Grass Valley 8900NET v.4.4.0 - Manual (Page 15)

8900NET (Net Card) — Instruction Manual 15
Installation
RS-232 Communication Port
The RS-232 port on the rear of 8900 frames is used for two purposes: an
output for an external Frame Alarm and to set initial frame communication
parameters. Both of these uses are described below.
Note Earlier version 8900 frames used a BNC connector labeled SMPTE ALARM to
access the frame alarm connection. For information concerning the SMPTE
Alarm bus cable, refer to the 8900 Frames Instruction Manual.
Frame Alarm
The Frame Alarm can be accessed through pins 8 and 9 of the RS-232 con-
nector. The Frame Alarm outputs a continuous or pulsing voltage level to
indicate alarm status. The type of voltage output is selected on the Frame
Alarm Reporting web page. This voltage output is connected to an external
device that responds to a voltage level for displaying Frame component
(PS1, PS2, Fans) and status and Module Health bus status. Details for con-
necting an external customer-supplied alarm are given in the 8900 Frames
Instruction Manual and the GeckoFlex Frames Instruction Manual.
The Frame Alarm responds to conditions enabled on the 8900NET
Network Interface module with DIP switches S1 and S2 as given in
Table 2
on page 21 and settings made on the Frame Alarm Reporting web page
( Frame Alarm Reporting Web Page on page 42 ).
Setup of Frame Communication Parameters
The nine-pin RS-232 connector is also used to connect the frame to a PC to
initially set the frame’s network communication parameters. After network
communication is established, subsequent changes to these parameters can
be made using the network GUI.
CAUTION The RS-232 cable should be removed after completing the initial frame setup.
Leaving a long serial cable connected to the frame without a connection at the
other end may freeze the 8900NET module startup routine.
Note The cable used for this connection is a DB-9F to DB-9M, straight-through
cable available from Grass Valley as part of cable kit model 8900CAB
(10 ft./3 m length).
The communication parameters for the RS-232 connection are:
• Baud rate: 9600
• Data bits: 8
• Parity: none
• Stop bits: 1
• Flow control: none