Gold directly. Quantity[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 14 2. Installation 2.1 What you will need A category 5 (or better) twisted pair cable of the required length to connect the AdderLink XL and XR units together. These cables contain 4 pairs of twisted wires. Specifications and recommended cable types are given in appendix A. AdderLink supports cable lengths up to [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 15 A suitable mouse driver for your PC(s). Supported types are: - PS/2 or RS232 two button mouse driver (any manufacturer). - Microsoft mouse driver (including IntelliMouse). - Logitech mouse driver (including two button, three button and wheel mouse) If you have the AdderLink Gold then you may also require: An a[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 16 2.2 Mounting the AdderLink The AdderLink has been designed to be used either on a desktop or mounted in a 19 inch rack. If the AdderLink is to be mounted in a 19 inch rack then you will need the optional rack mounting kit (part code: RMK-AL). The AdderLink may also be mounted on a suitable vertical surface, su[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 17 Figure 4 – A typical AdderLink installation[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 18 Figure 5 – A typical AdderLink Gold installation[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 19 2.4 Configuring your PC(s) Configure your PC in the same way that you would if your keyboard, mouse, speakers, microphone and monitor were all connected directly to your PC, but bearing in mind the following points: AdderLink emulates Microsoft compatible serial, IntelliMouse and PS/2 mice, so ensure that your[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 20 2. Video compensation / configuration mode (see section 2.8) This mode is entered by typing the hotkey combination (selected using the option switches) on the keyboard attached to the XR receiver. Once within video compensation / configuration mode you can adjust the video compensation and select other options[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 21 keyboard/mouse port commonly found on the back of laptops. The wiring scheme used on a few of these 'Y' cables confuses the AdderLink into thinking that it is being connected to the computer's serial port and consequently prevents correct operation. When option switch 4 is set to the ON position[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 22 Figure 6 – AdderLink XR option switches (normal and Gold models)[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 23 Figure 7 – AdderLink XL option switches (normal and Gold models)[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 24 2.8 Setting the video compensation The AdderLink incorporates fine video compensation amplifiers to maximise the picture quality for any given length of twisted pair cable. When you first plug in your AdderLink you will probably notice that the picture appears blurred or distorted or does not appear at all. Th[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 25 You should now see a ‘fuzzy’ video picture on your monitor connected to the XR receiver unit. STEP 3 You may now use the following keys to select the required video compensation. g g Selects no video compensation. { { Increases the video compensation (coarse adjustment). w w Increases the video compensatio[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 26 The best compensation setting may be set using the following technique. • Press { { until you observe white trailing edges on the right hand side of black text or graphics. • Press and release y y several times until the white trailing edges just disappear. STEP 4 Press f f to exit from compensation mode. [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 27 Options are then set by pressing a letter key followed by a number key followed by the RETURN key. For example to select an RS232 baud rate of 1200 use the following: Whilst within configuration mode press B B 1 1 f f The num, caps and scroll lock lights will indicate correct acceptance of the command as follo[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 28 H1 H1 f f - Mouse compatible RS232 protocol (default) – overrides all other RS232 settings (see section 4.1) H2 H2 f f - RS232 protocol uses hardware handshaking H3 H3 f f - RS232 protocol uses no handshaking (1200 baud max.) M1 M1 f f - AdderLink Gold channels are not switchable by a 3-button mouse or Intel[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 29 2.11 Other useful installation information PC boot up sequence - When your PCs are powered on they communicate with any attached keyboards and mice and setup parameters required by the particular operating system. It is necessary for the AdderLink to be attached and powered on during this sequence so that it c[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 30 Mouse restoration functions should be used with care as unpredictable results may occur if the wrong mouse type is selected. If in doubt restore the mouse by powering down the PC normally. Standard PS/2 mouse data uses a different data format to IntelliMouse data and so two reset functions are provided on the [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 31 3. Using the AdderLink This section explains the general operation of the AdderLink. We recommend that you read this section before starting to use the product. 3.1 Power on status The AdderLink is ready for use as soon as the XR receiver and XL transmitter have been powered on. Remember that the XL transmitte[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 32 3.2 AdderLink indicator lights The AdderLink indicator lights have the following meaning AdderLink XL Indicator Colour Status Meaning POWER Green ON AdderLink is on and there is sufficient power available OFF AdderLink is off and sufficient power is not available FLASHING Insufficient power is availabl e (marg[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 33 AdderLink Gold XL Indicator Colour Status Me aning POWER Green ON AdderLink is on and there is sufficient power available OFF AdderLink is off and sufficient power is not available FLASHING Insufficient power is available (marginal power) REMOTE A Red ON Keyboard or mouse data has been received from the XR uni[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 34 3.3 Keyboard NUM, CAPS and SCROLL lock indicators The AdderLink uses the keyboard NUM, CAPS and SCROLL lock lights to indicate various operating conditions as follows: NUM, CAPS and SCROLL lock lights flash in sequence The AdderLink flashes the NUM, CAPS and SCROLL lock lights in sequence on the keyboard conne[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 35 NUM and SCROLL lock flash alternately with CAPS lock The AdderLink alternately flashes NUM and SCROLL lock and then CAPS lock on the keyboard attached to the XR unit to indicate that the AdderLink is currently locked and is awaiting a password to be entered by the user to unlock the AdderLink. 