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Multi-Port Serial Cards

Multi-Port Serial Cards

Connect Legacy Hardware with a Multi-Port Serial Interface Card

Few new computers come with a serial port. Without the DB9-style connector, there’s no easy way to hook up older hardware that uses the RS-232/422/485 standards. And even when the port is present, it’s only possible to connect a single serial instrument.

A multi-port serial interface card overcomes these problems. Easily installed in a spare interface slot in the PC, these cards can accept connections from up to 16 separate serial devices. This way data acquisition or automation hardware is managed from a single location. Westward Sales carries serial interface cards for both the PCI Express slots found in new PCs and the older PCI bus. These come with a CD containing utilities and drivers for both Windows and Linux.

 

Buses and Cards

The serial interface card must be matched to the bus in the PC. Older computers use PCI, of which there were two versions. Version 1 is distinguished by a single notch in the interface card. It used 5V signaling. The later Version 2 used 3.3V. A Universal PCI card works with both versions and is identified by two notches.

PCI Express cards are not interchangeable with PCI. These use multi-lane technology to achieve much higher speeds than PCI can deliver. Lanes are designated as “x1, “x4,” “x8,” “x16,” and “x32.”

PCI interface cards are produced in both low profile and standard or full height formats. In a low profile card, the bracket securing the card in the case measures 79.2mm while that on a full-height card is 120 mm. Always purchase the right height card for the destination PC.

Product Range

Westward sells serial interface cards made by Antaira Technologies that carry a 5-year warranty. These are available in both low profile and full height formats, for RS-232 and RS-422/485 formats separately, and also for RS-232/422/485 combined.

Full height two-port cards provide two DB9-style connectors. The MSC-102A and MSC-202A-V2 are RS232 examples for PCI and PCI Express respectively. The low profile versions of these cards, the MSC-102AL-1 and the MSC-202AL1, use a single connection cable splitting into two DB9 connectors.

Four port cards have a single DB44 connector and come with a cable breaking out to four DB9's. In an eight-port card, the cable breaks out to eight separate DB9's. A full-height 16 port card like the MSC-116A (PCI) or the MSC-216A (PCI Express) has two VHDCI-68 front panel connectors, each of which accepts a cable breaking out to eight DB9 connectors.

Westward Helps Serial Hardware Talk to Modern Computers

Serial devices are used in many industries, but serial ports are rare on new computers, and multiple ports unheard of. Connecting older serial equipment to a new PC is possible by installing a serial interface card. These are available in full height and low profile formats and for both RS-232 and RS-422/485. For more information contact a Westward Sales product specialist.

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MSC-102A 2-Port RS-232 Universal PCI CardThe MSC-102A from Antaira Technologies is a PCI se..
$41.00
MSC-102AL-1 2-Port RS-232 Universal PCI Card, Low and Standard Profile HeightThe Antaira Technol..
$41.00
Antaira MSC-102B1L 2-Port RS-422/485 Low Profile Universal PCI CardThe MSC-102B1L from Antaira T..
$104.00
Antaira MSC-104CL 4-Port RS-232/422/485 Universal PCI Serial CardAntaira Technologies' New MSC-1..
$257.00
Antaira MSC-202A1-V2 PCI Express Card with 2 Ports of RS-232The MSC-202A1-V2, from Antaira Techn..
$73.00
*** DISCONTINUED ***  This 2 Ports RS-232 PCI Express Card is discontinued. It's avai..
$73.00
Antaira MSC-202AL1 2-Port RS-232 PCI Express Card, Low Profile (Support Power Over Pin-9)Antaira..
$83.00
Antaira MSC-204A1-S PCI Express 4-Port RS-232 Serial Board with Octopus CableAntaira Technologie..
$122.00
Antaira MSC-204A2 4-Port RS-232 PCI Express Card with Power Over Serial ConnectorsThe MSC-204A2,..
$115.00
Axiomtek PIM100 Serial Expansion Module for the ICO500-518 ComputerThe PIM100 is an expansion bo..
$327.00
Axiomtek PIM101 CANbus Expansion Module for the ICO500-518 ComputerThe PIM101 is an expansion bo..
$298.00
Axiomtek PIM900 4-Port RS-232/422/485 Serial Expansion Module with Digital I/O for the ICO500-518 Co..
$231.00
The Parani-FM9GD from SENA technologies is a miniature gender changer that converts a 9-pin female D..
$12.00
Axiomtek PIM700 Gigabit Ethernet Board for the ICO500-518 Computer with 8 RJ45 PortsThe PIM700 i..
$442.00
Black Box IC190C-R2 8-Port PCI Bus Serial Board, DB25When you need to add extra PCI ports to you..
$639.88
Black Box IC984C PCIe Bus Serial Board, 16 Serial Port, RS-232The IC984C provides 16 RS-232 seri..
$1,275.88
Black Box USBC2000-R2 USB C Docking StationThe USBC2000-R2 is a portable mini dock for laptops a..
$97.99
The AD-DB9F-TB5P35 is an RS-422 or RS-485 adapter that converts a DB-9 female connector to a 5-pin 3..
$16.00
GC-F09F09-N Miniature Null Modem Gender Changer with Dual DB-9 Female ConnectorsA Null Mode..
$12.00
The AD-DB9F-TB5P38 is an RS-422/485 adapter that converts a DB9 female connector to a 5-pin 3.8 mm t..
$16.00
Multi-Port, Serial, Cards, Connectivity