LINDY CPU Switch Dual/Quad Pro Manual English LINDY Art. Nr. 32361 LINDY CPU Switch Dual Pro 4 Port LINDY Art. Nr. 32362 LINDY CPU Switch Dual Pro 8 Port LINDY Art. Nr. 32364 LINDY CPU Switch Quad Pro 16 Port GB USA An electronic version of this manual may be downloaded from www.LINDY.com D A German version of this manual may be downloaded from www.LINDY.com F A French version of this manual may be downloaded from www.LINDY.
About this manual LINDY Dual/Quad PRO- Installation and Use Second edition (October 2001) (c) 2001 LINDY Electronics Ltd Part No. 32361 LINDY CPU Switch Dual Pro 4 Port Part No. 32362 LINDY CPU Switch Dual Pro 8 Port Part No. 32364 LINDY CPU Switch Quad Pro 16 Port Part No. 32391 LINDY Junior Extender Receiver Part No. 32392 LINDY Pro Extender Receiver All rights reserved.
Warranty LINDY Electronics Ltd warrants that this product shall be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of 1 year from the date of original purchase. If the product should fail to operate correctly in normal use during the warranty period, LINDY will replace or repair it free of charge. No liability can be accepted for damage due to misuse or circumstances outside LINDY’s control.
Contents 1. Introduction..................................................................................... 5 1.1 Key features and benefits.......................................................................6 1.2 LINDY Dual/Quad PRO package contents .............................................8 1.3 LINDY Junior Extender receiver package contents ................................8 1.4 LINDY Pro Extender receiver package contents ....................................8 1.5 Product information .............
4. Using the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO.................................................. 39 4.1 Rear panel special function switches .....................................................39 4.2 Power supply connections and indicators .............................................39 4.3 USER display and key switch .................................................................39 4.4 COMPUTER display and key switch.......................................................40 4.5 Activity indicators ....................
1. Introduction Thank you for purchasing the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO. Your LINDY Dual/Quad PRO is a very high performance Keyboard, Video monitor and Mouse (KVM) sharing device which supports a wide range of PC hardware and software platforms. The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO supports multiple users and enables each user to independently access the connected computers. An On-Screen-Display (OSD) menu system is provided for easy computer selection and control.
1.1 Key features and benefits Enables many computers to be independently controlled by multiple users. On-screen menu allows computers to be selected by name or description. Configurable security enables administrator to assign access rights to users. Dual-access port(s) with built-in 200 metre LINDY extender connections enable the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO to be controlled from local and remote KVM consoles.
OSD routing status window shows the computers that are currently being controlled by the KVM consoles. Compact 1U (2) and 2U (4) cases may be neatly fitted under a monitor or fixed into a 19 inch rack using the supplied rack-mount kit. SmartBoot ensures reliable simultaneous bootup of all computers. User and computer name information may be uploaded to a PC and saved in an Excel compatible file. This file may be edited in Excel and downloaded back to the CPU Switch.
1.2 LINDY Dual/Quad PRO package contents LINDY Dual/Quad PRO. Power supply suitable for your country. 6 x stick on self-adhesive rubber feet. 2 x mounting brackets for fixing the unit into a 19 inch rack. 4 x screws for fixing mounting brackets to LINDY Dual/Quad PRO (6 screws supplied with Quad PRO models) This installation guide. A serial cable for flash upgrades and upload / download functions. 1.3 LINDY JUNIOR EXTENDER receiver package contents (part code 32391) LINDY Junior Extender receiver.
1.5 Product information Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
2. Installation LINDY explains: Flexible configuration The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO has many ports for connection to computers, keyboards, mice, monitors and LINDY Link extenders. There are no restrictions placed upon which ports are connected to devices and you can leave any of the ports disconnected if you wish. You do not need to connect a keyboard, monitor and mouse to each user port if you do not wish to use all of these.
A PS/2 or AT style keyboard. If you are using an AT keyboard with a 5-pin connector you may connect this to the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO using a standard AT to PS/2 keyboard adapter. LINDY Dual/Quad PRO supports standard keyboards and keyboards with extra media control and Internet navigation keys. All LINDY PS/2 Mice and PS/2 style two or three button Microsoft or Logitech compatible mouse or a Microsoft IntelliMouse compatible mouse.
