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Console Servers AlterPath™ ACS TS Series
KVM Enterprise Solutions Alterpath™KVM Analog Alterpath™KVM/net (KVM over IP) Alterpath™KVM/netPlus (KVM over IP)
Power Management AlterPath™PM
OOBI Management Alterpath™Manager
Blade Management Alterpath™ Blade Manager
Branch Office Management AlterPath™OnSite Alterpath™ACS1 TS100 & TS110
Multiport Serial Cards Cyclades Z Series Cyclom Y Series
Other AlterPath™Biometric Scanner Cables and Adapters

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Cyclom Y
Multiport Serial Card
Application Notes
Multiport serial cards provide multiple RS-232 serial interfaces
to a host system (server) with one or more free expansion slots.
Applications for multiport serial cards include anything that involves
serial ports, such as remote access service, multi-user Environments,
data collection and industrial and commercial automation.
Multiport serial card solutions consist of two main components:
Hardware and Software.
- The Hardware, is the card itself and its components. The main
components on a multiport serial card are the UARTs (Universal
Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter), which provide the RS-232 asynchronous
interface. Multiport cards have components to interface with the
host system, such as PCI bridges, and processing power to handle
the data traffic. These may be embedded in the UARTs or provided
by a dedicated processor.
- The Software is the interconnection between the hardware and
the operating system running on the host. This software usually
consists of a device driver and a small set of applications that
provide an API (Application Programming Interface) for the user
to access the serial ports.
A common application for multiport serial cards is terminal serving. A powerful
host system runs a multi-user operating system (typically a version of UNIX) and
makes a centralized application (typically a database) and its resources available
to users with serial terminals connected to the host by direct cables or modem
connections. These serial ports can also be used to connect printers and other serial devices.
Serial communication is also the most common interface used by data acquisition and process control
applications. A custom-developed application running in the host, exchanges data with sensors, printers,
readers, terminals and displays, and the multiport serial cards. It also provides the interface between
the software (custom application) and the hardware (serial devices). The application needs to use the API
provided by the multiport card’s device driver to send and receive data to and from the serial devices.
There are many different parameters to be considered when deciding what is the best multiport serial card is
for each application. CPU overhead, maximum port speed and throughput, number of ports per host card, expandability
and operating system support are just some of these aspects. Each option weighs differently depending on the application.
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