PC Media Converters
Installation Guide
LE6601C LE6602C
LE6606C
LE6603C
LE6607C
LE6604C
LE6608C
LE6605C
LE6609C
PC Media Converter™ is a fixed-configuration, IEEE 802.3 singleconversion PC Media Converter Adapter that is designed to convert
RJ-45 (10Base-T twisted pair), BNC (10Base-2 thin coax), ST or SC
(10Base-FL 850 nm multi-mode, 1300 nm multi-mode or single-mode) fiber. PC Media Converter can be mounted in any PC with a standard
ISA or PCI slot. All versions of PC Media Converters include diagnostic
LEDs for each port and a 4-pin peripheral power supply connector.
The following PC Media Converter versions are available:
UTP/FO — 10Base-T twisted pair/10Base-FL 850 nm multi-mode fiber; includes one RJ-45 connector and one pair ST
(LE6601C) or SC (LE6602C) connectors
UTP/FO 1300 — 10Base-T twisted pair/10Base-FL 1300 nm multimode fiber; includes one RJ-45 connector and one pair
ST (LE6603C) or SC (LE6604C) connectors
UTP/FO-SingleMode — 10Base-T twisted pair/10Base-FL 1300 nm single-mode fiber; includes one RJ-45 connector and one pair ST (LE6605C) or SC (LE6606C) connectors
UTP/FO-SingleMode/PLUS — same as above with higher power budget; includes one pair ST (LE6607C) or SC (LE6608C) connectors
UTP/BNC — 10Base-T twisted pair/10Base-2 thin coaxial; includes one RJ-45 connector and one BNC connector (LE6609C)
Installing PC Media Converter
To install PC Media Converter, turn off the power on your PC and remove the cover. Find an empty ISA or PCI slot and align PC Media
Converter in the slot. Then mount PC Media Converter by screwing its bracket to the computer casing.
NOTE: PC Media Converter does not plug into the mother board.
Also, make sure PC Media
Converter does not extend past the edge of your case.
Attach the keyed mini-power connector to PC Media
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Converter. Attach the male end of the “Y” connector to a standard size power connector in your computer. Replace the cover. Attach the cables between PC Media Converter and the devices that will be interconnected .
NOTE: PC Media Converter only needs power from the computer; no additional power source is necessary.
After installation, you can configure PC Media Converter for the following features, depending on the requirements of your installation:
• Crossover/pass-through connection on the twisted pair port
• BNC Port Termintation
• FiberAlert
• LinkLoss
Twisted Pair Crossover/Pass-Through Switch
Each twisted pair port on PC Media Converter has one RJ-45 connector for a single shielded or unshielded twisted pair link segment, and features a push-button, located next to the TP connector, for selecting a crossover workstation connection or pass-through repeater/hub connection. To select a pass-through connection, simply press the push-button IN. A crossover connection is selected when the push-button is OUT.
BNC Port Termination
PC Media Converter UTP/BNC features a 2-position switch next to the
BNC connector that allows a thin coaxial segment to be terminated at the port without an additional ‘T’ connector and terminator.
If PC Media Converter UTP/BNC is attached to a mid-point of a thin Ethernet segment, attach a ‘T’ connector to the BNC port.
Termination must be OFF (disabled).
Termination is disabled when the toggle is in the left position.
If a thin Ethernet segment is to be terminated at the PC Media
Converter UTP/BNC, attach the cable directly to the BNC connector and set the termination to ON (enabled – factory default). Toggle the switch to the ON position to enable termination.
Troubleshooting with LinkLoss and FiberAlert
LinkLoss and FiberAlert are advanced troubleshooting features that can help you use your PC Media Converter to locate “silent failures” on your network. It is vital that you understand exactly how FiberAlert and
LinkLoss work and how they will react in your network configuration before attempting to use your PC Media Converter.
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Enabling and Using FiberAlert and LinkLoss
FiberAlert and LinkLoss are configured on PC Media Converter by adjusting a two-position switch located on the faceplate, next to the fiber connectors. The switch for LinkLoss is labeled “LL.” The switch for
FiberAlert is labeled “FA.” Enable LinkLoss or FiberAlert by moving the corresponding switch to the up (ON) position. Disable either (default) by moving the switch to the down (OFF) position.
In a central site to remote site media conversion, the manufacturer recommends you enable your PC Media Converters’ troubleshooting features as follows: FiberAlert on the remote site only, and LinkLoss on both the central and remote site. This will ensure that most faults can be detected by an administrator located at the central site, no matter where they occur on the network.
Installation Troubleshooting
• During installation, first test your fiber and twisted pair connections with all troubleshooting features disabled. Then enable these features, if desired, just before final installation.
This will reduce the features’ interference with testing.
• To test PC Media Converter by itself, you must have an appropriate fiber patch cable. First, connect PC Media Converter to the twisted pair device with a twisted pair cable. Next, loop a single strand of fiber from the transmit port to the receive port of your media converter. Finally, verify that you have both twisted pair and fiber link on your PC Media Converter.
• Make sure that you are using the appropriate twisted pair cable or have the crossover/pass-through button on the PC Media
Converter set correctly.