Use of PS/2 and RS232 style mice with the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO - All of the mouse connections from LINDY Dual/Quad PRO to PCs support either a PS/2 or an RS232 mouse. LINDY Dual/Quad PRO automatically converts from the PS/2 mouse commands to RS232 serial mouse commands. Serial mice types are selected by using an adapter as described in Appendix A. The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO will operate without a mouse connected if you do not wish to use one. 2.
possible, 2 metre cables are recommended as these will give very high video quality. Any unused computer connections can be left unconnected. To connect computers with serial mouse connections and AT style keyboard connections use the adapters specified in appendix A. If you have an existing 6-pin mini-DIN to 9-pin serial adapter that came with a mouse it may not be suitable for use with the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO as the are several different standard wiring configurations for these adapters.
PS/2 mice, so ensure that your PC software is configured for a Microsoft mouse of the correct type. Refer to the list of supported drivers in section 2.1. 2.5 Structuring your LINDY Dual/Quad PRO installation A single LINDY Dual/Quad PRO 16 may be used to manage and control up to 16 computers (see figure 5). For larger numbers of computers, Dual/Quad PRO units may be cascaded in a tree structure to form a video switching network (see figure 6).
If you are making multiple cascade links between LINDY Dual/Quad PRO then ensure that the cables are approximately the same length. LINDY Dual/Quad PRO devices may be cascaded to cascades but the Pro units must always be on the lowest level of the cascade (in other words you must not cascade an device off a Pro device) LINDY Dual/Quad PRO 4, 8, 12 and 16 models may be cascaded together. You must choose groups of cascade ports from the following table.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig.
2.6 Maximising the video quality The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO supports very high bandwidth video signals and resolutions up to 1900 x 1440 pixels. It regenerates the video signals using wide band amplifiers in order to minimise any loss of video quality. All video cables introduce distortion onto the video signal. For short cables this is minimal but for longer cables the loss of quality can start to become noticeable particularly at higher video resolutions.
2.7 Other useful installation information PC boot up sequence - When your PCs are powered on they communicate with any attached keyboards and mice and setup parameters required by the particular operating system. It is necessary for the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO to be attached and powered on during this sequence so that it can give the required responses and keep track of all the modes and settings requested by each of the connected PCs.
Alternatively you can reset the keyboard and mouse for a given user port by using the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO's keyboard and mouse reset function (see section 4.17). This function only resets the keyboard and mouse attached to the selected user port. It does not affect the status of any of the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO's other ports or the CPU connections. 2.
Type of mouse / system Connected at bootup Driver type Likely expected data format Suggested restoration PS/2 PS/2 IntelliMouse / LINDY Dual/Quad PRO IntelliMouse / LINDY Dual/Quad PRO PS/2 only IntelliMouse PS/2 only PS/2 PS/2 PS/2 Standard Standard Standard IntelliMouse IntelliMouse IntelliMouse To restore lost mouse movement on a CPU connected to the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Select the CPU that has lost its mouse movement Activate the on-screen menu using the keyboard hotkeys Pr
3. Configuring the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO 3.1 Configuration summary The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO is configured using the on-screen menu system which is activated by default when you first power on the system. It may also be accessed by using the keyboard 'hotkeys' (see section 4.8) or by using the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO's front panel keys (see section 4.6). The following steps summarise a typical configuration process.
Step 3 - Create user accounts Login to the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO using the ADMIN account and add user profiles and passwords for each of the system users (see section 3.4). The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO supports up to 16 user profiles. Step 4 - Add / edit names to identify your computers Whilst you are logged into the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO using the ADMIN account, create names for each of the computers that you have attached to the system.
To switch on the password security system: From the main on-screen menu press F1 for MORE MENUS. Select SETUP OPTIONS from the menu. Move the menu bar over the SECURITY option. Press SPACE BAR to enable security. Press ESC to quit from the menu. 3.3 Setting an ADMIN password The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO supports up to 16 user profiles. The administrator of the system can grant or deny users access to any of the connected computers and has complete control over the setup of the system.
Type in the password for the new user and press RETURN or ENTER. (You may leave the password field blank if you do not want to define a password) Define the computers that you want this user to have access to using the SPACE BAR and function keys as directed on the menu. The user will have access to all the starred (selected) computers. Don't worry if all the computers have not yet been defined. You can allocate users access to computers when you add the computer names later.
To create computer names: Ensure that you are logged on as the ADMIN user. From the main on-screen menu press F1 for MORE MENUS. Select EDIT COMPUTER LIST from the menu. Press INSERT to add a new computer name. Type in the name of the computer and press RETURN or ENTER. Type in the port number for this computer and press RETURN or ENTER. Define the users that you want user to have access to this computer the SPACE BAR and function keys as directed on the menu.
