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PA-4T Synchronous Serial Port Adapter Installation and Configuration
OL-3560-02
Chapter 1 Overview
Synchronous Serial Overview
Synchronous Serial Overview
The PA-4T supports the following interface types: EIA/TIA-232, EIA/TIA-449, V.35, X.21, and
EIA-530. EIA/TIA-232, which is by far the most common interface standard in the United States,
supports unbalanced circuits at signal speeds up to 64 kbps. EIA/TIA-449, which supports balanced
(EIA/TIA-422) and unbalanced (EIA/TIA-423) transmissions, is a faster (up to 2 Mbps) version of
EIA/TIA-232 that provides more functions and supports transmissions over greater distances. The
EIA/TIA-449 standard was intended to replace EIA/TIA-232, but it was not widely adopted.
Note The EIA/TIA standards were referred to as recommended standards called RS-232 and RS-449 prior to
their acceptance by the ANSI committee.
The resistance to convert to EIA/TIA-449 was due primarily to the large installed base of DB-25
hardware and to the larger size of the 37-pin EIA/TIA-449 connectors, which limited the number of
connections possible (fewer than are possible with the smaller, 25-pin EIA/TIA-232 connector).
EIA-530, which supports balanced transmission, provides the increased functionality, speed, and
distance of EIA/TIA-449 on the smaller, DB-25 connector used for EIA/TIA-232. The EIA-530 standard
was created to support the more sophisticated circuitry of EIA/TIA-449 on the large number of existing
EIA/TIA-232 (DB-25) hardware instead of the larger, 37-pin connectors used for EIA/TIA-449. Like
EIA/TIA-449, EIA-530 refers to the electrical specifications of EIA/TIA-422 and EIA/TIA-423. The
specification recommends a maximum speed of 2 Mbps. EIA-530 is used primarily in the United States.
The V.35 interface is most commonly used in the United States and throughout Europe, and is
recommended for speeds up to 48 kbps. The X.21 interface uses a 15-pin connection for balanced
circuits and is commonly used in the United Kingdom to connect public data networks. X.21 relocates
some of the logic functions to the DTE and DCE interfaces and, as a result, requires fewer circuits and
a smaller connector than EIA/TIA-232.
All interface types except EIA-530 can be individually configured for operation with either external
(DTE mode) or internal (DCE mode) timing signals; EIA-530 operates with external timing only. In
addition, all VIP serial interface types support non-return to zero (NRZ) and non-return to zero inverted
(NRZI) format, and both 16-bit and 32-bit cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs). The default configuration
is for NRZ format and 16-bit CRC. You can change the default settings with software commands. (For
more information, see Chapter 4, “Configuring the PA-4T.”)
There is no default mode or clock rate set on the VIP serial ports, although an internal clock signal is
present on all ports for DCE support. Using the internal clock, you can also perform local loopback tests
without having to terminate the port or connect a cable. (All interface types except X.21 DTE support
loopback.) To use the port as a DCE interface, you must set the clock rate and connect a DCE adapter
cable. To use the port as a DTE interface, you need only connect a DTE adapter cable to the port. Because
the serial adapter cables determine the mode and interface type, the PA-4T interface becomes a DTE
when a DTE cable is connected to it.
If a DTE cable is connected to a port with a clock rate set, the DTE ignores the clock rate and uses the
external clock signal that is sent from the remote DCE.
For a brief description of the clock rate command, see Chapter 4, “Configuring the PA-4T.” For
complete command descriptions and instructions, see the publications listed in the “Related
Documentation” section on page vi.