Sealevel Systems Announces New RS-422/485 Low Profile PCI Serial Adapter with Power on Connector

Sealevel Systems, Inc. announces the SIO-485.LPCI, a low-cost RS-422/485 low profile PCI serial adapter. The board can be field configured for RS-422, four-wire RS-485, and two-wire RS-485 communications. RS-485 network termination, critical to robust multi-drop communication, is selectable via an onboard switch. Additionally, the board features an industry-standard connector that will accept +5V or +12V from any standard PC power supply hard drive or floppy connector. The supplied power is passed through to pin 9 of the board’s connector. This allows easy connection to Sealevel RS-485 SeaI/O modules, RS-422 and RS-485 POS (Point of Sale) systems, or any other real-world device that expects power from the serial connection.

The SIO-485.LPCI utilizes an Oxford 16C950 UART with 128-byte FIFO, eight times larger than boards with 16C550 compatible UARTs, and supports standard PC data rates with a top speed of 921.6K bps. The larger buffer allows error-free operation even in high-speed serial applications, and the 16C950 UART supports features including isochronous mode, 9-bit protocol, and a baud rate prescaler.

This SIO-485.LPCI meets the requirements for the MD1 Low Profile specification as defined by PCISIG in the PCI 2.2 Low Profile Addendum. The board is available with either a low profile bracket or standard profile PCI bracket, offering versatile installation options. The board also features Universal Bus architecture (3.3V and 5V) allowing compatibility with both legacy and new computer systems.

All Sealevel Systems asynchronous serial products ship with the SeaCOM® suite of Windows drivers. Included is WinSSD, a full-featured diagnostic application providing powerful testing and diagnostic capabilities. Use WinSSD for BERT (Bit Error Rate Testing), throughput monitoring, loop back tests, and transmit pattern messages. In addition to Windows drivers and utilities, SeaCOM includes drivers, utilities, application notes, and technical details to simplify installations in Linux, QNX, and DOS.

Like all Sealevel manufactured I/O products, the board carries a Lifetime Warranty.