B&B Electronics 232XS5 User Manual

232XS2497 Manual 

 

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The RS-232 Five Port Expandable Smart Switch, Model 

232XS5, allows one RS-232 host device to connect to as many as 
five RS-232 devices.  The switch can be controlled in three different 
ways.  The first way is referred to as smart switch mode or code 
activated switch mode.  In this mode, the switch is controlled by 
sending a programmable preamble code to the "Master" port of the 
232XS5.  The second way the switch can be controlled is referred to 
as port combiner mode.  In port combiner mode, a slave port can 
gain access to the master port by asserting a handshake line.  If 
none of the slave ports have their handshake line asserted, the 
switch can be controlled using the preamble code.  The third way the 
switch can be controlled is the expander mode in which up to four 
switches can be cascaded together to form up to 17 slave ports. 

 

The master port can be configured as a DTE or DCE port by an 

internal switch setting.  If the master port is configured as a DTE 
port, the five slave ports will become DCE ports.  The 232XS5 
supports the following signals:  TD, RD, RTS, CTS, DSR, DTR and 
DCD. 

 

The 232XS5 has an enhanced timer mode which offers special 

timer features.  The timer features can be used to prevent slave 
devices from receiving preamble commands, inadvertently switching 
from binary/graphic file transfers, and inactive slave devices from 
holding control of the master port. 
 

The 232XS5 will work with baud rates from 1200 to 115.2K bps; 

7 or 8 data bits; even, odd or no parity; and 1 or 2 stop bits (7,N,1 is 
not allowed). 
 

 
NOTE:  The data format and rates mentioned are used to switch 
the 232XS5.  The communication between the devices can use 
any format or data rate.