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CU2-QUARTET

CompactPCI  Quad Intelligent Serial Communications Controller
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Description Product description in English
Beschreibung Produktbeschreibung auf Deutsch
CU2-QUARTET - 4 UART channels on a single board
PDF documents available here
Product Information Product information in PDF format - English
Produktinformation Produktinformation im PDF-Format - Deutsch
Datenblatt PDF Dokument, CU1-CHORUS Datenblatt, Deutsch
Software Manual PDF Document, EKF i960 Driver Software Manual, English
MON960 UG PDF Document, User's Guide MON960 Monitor/Debugger, English
Download area for drivers i960 Drivers
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CU2-QUARTET

CompactPCI  Intelligent 4-Port Asynchronous Interface
4 x UART 16C550 Powered by Local i960 Processor


Still the most common industrial data transfer method: the asynchronous serial interface according to RS-232 and RS-485.

A total of 4 serial ports (16550 type UART) provides the intelligent CompactPCI® hostadapter CU2-QUARTET, each capable of bitrates up to 230.4kBaud and individually configurable according to either RS-232E or RS-485.

Achieved by the available drivers software, the UARTs can be used by the host CPU like they were legacy COM ports. Thanks to the boards local intelligence, preprocessing and buffering of the serial data streams is also at the users choice, thus reducing considerable the hosts interrupt load.



Especially when operated with higher baudrates, the host CPU performance can be improved noticeable when using block transfers compared to the single character read/write method.

Equipped with the powerful embedded processor i960RP(D), the board profits from the built-in PCI bridge as interface to the CompactPCI® system bus. 4MB DRAM and 4MB Flash EEPROM offer generous local data buffering and program space.

Hence the CU2-QUARTET is well-suited for all hard real-time applications with demand for serial interfaces, e.g. data aquisition, data concentration, machine control or fieldbus gateway.


CU2-QUARTET - the Serial Harmonists

CU2-QUARTET

All ports are directly available from the CU2-QUARTET front panel. Due to the height of 3U, the board is provided with four 10-position high density metric I/O connectors (system har-link®); one of the ports is additionally equipped with a D-SUB-9 connector maintaining compatibility to the desktop PC COM port. Assembled cable harnesses for the har-link® connector type are available in several configurations.



Each port allows individual transceiver configuration according to either RS-232E or RS-485/422 by a single jumper. In addition, all 4 UART channels are wired as TTL-level signals to the rear connector J2. By employing external transition modules with built-in PHY transceivers, any other popular industrial standard can be realized, including isolated interfaces.


CU2-QUARTET - Block diagram

CU2-QUARTET - Block Diagram


The EKF drivers treat the CU2-QUARTET module as 16C550 compatible COM ports. The drivers allow arbitrary names e.g. COM3..COM6 to be associated with the ports of a QUARTET.

Developers might prefer to collect serial data for block transfers or local preprocessing directly on the QUARTET board. Program and data can be stored in a generous amount of local memory (4MB DRAM and 4MB Flash EEPROM). As a development tool, EKF provides the resident monitor/debugger MON960, which allows stand-alone operation and download of programs via CPCI bus or serial interface. Furthermore EKF can offer turn key ready application programming support.



The CU2-QUARTET hardware supports the I2O interface. This is a layered, standardized driver concept, modeled after the OSI reference, suitable especially for intelligent I/O sub-processors.

Use of the CU2-QUARTET intelligent operation mode frees the host-CPU from critical low level tasks, an essential criterion for real-time applications. Because the QUARTET can be supplemented by a variety of external transition (PHY transceiver) modules for popular serial interface standards, it is a smart and flexible solution to many different industrial applications, offering a fast time to market at moderate cost.


CU2-QUARTET with CU9-2-BASE and CU7/CU8 PHY Modules

CU2-QUARTET with CU9-2-BASE and CU7/CU8 PHY Modules


The pin-out of the optional J2 connector matches the transition board CU9-2-BASE, allowing for attachment of rear-I/O PHY modules (CU7/CU8 series). The connector J2 must not be stuffed if the CU2-QUARTET is intended for use on a 64-bit CompactPCI backplane slot due to signal conflicts between a rear-I/O and a 64-bit backplane!



The rear-I/O signals, derived from the CU2-QUARTET, are passed via its (optional) CPCI connector J2, across the backplane, to the additionally available transition board CU9-2-BASE. There are four local headers (H13..H16) provided for attachment of up to 4 rear-I/O PHY interface modules of the CU7-RS485 and CU8-RS232 series across micro-ribbon flat cables. The PHY interface modules can be directly mounted to the 12HP wide back panel of the CU9-2-BASE transition board.