Each computer name that you add to the on-screen menu has an associated port number that tells the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO where to find the computer. Port numbers for computers attached to a single LINDY Dual/Quad PRO are simply the port number that the computer is attached to. Port numbers for computers connected to cascaded LINDY Dual/Quad PRO’s are constructed by defining the port routing that is required to get from the user's KVM to the computer.
Fig.
Fig. 8 - Possible cascade groups and their associated names 3.6 Setting the SETUP OPTIONS and GLOBAL PREFERENCES The SETUP OPTIONS and GLOBAL PREFERENCES are system operating parameters that apply to the whole system rather than to individual users. These may only be setup or changed by the system administrator logged in using the ADMIN account. From the main menu press F1 for MORE MENUS. Use the cursor keys to position the menu bar over SETUP OPTIONS or GLOBAL PREFERENCES.
3.6.1 SECURITY Accessed from menu: SETUP OPTIONS Settings: DISABLED, ENABLED With security disabled there is no requirement for users to login to the system. All users have full access to all the connected computers and full administration rights. With security enabled, users are required to login to the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO. Each user is allocated access rights to computers by the system administrator and they are only able to see the computers that they have access to on their on-screen menu. 3.6.
number to quickly select a chosen computer without activating the on-screen menu. See section 4.8 for full details on using keyboard hotkeys to control the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO. We do not normally recommend that you disable the hotkeys but if you choose to do this then you will need to access the on-screen menu using the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO's front panel controls. 3.6.
Consequently the system administrator can disable all exclusive use so that all connections are shared. 3.6.6 AUTOMATIC LOGOUT Accessed from menu: SETUP OPTIONS Settings: DISABLED, ENABLED The CPU Switch enables you to restrict access to your computers on a login basis. If a user forgets to logout when they have finished accessing the CPU Switch then the user console may unintentionally be left with full access to all the computers.
3.6.9 AUTOSCAN MODE Accessed from menu: GLOBAL PREFERENCES Settings: ACTIVE, ALL The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO supports an autoscan mode that automatically scans between the connected computers in sequence. The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO can be set to scan ALL the available computers or just the available computers that are currently powered on (the ACTIVE computers). Scanning just the active computers avoids blank screens from being displayed and stops the monitor from going into a power down state on every scan cycle.
3.6.12 USER TIMEOUT Accessed from menu: GLOBAL PREFERENCES Settings: 2, 5, 10, 30 SECONDS; 1, 5, 10 MINUTES When two users are connected to the same computer only one can have access at any one time. When no keyboard or mouse data has been received from the active user port for the user timeout period the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO will allow other users to access the computer. The new port then becomes the active port until it too times out.
4. Using the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO This section explains the general operation of the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO. We recommend that you read this section before starting to use the product. 4.1 Rear panel special function switches Before powering on the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO ensure that the two option switches on the rear are set to the OFF (up) position. Option switch 1 is reserved for future use and option switch 2 is used to enable firmware upgrades (see section 5). 4.
4.4 COMPUTER display and key switch The COMPUTER key selects the computer port that is to be connected to the user port that is currently displayed on the green USER display (see figure 1). Pressing the key will cause the red COMPUTER display to change to the next available computer port in numerical sequence. The next available computer port is defined by the way that the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO is configured. There are two special computer ports that may be selected using the COMPUTER key switch.
4.5 Activity indicators The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO has a front panel activity indicator for each user port (see figure 1). The indicator will flash when keyboard or mouse data is received by the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO. These indicators provide a useful confirmation that the keyboards and mice connected to the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO are functioning normally. 4.
Action of the COMPUTER key if no security has been set and the front panel controls are enabled Action of the COMPUTER key if the front panel controls are enabled, security has been set and the current logged in user only has access to computer ports 1,3 and 7 Action of the COMPUTER key if the front panel controls have been disable. 4.
4.8 Keyboard hotkeys LINDY Dual/Quad PRO can be conveniently controlled using special keyboard hotkey combinations. These hotkey combinations can be used to select computers and perform a number of other useful functions. All of the hotkey control commands are invoked by holding down the hotkeys and then pressing a command key. By default, the two hotkeys are ‘CTRL’ and ‘ALT’, although other combinations can be selected by reconfiguring the hotkeys (see section 3.6.3).
‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘1’ - selects channel 1 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘2’ - selects channel 2 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘3’ - selects channel 3 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘4’ - selects channel 4 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘5’ - selects channel 5 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘6’ - selects channel 6 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘7’ - selects channel 7 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘8’ - selects channel 8 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘9’ - selects channel 9 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘1 then 0’ - selects channel 10 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘1 then 1’ - selects channel 11 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘1 then 2’ - selects channel 12 ‘HOTKEYs’ and ‘1 then 3’ - selec
Selects the channel specified by {number}. This allows ports on cascaded units to be selected. For example HOTKEYs + 0 10216 would select port 1 (01) on the current LINDY Dual/Quad PRO, port 2 (02) on the next cascaded LINDY Dual/Quad PRO and port 16 on the last LINDY Dual/Quad PRO.
Hold down centre button ( ) Press and release left hand button ( ) to select next computer 4.10 Selecting computers using the on-screen menu You can conveniently select computers by name using the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO's on-screen menu. For systems with many computers this is the recommended method of computer selection. The on-screen menu is called up by pressing the ‘HOTKEYs’ and the ‘M’ key together. Its position on the screen may be moved using the 'HOTKEYs' and the cursor keys (see section 4.
Hold down centre button ( launch the on-screen menu ). Press and release left hand button ( ) to When the menu is first called up, a set of default names will be listed. You will probably want to change these names to suit your computers (see section 3.5). When you launch the on-screen menu you will see a screen similar to that shown below. To connect to a computer, place the menu bar over the computer name using a combination of the up and down cursor keys and the page up / page down keys.
To select the computer with SHARED access press: e or f When a computer is selected in SHARED mode, the computer’s video picture will be displayed on all the KVM consoles that are connected to that computer. Only one user will have control of the computer’s keyboard and mouse at any one time. If no keyboard or mouse activity has been detected for the timeout period (see section 3.6.12) then other KVM consoles may gain control.
You may also use a 3-button mouse or wheel mouse to select a computer if you have enabled mouse control (see section 3.6.7). To select a computer in SHARED mode use the left hand mouse button ( ) whilst the menu bar is positioned above the required computer name. To escape without selecting a new computer use the right hand mouse button. To select a computer in EXCLUSIVE mode, use the left hand mouse button together with the SHIFT key on the keyboard.
LINDY Dual/Quad PRO indicates an unsuccessful connection 4.11 The reminder banner Normally the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO will display a discreet computer name reminder banner that reminds you which computer you are connected to. This banner will normally appear at the top of the screen in a central location and may optionally be disabled (see section 4.12.2). Many computer screens can look very similar and so this banner serves as a useful reminder of which computer you are working on.
4.12 Setting the USER PREFERENCES The USER PREFERENCES are system operating parameters that are independently selectable for each user. From the main menu press F1 for MORE MENUS. Use the cursor keys to position the menu bar over USER PREFERENCES Press ENTER or RETURN to view the preferences. Use the cursor keys to place the menu bar over the required option and then use SPACE BAR to change the option as required. Press ESC to quit and save the changes. 4.12.
4.12.3 REMINDER COLOUR Accessed from menu: USER PREFERENCES Settings: BLUE/TRANS, PINK/TRANS, BLUE/WHITE, WHITE/RED You may select the colour of the reminder banner. The BLUE/TRANS and PINK/TRANS select blue or pink text with a transparent background. The BLUE/WHITE and WHITE/RED settings select blue and white text on solid white and red backgrounds. 4.12.4 SCREEN SAVER TYPE Accessed from menu: USER PREFERENCES Settings: BLANK, MOVING DOT You may select the type of screen saver.
factory defaults. To avoid activating this function by accident the administrator must confirm the reset instruction by pressing F8. 4.14 Querying the routing status It is sometimes useful to know which KVM consoles are connected to which computers and their connection modes (shared, exclusive or video only). For example, if the CPU Switch denies you access to a particular computer you may wish to know if another KVM console has exclusive use of this computer and consequently is preventing your access.
4.15 Using the dual access ports (1 and 3) The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO 2 is fitted with one dual access port and the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO 4 is fitted with two dual access ports. These dual access ports have connectors that enable a local KVM (Keyboard, Video monitor and Mouse) to be attached and a connector that enables a remote LINDY Extender or LINDY Pro Extender to be attached.
Although it is theoretically possible to select computers on cascaded units by pressing the hotkeys and then typing in the port address this would be highly confusing for users and is not generally recommended. Consequently it is normally advisable to use the on-screen menu to select computers on cascaded units.
To perform a power-off reset for a selected user port: 1) Press the USER key on the front panel of the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO to select the user port whose keyboard and mouse you wish to reset. 2) The selected user port number should now be shown on the green USER display. 3) Press and hold down the USER key for 5 seconds until the green USER display goes off. The keyboard and mouse will then be powered off. 4) As soon as the green display goes off you may release the USER key.
