Black Box ACS235A - Manual (Page 12)

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CHAPTER 2: Introduction
2. Introduction
2.1 Overview
The purpose of the ServSwitch™ Brand Fiber KVM Extender is to greatly extend
the distance between a Sun
® or IBM ® PC compatible computer CPU and the
keyboard, mouse, monitor, and serial or parallel peripheral that the computer
operator will be using, especially in electrically noisy environments. Normal
keyboard-, video-, and mouse-extension cables (and extenders that use normal
cabling) can only go so far, and electromagnetic noise can limit their distance and
reliability. But with a fiberoptic system like the ServSwitch Brand Fiber KVM
Extender, these concerns are a thing of the past. You can leave the computer CPU
in a secured cabinet or data center while you operate it from a convenient location
up to 1000 m (3281 ft.) away.
There are two models of the Extender. The PC version (product code ACS235A)
extends KVM distance for IBM PC compatible computers. The Sun version
(product code ACS236A) extends KVM distance for Sun Microsystems
® computers.
Each model consists of two main components: a Local Module that you’ll attach
the computer’s CPU to, and a Remote Module that you’ll attach the user
equipment to. (With the ACS235A, the “user equipment” will be an IBM PS/2
®
compatible keyboard and mouse, VGA type monitor, and an optional IBM PC
compatible or Centronics
® compatible parallel printer. With the ACS236A, it will
be a Sun compatible keyboard and mouse, VGA or legacy Sun monitor, and an
optional serial device.) You’ll connect the two units with a five-strand fiberoptic
breakout cable. With this Extender, you’ll get high monitor resolution, optical
isolation, and color fidelity, even in electrically rough surroundings.
The Extender units automatically adapt to the correct transfer rates for all of
your data; you won’t need to manually set these rates. There is one setting you
might need to make after you start operating the units: The Extenders’
amplification might need to be adjusted if you use very long fiberoptic cables. (The
controls for this are located on the Remote Module—refer to Section 6.2.) And
even this adjustment is easy to “eyeball” by watching the picture on the monitor
screen.