CU9-2-BASE with CU7/CU8 PHY Modules

CU9-2-BASE with CU7/CU8 PHY Modules

CU2-QUARTET - component assembly

CU2-QUARTET - Component Assembly
Technical Specifications
Printed Circuit Board Dimensions 3U Eurocard (100x160mm2), front panel width 20.3mm (4HP), mechanics constructed with respect to EMC requirements, ejector lever
CPU Microprocessor Intel i960RP/RD, 3.3V, 33/66MHz, clocked by system bus (local oscillator provided when operated as stand-alone)
Memory 4MBytes FPM/EDO DRAM, 32-bit, 4MBytes FLASH EEPROM (SMT) 28F160S5 (Intel,Sharp), 32-bit
Utilities Watchdog and 5V/3.3V voltage-supervisor MAX705, serial EEPROM 4KByte I2C, optional: ACCESS.bus interface
Firmware Mon960 Monitor/Debugger available
Serial Interfaces Interface Type Asynchronous, serial protocol: 1 startbit; 7 or 8 databits; 1 or 2 stopbits; optional even/odd parity; standard bitrates up to 230.4kbps
Serial Interface Controller 16C550 asynchronous communication element, e.g. Texas Instruments TL16C550C or equivalent
Physical Interface RS-232 and RS-485 RS-232E/V.28 including modem support, alternatively RS-485 full-duplex (RxD/TxD and DSR/DTR) individually selectable for each port, dual-mode transceiver SP334 (up to 230.4kbps @ RS-232, 10Mbps @ RS-485)
Connectors SP1, COM1..4 1 x D-SUB-9 connector (SP1), 4 x har-link® 10-position I/O connector (COM1..4), protruding through front panel cutouts
Connector J2
(Option)
Additionally all UART ports available as buffered TTL signals across CompactPCI J2 connector for external transition-modules (option only, J2 must be omitted for 64-bit CPCI bus slots)
Drivers Serial drivers (COM port emulation) available by download for Windows NT4.0 and Windows 2000, others forthcoming
CompactPCI®
Bus
Connector J1 32-Bit DMA Bus Master (133MB/s)
5V Interface
Power Consumption Connector J1 +5V ±5% 0.5A max. (current consumption by optional external transition-modules not included)
+3.3V ±0.3V 0.7A (i960RP) 0.9A (i960RD) max.
Temperature
Humidity
Commercial Grade Version Operating temperature 0-70°C
Humidity 5-90% non condensing
Specifications are subject to change without further notice
Jumper
JCLK CPU clock local/CPCI (optional)
JCNF CPU behaviour after reset, effects of CPCI reset on CU2-QUARTET
JSER Serial transceiver mode selection RS-232 or RS-485. If RS-485 has been chosen, drivers can be activated by RTS low, RTS high, or fix on
Internal Connectors (optional)
CJTAG JTAG test port
ISPCON ispGAL programming port
JACCBUS I2C-Bus expansion slot
Front Panel Connectors
COM1..4 Serial Port 1-4 (COM1 in parallel to SP1), metric I/O connectors. Note: do not confuse connector assignment COM1..4 with arbitrary serial port naming by software
SP1 Serial Port 1, D-SUB 9 connector, PC compatible pin-out when in RS-232 mode

COM1-4 (RS-232)

COM1-4 (RS-232 Configuration)

COM1-4 (RS-485)

COM1-4 (RS-485 Configuration)

SP1 (RS-232)

SP1 (RS-232 Configuration)
Ordering Information
Alias Ordering Number Short Description
QUARTET CU2-1-QUARTET 3U, CompactPCI 4-port serial asynchronous interface subsystem with i960RP CPU/bridge, 4MB Flash, 4MB DRAM, MON960, individually selectable RS-232/RS-485, available from front panel, ports additionally routed across J2 as TTL level signals for use with rear-I/O interface modules (option only, J2 is regularly omitted in order not to interfere with 64-bit CompactPCI backplanes)
RS485 CU7-1-RS485 RS-485/RS-422 Rear I/O PHY interface module, 1 port, 2.5Mbps two wire transmission line (party line), electrically isolated
RS485 CU7-2-RS485 RS-485/RS-422 Rear I/O PHY interface module, 1 port, 2.5Mbps 4-wire transmission line (point-to-point), electrically isolated
RS232 CU8-1-RS232 RS-232E/V.28 rear-I/O PHY interface module, including flat cable assembly
  CU9-2-BASE Transition board, bridging function between CU2-QUARTET (J2) and rear-I/O PHY interface modules, 4 ports, 3U/12HP back panel
  250.0205.30.04
1m Cable harness Har-Link to D-Sub 9-position male connector, emulates PC COM port, D-Sub hood with nuts 4/40 UNC
  250.0205.30.05
2m Cable harness Har-Link to Har-Link connector, to be used as RS-232 link-cable (null-modem) between CU2-QUARTET boards
  250.0205.30.06
Similar to 250.0205.30.04, but D-Sub hood with screw
  250.0205.30.07
2m Cable harness, single Har-Link connector with open cable endings, to be finished by the customer
  280.7.201 Link-cable (null-modem), female D-Sub 9-position connectors, suitable in combination with 250.0205.30.04 for data exchange between CU2-QUARTET and PC COM port
EKF is an ISO-9001 certified company
EKF Elektronik GmbH • Philipp-Reis-Str. 4 • 59065 Hamm • Germany
Phone +49 (0)2381/6890-0 • Fax +49 (0)2381/6890-90 • E-Mail