Document Outline

• RocketPort® Serial Hub Series
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables
• Introduction
  • 1. Install the RocketPort Serial Hub.
  • 2. Install RS-232 serial devices.
  • 3. Connect the RocketPort Serial Hub to the network hub or server.
  • 4. Power-up the new RocketPort Serial Hub and verify that it passes the power-on diagnostics.
  • 5. If necessary, unzip the VS-Link distribution file, see Extracting the Files on page 19.
  • 6. Install and Configure VS-Link, see Installing a New Version of VS- Link on page 20.
  • 7. Configure serial ports to support the RS-232 devices.
  • 8. Shut down and restart the server.
  • 1. Remove the existing VS-Link, see Removing Existing VS-Link Software on page 17.
  • 2. Install and configure the new version of VS-Link, see Installing a New Version of VS-Link on p...
  • 3. No port configuration changes are required.
  • 4. Shut down and restart the server.
  • 1. Install the RocketPort Serial Hub.
  • 2. Install RS-232 serial devices.
  • 3. Connect the RocketPort Serial Hub to the network hub or server.
  • 4. Power-up the new RocketPort Serial Hub and verify that it passes the power-on diagnostics.
  • 5. Configure VS-Link to support the new RocketPort Serial Hub, see Adding Units After the Initial...
  • 6. Configure serial ports to support the RS-232 devices.
  • 7. Shut down and restart the server.
  • 1. Power-down the RocketPort Serial Hub to be removed from service.
  • 2. Install the new RocketPort Serial Hub.
  • 3. Transfer all cabling from the old RocketPort Serial Hub to the new RocketPort Serial Hub.
  • 4. Connect the new RocketPort Serial Hub to the network hub or server.
  • 5. Power-up the new RocketPort Serial Hub and verify that it passes
  • 6. Change VS-Link to reflect the network address (MAC) of new RocketPort Serial Hub unit.
  • 7. No port reconfiguration is needed.
  • 8. Do not shut down and restart the server.
  • Table 1. Support Call Information
• Windows NT
  • 1. Right-click on the Network Neighborhood, and select Properties or open the Control Panel and s...
  • 2. If using Windows NT 4.0, select the Adapters tab. If using Windows 3.51, skip to the next step.
  • 3. Highlight Comtrol VS1000/VS2000/RocketPort Serial Hub.
  • 4. Click the Remove button. You are asked to verify that you want to delete this item.
  • 5. Click Yes. The selected item is removed from the Network Adapters window.
  • 6. Click Close. Several windows display as the system updates.
  • 7. Click Yes to shut down and restart the server, so that your changes take effect.
  • 1. In Windows Explorer, create a subdirectory. For example:
  • 2. Locate the 6613x_xx.exe file on the distribution media, or download it from the Comtrol ftp site.
  • 3. Double-click on 6613x_xx.exe; the self-extractor utility starts.
  • 4. Optionally, enter the newly created target drive and/or directory.
  • 5. Click the Unzip button.
  • 1. Right-click on the Network Neighborhood, and select Properties or open the Control Panel and s...
  • 2. If Windows NT 4.0 select the Adapters tab and click the Add button. If Windows NT 3.51, select...
  • 3. If Windows NT 4.0, select the Have Disk button. If Windows NT 3.51, scroll down to the bottom ...
  • 4. If installing VS-Link from a diskette, insert the diskette.
  • 5. Enter the drive and directory path to the installation files and click the OK button.
  • 6. Click the OK button when the selection box appears with Comtrol VS1000/VS2000/RocketPort Seria...
  • 7. Select the Next button after the files load and the Add Device Wizard appears:
  • 8. Select the name of the product that you are installing using the droplist and depress the Next...
  • 9. Select the number of ports in the drop list for the device you are installing and depress the ...
  • 10. Enter the MAC address of the device that you are installing and depress the Next key:
  • 11. For an initial installation, select NO to the “Backup Server” query and depress the Next key:
  • 12. Depress the Finish key when the following screen appears:
  • 13. Optionally, rename the device. A default name Device #1 is assigned, where: Device is the pro...
  • 14. Verify the MAC (Network) Address.
  • 15. Verify the number of ports for the unit.
  • 16. Optionally change the Starting COM Port number if COM5 (default) is not appropriate for your ...
  • 17. Select the OK button after verifying the screen. The Comtrol Hardware Setup sheet appears:
  • 18. Click the Add button if you want to add another device at this time or select OK to configure...
  • 19. Select Yes to complete VS-Link installation.
  • 20. Click the OK button.
  • 21. Click the Close button in the Network window.