3.4 Keyboard hot[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 36 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘L’ - Disconnects the AdderLink XR’s keyboard and mouse from the computer that they are controlling and switches off all the red status lights. The video signal is switched off. If a password has not been set then the AdderLink can be re-enabled by selecting a computer using ‘HOTKEYs?[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 37 3.5 Contending for control of the XL unit's computer (AdderLink Gold) Timeout mode On the AdderLink Gold, the computer attached to the XL unit may be accessed by the control port (Keyboard/Monitor/Mouse/Speakers/Microphone) on the XL unit or the control port on the XR unit. Only one control port may be ac[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 38 To enter compensation / configuration mode: press ba ba f f release f f ba ba To exit compensation / configuration mode: press f f release f f 3.7 Mouse control On the AdderLink Gold XR unit, the computers can conveniently be selected using a three button mouse or IntelliMouse. In order to switch to the other [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 39 audio with a higher peak-to-peak value than 5 volts this may affect the video picture causing temporary loss of the picture during peak audio output. If you are transferring such an audio signal then reduce the PC’s maximum output volume setting until the picture remains fully stable. 3.9 Microphone support [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 40 baL baL When the XR unit is locked the video is switched off and the keyboard and mouse are disconnected from the computer. Locking the XR unit does not affect the operation of the XL unit. To unlock the AdderLink XR unit enter the password followed by the RETURN key eg: [P] [A] [S] [S] [W] [O] [R] [D] [Enter][...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 41 What to do if your AdderLink is locked and you have lost or forgotten the password If your AdderLink is locked and you have lost or forgotten the password then you may clear the password if you have access to the XL unit. To clear the password power down the XR unit and switch option switch 5 on the XL unit to[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 42 4. AdderLink configuration options All the options described in this section are entered in AdderLink’s configuration mode - see section 3.6 for instructions on entering configuration mode. 4.1 RS232 protocol options RS232 serial ports are used for a wide variety of purposes and are typically operated in a n[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 43 B1 B1 f f - Set RS232 baud rate to 1200 (default) B2 B2 f f - Set RS232 baud rate to 9600 S1 S1 f f - RS232 protocol uses 1 stop bit S2 S2 f f - RS232 protocol uses 2 stop bits (default) S3 S3 f f - RS232 protocol uses no parity (default) S4 S4 f f - RS232 protocol uses even parity S5 S5 f f - RS232 protocol u[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 44 The AdderLink supports ‘Internet Mice’ that are compatible with the Microsoft IntelliMouse. These are fitted with a wheel or other scroll control and sometimes have additional buttons. Examples are: Microsoft IntelliMouse Logitech Pilot Mouse + Logitech MouseMan+ Genius NetMouse Genius NetMouse Pro Standar[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 45 Appendix A. Cable and connector specifications IMPORTANT NOTE The maximum cable lengths supported vary widely between devices and cables. It may be possible to use cables that are longer than those specified below with certain PCs and peripherals but this cannot be guaranteed. If you experience problems try us[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 46 constructed with coaxial cable cores. Cheaper ‘data’ cables are available but generally give rather poor quality. Avoid using 'data' cables longer than 2 metres unless the video quality is not important. Good quality coaxial video cables may be run at distances up to 20 metres with little loss of[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 47 A3. Twisted pair cable Many types of twisted pair cables are available. You may use unshielded twisted pair (UTP) or shielded twisted pair (STP) cable with the AdderLink. Ensure that the cable you use is of Category 5 or better specification. The AdderLink uses the following pairs on the twisted pair RJ45 jack[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 48 Maximising the video quality for long cable lengths All twisted pair cables are constructed so that each of the twisted pairs has a slightly different twist rate. This is to reduce the electrical cross-talk between signals travelling on adjacent pairs. This difference in twist frequency effectively means that [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 49 RS232 cables for mouse applications Computer to AdderLink RS232 cable for RS232 mouse applications Computer-end 9-pin female connector AdderLink-end 9-pin male connector 2 2 3 3 5 5 7 4 Mouse to AdderLink cable / adapter Mouse-end 9-pin male connector AdderLink-end 9-pin male connector 2 3 3 2 4 6 5 5 7 8 6 4 [...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 50 Appendix B. Problem Solving Problem: Video picture is lost during very high audio output. Action: Reduce the maximum audio output level[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 51 Notes[...]

AdderLink Installation and Use Page 52 Notes[...]

INST ALLA TION & USE ADDER T echnology Limited T echnology House T rafalgar W a y Bar Hill Cambridge CB3 8SQ • England T : +44 (0) 1954 780044 F: +44 (0) 1954 780081 sales@addertec .com www .addertec .com AL-10.02/V2 ADDER L L i i n n k k[...]