New PCI Express Serial Interface Adds Eight RS-232/422/485 Ports

In June, we launched our new Ultra COMM+8.PCIE serial interface, which delivers the ultimate flexibility for expanding serial communications in a variety of test and measurement, process control, and point-of-sale applications.

Compatible with any PCI Express slot, the board provides eight multifunction serial ports, each individually field-configurable for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485. The Ultra COMM+8.PCIE utilizes 16C954 UARTs with 128-byte Tx/Rx FIFOs which enables data rates to 921.6K bps for reliable high-speed communications in data intensive applications. This high-performance UART includes 9-bit framing support and is register compatible with legacy 16550 software applications. In addition, the board derives a 62.5 MHz clock from the PCI Express bus. This ultra high-speed clock is divided by a flexible 16-bit clock prescaler to provide support for the widest range of standard and non-standard baud rates.

In RS-485 mode, the board provides automatic control of the RS-485 driver in hardware, eliminating the need for application software control. This allows the Ultra COMM+8.PCIE to be used with standard serial communications applications and removes the risk of bus contention and data corruption. Additionally, RS-485 network termination, critical to robust multi-drop communication, can be selectively added to the circuit via DIP-switches. In RS-232 mode, all modem control signals are implemented for maximum compatibility with a variety of serial peripherals.

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