  • 22. Select Yes to shut down and restart the server.
  • 23. If necessary, remove the installation diskette from the drive.
  • 24. After rebooting, you can use Verifying the Installation on Page 29 to make sure that the inst...
  • 1. Open the Event Viewer.
  • 2. Review the messages in the log.
  • 1. Start the VS-Link menus using one of the following methods:
  • 2. Go to the specific procedure that you want to perform, using the subsections:
  • 1. Start up VS-Link (see Step 1 of the Accessing VS-Link Menus subsection, if you need help).
  • 2. Highlight the device name that you want to reconfigure.
  • 3. Click the Properties button.
  • 4. Make the required changes.
  • 5. Click the OK button after changing the necessary items.
  • 6. Click OK to save the configuration.
  • 7. Select Yes to complete VS-Link installation.
  • 8. Click the OK button to the following query:
  • 9. Shut down the system and restart the computer.
  • 1. At a backup server (not the primary), install VS-Link using the procedure Installing a New Ver...
  • 2. At Step 11, click on the Backup Server checkbox.
  • 3. Using the Timeout droplist, select how long the backup server should wait before taking contro...
  • 4. Click OK to save the configuration.
  • 5. Click OK to close the message about restarting your system.
  • 6. Shut down the system and restart the computer.
  • 1. Connect the new RocketPort Serial Hub unit to the network and power it up.
  • 2. Start up VS-Link (see Step 1 of the Accessing VS-Link Menus on Page 31, if you need help).
  • 3. Click the Add button. The Add Device Wizard appears.
  • 4. For help with the remainder of the setup, use Installing a New Version of VS-Link on Page 20 a...
  • 5. Reboot the system so that the new unit initializes.
  • 1. Shut off the old RocketPort Serial Hub unit, connect all cables to the corresponding ports on ...
  • 2. Write down the network (MAC) address of the new RocketPort Serial Hub unit on the customer ser...
  • 3. Start up VS-Link (see Step 1 of the Accessing VS-Link Menus subsection, if you need help).
  • 4. Highlight the name of the RocketPort Serial Hub unit that you want to swap out and click the P...
  • 5. Enter the new network (MAC) address of the new unit.
  • 6. Click OK to exit the Device Properties window.
  • 7. Click OK to exit the VS-Link Main Setup screen.
  • 8. Click OK to save the new configuration.
  • 9. Click OK to close the Windows restart advisory message.
  • 1. Start up VS-Link (see Step 1 of the Accessing VS-Link Menus subsection, if you need help).
  • 2. Click the Options tab (under the Main Setup tab).
  • 3. Optionally, click the checkbox to enable Verbose mode for the Windows NT Event Log.
  • 4. Optionally, select a different value for the scan rate.
  • 5. Optionally, click the checkbox to enable RS-485.
  • 6. Click the OK button.
  • 7. Click the OK button on the Main Setup screen.
  • 8. Select Yes to complete VS-Link installation.
  • 9. Click the OK button to the following query:
  • 1. Start up VS-Link (see Step 1 of the Accessing VS-Link Menus subsection, if you need help).
  • 2. Highlight the COM port that you want to configure.
  • 3. Click on the Properties button.
  • 4. To configure RS-485 port options, go to Step 7.
  • 5. On the Port Setup sheet, make any necessary changes to better fit your environment:
  • 6. Click the OK button.
  • 7. Optionally, complete RS-485 configuration, highlight the COM port that you want to toggle RS-485.
    • a. Click on the Properties button.
    • b. Click the RS-485 tab.
    • c. Check the first box to override and lock to RS-485 for the selected port.
    • d. Check this box to toggle the RTS output signal low during data transmission. If this box is no...
    • e. Click on the Ok button.
  • 8. Click the OK button.
  • 9. Select Yes to complete VS-Link installation.
  • 10. Click the OK button to the following query:
    • 1. If using an external modem, connect the modem to the desired port. Power up the modem.
    • 2. Open the Control Panel window.
    • 3. Double-click the Modems icon.
    • 4. Click the Add button.
    • 5. Check the “Don’t detect my modem...” box and click Next.
    • 6. Select the appropriate manufacturer and model and click OK.
    • 7. Select the port on which you wish to install the modem. If you have multiple modems of the sam...
    • 8. Click Next. The modem software is installed on the selected ports.
    • 9. Click Finish.
    • 10. If you need to configure modem properties (maximum baud rate, data bits, parity, and so on), ...
    • 11. If you need to configure dialing properties (country, area code, calling card number, and so ...
    • 12. Click Close.
