Sealevel Announces Low Profile PCI Serial I/O Board with Optical Isolation and Multi-interface

Sealevel Systems, Inc. announces the Ultra COMM+I.LPCI, the company’s first low profile, optically isolated serial I/O adapter capable of RS-232/422/485 communications.

Isolation is important for eliminating ground loop problems commonly found in a variety of applications. Ground loops can cause latent failure or immediate destruction of serial cards and other system components. The Ultra COMM+I.LPCI eliminates spikes and surges associated with ground loops by interrupting the electrical connection with an optic link.

For maximum versatility, the Ultra COMM+I.LPCI can be configured for RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 communications. In RS-485 mode, the board’s auto-enable hardware automatically handles the RS-485 driver enable allowing the RS-485 ports to be treated as standard serial ports by the operating system. This allows the standard COM driver to be utilized for RS-485 communications.

The Ultra COMM+I.LPCI supports standard PC data rates up to 921.6K bps. It includes the 16C850 UART, providing a 128-byte FIFO to allow datacom applications to run error-free. A full array of enhanced UART options is also available, including the 16C950 UART, from Oxford Semiconductor, which features external clocking.

The Ultra COMM+I.LPCI meets the requirements for the MD1 “Low Profile” specification as defined by PCISIG in PCI 2.2 “Low Profile Addendum.” Sealevel Systems, Inc. ships each adapter with both the low profile bracket and the standard profile PCI slot bracket, offering the customer versatility in installation. The Ultra COMM+I.LPCI also features a Universal Bus (3.3 and 5.0V) as required by PCISIG specifications 2.3.

Included with the board is Sealevel SeaCOM suite of Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP drivers along with WinSSD, a full-featured diagnostic application providing powerful testing and troubleshooting 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.

Like all Sealevel I/O products, the board includes a lifetime warranty.