To perform a complete reset and return the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO to its factory default state: 1) Power on the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO normally. 2) Whilst the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO is powered on move switch 2 on the rear panel of the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO (labelled UPGRADE) to the ON (down) position. 3) Press the USER and the COMPUTER keys together. 4) The green USER display will show 'r' for a few seconds to confirm that a reset is taking place. 5) Return switch 2 to the normal OFF position (up). 4.
3. Run the program DQPPREAD.EXE on the computer that is connected to the CPU Switch’s serial port. Follow the instructions given by the program. 4. Make sure that you are logged onto the CPU Switch as the ADMIN user. From the main selection screen press F1 for More Menus. In the Configuration Menu select Functions. In the Functions menu select Send Data to RS232 port. 5. The CPU Switch should then send the configuration data to your computer. The DQPREAD program will store the data in a file named DQPDATA.
2. Copy the program DQPWRITE and DQPDATA.CSV into the same directory on the PC that is connected to the CPU Switch’s serial port. 3. Run the program DQPWRITE.EXE and follow the instructions given by the program. 4. Make sure that you are logged onto the CPU Switch as the ADMIN user. From the main selection screen press F1 for More Menus. In the Configuration Menu select Functions. In the Functions menu select Read Data from RS232 port. 5.
5. Upgrading the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO's firmware The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO uses flash memory technology which enables the firmware code to be upgraded by the user. New keyboards, mice operating systems and drivers are being launched all the time. From time to time the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO's firmware will be updated to provide support for these new devices. You can take advantage of these upgrades free of charge during the warranty period.
To perform a flash upgrade on the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO : Step 1 - Prepare your computers Ensure that you have saved any important work on the connected computers. The LINDY Dual/Quad PRO can be upgraded whilst attached to live systems but remember that the mouse connections will probably need to be reconstituted after the upgrade is finished (see sections 4.13 and 2.9). Where possible, mission critical servers should be switched off or disconnected before performing an upgrade.
Step 4 - Power off the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO Remove both power supplies from the Dual / Quad PRO. Step 5 - Power on the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO with the UPGRADE switch ON Attach the power adapter to the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO whilst the UPGRADE switch is ON. The green USER display should now show a lower case 'u'. This indicates that the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO is ready to be upgraded.
A data file that tells the upgrade program (LDQP.EXE) which binary code files (HEX files) to download to the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO and where to put each file. Theoretically this DAT file can be modified so that only certain processors are upgraded but do not do this unless specifically instructed by LINDY technical support. e.g. 4X16V129.DAT Like the hex files, the first three digits represent the model number (e.g. 2X8 represents a LINDY Dual/Quad PRO 2 with 8 computer ports).
Follow the instructions given on the screen to perform the upgrade. When the upgrade is complete the program will confirm that the upgrade has been successful and then quit. Step 7 - Switch the UPGRADE key to the OFF position and cycle the power Switch the UPGRADE switch on the rear of the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO to the OFF position and disconnect the power. When the power is re-applied the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO will operate using the new firmware.
Appendix A. Cable and connector specifications IMPORTANT NOTE The maximum cable lengths supported vary widely between devices and cables. It may be possible to use cables that are longer than those specified below with certain PCs and peripherals but this cannot be guaranteed. If you experience problems try using shorter cables. A1. Keyboard, monitor and mouse to LINDY Dual/Quad PRO Cable specification: All of the shared devices plug directly into the relevant ports at the rear of the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO.
A3. LINDY Dual/Quad PRO to PCs 1 to 16 Cable specifications: Video - 15 pin high density male D connector to 15 pin high density male D connector wired as a standard VGA PC to monitor cable. There are two types commonly available. The best type of cables which will give excellent quality are constructed with coaxial cable cores. Cheaper ‘data’ cables are often used, but can degrade video quality if used over longer distances.
NOTE - There are several common wiring specifications for 6-pin mini-DIN to 9-pin serial adapters. If you have an adapter that has been supplied with a mouse it may have a completely different internal wiring to that shown above and may not be compatible with the LINDY Extender. Recommended cables: 3-in-1 keyboard, video and mouse combination cable - For convenience, neatness and high video quality we recommend the LINDY brand 3-in-1 combination cables.
Appendix B. Problem Solving Problem: Poor video quality with smearing fuzziness or ripple. Action: Use screened coaxial video cables to connect your devices to the LINDY Dual/Quad PRO.
