Industry’s First RoHS-Compliant PCI RS-232/422/485/530 Board

Sealevel Systems, Inc. announces the first RoHS-compliant, multi-interface PCI serial I/O card, the ULTRA 530.LPCI. The board offers a selectable RS-232/422/485/530 interface and is MD1 low profile and universal bus compatible (3.3V or 5V). The ULTRA 530.LPCI is the first in a series of forthcoming RoHS-compliant product introductions as Sealevel embraces this important environmental initiative.

Sealevel is proactively leading the industry in the development of high-quality communications and I/O products that meet the RoHS (2002/95/EC) and WEEE (2002/96/EC) directives adopted by the European Union. The RoHS directive restricts the use of lead and certain other hazardous materials in electronic products. Sealevel designs all new products for RoHS compatibility and is modifying legacy products and manufacturing processes for RoHS compliance. The Company will continue to offer both RoHS-compliant and non-compliant products to meet global and domestic customer demand.

Designed using the XR16C850 UART, the ULTRA 530.LPCI supports standard PC data rates and boasts a top speed of 921.6K bps. The board provides a 128-byte FIFO to allow datacom applications to run error-free. An array of enhanced UART options is also available, including a version that allows external clocking. Included in the design is Sealevel’s RS-485 auto-enable circuit that automatically handles RS-485 driver control to facilitate compatibility with standard COM drivers. The low profile form factor is especially useful in applications where space is at a premium such as 1U Servers, Thin Clients, and Net Appliance applications.

The ULTRA 530.LPCI ships with Sealevel’s SeaCOM suite of Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP drivers. Sealevel also includes WinSSD, a full-featured application providing powerful testing and diagnostic capabilities. Use WinSSD for BERT (Bit Error Rate Testing), throughput monitoring, loopback tests, and transmit test pattern messages. In addition to Windows drivers and utilities, SeaCOM includes drivers, utilities, application notes, and technical details to simplify installations in DOS, QNX, and LINUX.