  • 1. Open the Control Panel and start the Network applet, or right-click on the Network Neighborhoo...
  • 2. If Windows NT 4.0, select the Services tab.
  • 3. Click the Add button. The Select Network Service screen displays:
  • 4. Highlight Remote Access Service and click the OK button. You are asked to specify the location...
  • 5. Enter the location of the Window NT files (for example, d:\i386) and press the Continue button.
  • 1. Open the Control Panel and start the Network applet, or right-click on the Network Neighborhoo...
  • 2. If Windows NT 4.0, select the Services tab.
  • 3. Highlight Remote Access Service and click the Properties button.
  • 4. The Remote Access Setup window displays:
  • 5. The Add RAS Device window displays:
  • 6. Use the droplist to select the COM port (modem) that you want to configure and click the OK bu...
  • 7. Highlight the desired COM port (Modem) and click the Configure button.
  • 8. The Configure Port Usage window displays:
  • 9. Select the appropriate radio button, based on the role the modem will perform, and click the O...
  • 10. Highlight the COM port (modem) again and click the Network button.
  • 11. Select the appropriate dial out protocols, dial in protocols, logon security levels, enable m...
  • 12. If you select NetBEUI on the Network Configuration screen, the following window displays. Mak...
  • 13. If you select TCP/IP, the following window displays. Make the appropriate selections for your...
  • 14. If you select IPX, the following window displays. Make the appropriate selection for your env...
  • 15. Click OK to exit the Network Configuration screen and return to the Remote Access Setup screen.
  • 16. If you want to duplicate the configuration you just created on any other COM port (modem), hi...
  • 17. After setting up all the COM ports, click the Continue button.
  • 18. Click the Close button at the Network/Services tab to complete the RAS installation.
  • 19. Click Yes when asked to reboot the computer.
  • 20. If necessary, install the latest NT Service Pack or Packs from Microsoft.
  • 1. Connect the printer to the desired port. Use a DTE-to-DTE null modem cable unless the printer ...
  • 2. Open the Printers control panel and double-click on the Add Printer icon. The Add Printer Wiza...
  • 3. Click the My Computer checkbox, then the Next button.
  • 4. If the desired COM port is on this screen, select it, click on the Next button, and skip to st...
  • 5. If the desired COM port is not on this list, click the Add Port button and follow these steps:
    • a. A list of printer ports is displayed. Click Local Port.
    • b. Click New Port.
    • c. Type in the name of the port.
    • d. Click the OK button.
    • e. Click the Close button to return to the Add Printer Wizard.
    • f. Click the Next button.
  • 6. Select the printer make and model and click the Next button.
  • 7. To keep the driver, check Keep existing driver and click Next to skip to step 8.
  • 8. Select whether you want this printer to be the Windows NT default printer, and click on the Ne...
  • 9. Select whether or not you want to share this printer with other computers on the network. If y...
  • 10. Select whether to print a test page and click on the Finish button.
  • 1. Open the Printers control panel.
  • 2. Right-click on the icon for the printer you want to change.
  • 3. Select the Properties option from the menu. The Properties window is displayed.
  • 4. Click the Ports tab.
  • 5. Check the port you want to switch to. Remember to change your cabling accordingly.
  • 6. Click on the OK button. Any changes you make take effect immediately. No reboot is needed.
  • 1. Select Open Port from the Port menu. A list of possible COM port numbers displays.
  • 2. Select the COM port you want to test.
  • 1. Place a loopback plug on the COM port you are testing. Make sure all connectors are seated fir...
  • 2. From the Port menu, select Send Test Data. The program sends out a repeating data stream. To s...
  • 3. If further testing is required, select Loopback Test from the Port menu. If the loopback plug ...
  • 4. If the port has failed in Step 2 or 3, and the RocketPort Serial Hub is equipped with an exter...
  • 5. Repeat Steps 2 and 3. If the port now passes the tests, the fault may lie in the interface box...
  • Table 2. Port Monitor Screen Commands 
  • Table 3. Port Monitor Variable List (Continued)
  • Table 4. Peer Tracer Commands
    • 1. Start the VS-Link menus using one of the following methods:
    • 2. Highlight the device that you want to review.
    • 3. Click the Properties button.
    • 4. Click on the Device Advisor tab.
  • Table 5. VS-Link Summary Messages (Continued)
  • Table 6. VS-Link Reported State Messages 
    • A
    • B
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • H
    • I
    • L
    • M
    • N
    • O
    • P
    • Q
    • R
    • S
    • T
    • U
    • V
    • W
• Index
  • Part Number: 2000000 Revision A; December 4, 1998