LED Operation
PC Media Converter features diagnostic LEDs. LED functions on PC
Media Converter TX/FX and PC Media Converter UTP/FO are:
Thin Coaxial
10 Mbps
X II port switch
TERM
OFF ON
LEDs
TP RCV
TP LNK
BNC COL
BNC RCV
10 Mbps
X II
FiberAlert and switches
LL FA
XMT RCV port LEDs
FO RCV
TP LNK
FA
FO LNK
FX RCV Flickers amber when fiber port is receiving data
TX LNK Glows green when a twisted pair link is established
FA Glows green when FiberAlert is enabled
FX LNK Glows green when a fiber link is established
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Installing modules without understanding the effects of
LinkLoss and FiberAlert can cause perfectly funcitoning units to apear flawed or even dead!
If you are unfamiliar with LinkLoss and FiberAlert, the manufacturer strongly encourages you to read the following information.
About Link Integrity
During normal operation, link integrity pulses are transmitted by all point-to-point Ethernet devices. When a PC Media Converter receives valid link pulses, it knows that the device to which it is connected is up and sending pulses, and that the copper or fiber cable coming from that device is intact. The appropriate “LINK” LED is lit to indicate this. The
PC Media Converter also sends out link pulses from its copper and fiber transmitters, but normally has no way of knowing whether the cable to the other device is intact and the link pulses are reaching the other end.
The combination of FiberAlert and LinkLoss allows this information to be obtained, even when physical access to a remote device (and its link integrity LED) is not available.
What Is FiberAlert?
FiberAlert lets you know when a fault occurs on your fiber loop by stopping data transmissions and affecting fiber LEDs on both sides of your network. If a media converter is not receiving a fiberlink, FiberAlert disables the media converter's fiber transmitter, thus mirroring the link
XMT
RCV
Local Site
Cable Break
Black Box product with
X
FiberAlert
Remote Site
LED OFF = Broken Link enabled —
Remote Site stops transmitting
RCV
LED
XMT
Local Link LED is OFF indicating a break in the fiber loop status of the opposite end of the fiber. Both fiber link LEDs on either end of the link should extinguish, alerting you to the fault.
Using FiberAlert, a local site administrator is notified of a fault and can quickly determine where a cable fault is located without having to go to the remote site.
NOTE: FiberAlert should only be enabled on one side of a media conversion. Enabling it on both sides would keep both transmitters off indefinitely.
What Is LinkLoss?
LinkLoss functions much like FiberAlert in that faults on one port are mirrored on the other. In the case of LinkLoss, however, a fault on the fiber port is passed to the Ethernet twisted pair port. If a PC Media
Converter is not receiving a fiber link, LinkLoss disables the transmitter on the PC Media Converter's twisted pair port. This results in a loss of link on the remote twisted pair device.
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The LED functions on PC Media Converter UTP/BNC are as follows:
TP RCV Flickers amber when twisted pair port is receiving data
TP LNK Glows green when a twisted pair link is established
BNC COL Flickers red in normal operation indicating normal collisions are being detected on the BNC segment
BNC RCV Flickers amber when BNC port is receiving data
Black Box Customer Service Information
CALL
FAX:
: (724) 746-5500 7 a.m. Monday to midnight Friday;
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (EST)
(724) 746-0746 7 a.m. Monday to midnight Friday;
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (EST)
Mail Order: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive,
Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
Technical support, phone and fax orders 24 hours a day.
Fiber Optic Cleaning Guidelines
Fiber Optic transmitters and receivers are extremely susceptible to contamination by particles of dirt or dust, which can obstruct the optic path and cause performance degradation. Good system performance requires clean optics and connector ferrules.
1) Use fiber patch cords (or connectors, if you terminate your own fiber) only from a reputable supplier; low-quality components can cause many hard-to-diagnose problems in an installation.
2) Dust caps are installed by the manufacturer to ensure factory-clean optical devices.
These protective caps should not be removed until the moment of connecting the fiber cable to the device. Assure that the fiber is properly terminated, polished and free of any dust or dirt, and that the location is as free from dust and dirt as possible.
3) Store spare caps in a dust-free environment such as a sealed plastic bag or box so that when reinstalled they do not introduce any contamination to the optics.
4) Should it be necessary to disconnect the fiber device, reinstall the protective dust caps.
5) If you suspect that the optics have been contaminated, alternate between blasting with clean, dry, compressed air and flushing with methanol to remove particles of dirt.
Electrostatic Discharge Precautions
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can cause damage to your add-in modules. Always observe the following precautions when installing or handling an add-in module or any board assembly.
1) Do not remove unit from its protective packaging until you’re ready to install it.
2) Wear an ESD wrist grounding strap before handling any module or component. If you do not have a wrist strap, maintain grounded contact with the system unit throughout any procedure requiring ESD protection.
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WARNING!
Integrated circuits and fiber optic components are extremely susceptible to electro-static discharge damage. Do not handle these components directly unless you are a qualified service technician and use tools and techniques that conform to accepted industry practices.
3) Hold boards by the edges only; do not touch the electronic components or gold connectors.
4) After removal, always place the boards on a grounded, static-free surface, ESD pad or in a proper ESD bag. Do not slide the board over any surface.
*Please contact Black Box for complete warranty, FCC and Safety Certification information.
1000 Park Drive • Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 USA
TEL: (724) 746-5500 • FAX: (724) 746-0746 www.blackbox.com
© 1998 - 2001 Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Black Box Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. Specific brands and product names may be trademarks and are the property of their respective companies.
Document Number 55-80246BB-00 A0 July 2001
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