AC056AE-R2 - Separator Black Box - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	VGA Video Splitter
Model	AC056AE-R2
Brand	Black Box
Number of Outputs	2
Dimensions (W x H x D)	7.25" x 1.5" x 3.25" (18.4 x 3.8 x 8.3 cm)
Weight	2.5 lb (1.1 kg)
Power Supply	External desktop power supply: Input 230 VAC, 50 Hz, 5 W; Output ±5 VDC at 500-600 mA
Bandwidth	300 MHz (-3 dB)
Maximum Resolution	1600 x 1280 pixels (optimal below 1280 x 1024)
Maximum Refresh Rate	75 Hz
Maximum Distance to Monitor	Up to 250 ft (76.2 m) at 640x480@60 Hz, depends on cable quality and resolution
Connectors	1x DB15HD female VGA input; 2x DB15HD female VGA output; 1x 5-pin mini-DIN female power
Front Panel Controls	4-position DIP switch for monitor type selection; POWER LED indicator
Enclosure	Metal
Operating Temperature	32 to 125°F (0 to 50°C)
Operating Humidity	5 to 95% noncondensing
Regulatory Approvals	FCC Part 15 Class A, DOC Class A
Key Features	Equalized amplification, independent output buffering, cascading support for multiple units
Maintenance	No user-serviceable parts; do not attempt repair
Compatible Systems	IBM PC compatible VGA; supports VGA, SVGA, XGA, XGA-2

Frequently Asked Questions - AC056AE-R2 Black Box

How do I install the VGA Video Splitter?

Place the Splitter within 6 ft of the computer. Connect the included VGA cable from the computer's VGA output to the VGA IN port. Connect your primary monitor to MONITOR 1, additional monitors to remaining ports. Use VGA extension cables up to 250 ft. Plug the power supply into the Splitter and an AC outlet. Set the DIP switch (typically all UP). Turn on the computer and monitors.

What is the maximum distance I can place a monitor from the Splitter?

With high-quality VGA cable, the maximum distance depends on resolution: at 640x480@60Hz up to 250 ft (76.2 m), at 1024x768@60Hz up to 175 ft (53.3 m), at 1280x1024@75Hz up to 100 ft (30.5 m). Avoid twisted-pair cable.

Can I connect more monitors than the number of outputs?

Yes, you can cascade multiple Splitters. Connect secondary Splitters to the MONITOR ports of the primary Splitter using short VGA cables. You can cascade up to several layers, but image quality may degrade with too many layers.

How do I set the MONITOR TYPE DIP switch?

For standard setups where all monitors are similar, set all four switches UP. This passes ID bits from MONITOR 1 to the computer. If no monitor on MONITOR 1, use extension cable without ID bits, or monitors differ in type, set according to the table in the manual (e.g., color VGA: all UP is standard).

What does the front-panel LED indicate?

The POWER LED glows red when the Splitter is properly powered. If it does not light, check the power supply connection and wall outlet.

Can I use this Splitter with non-VGA monitors?

This Splitter is designed for VGA-compatible monitors (VGA, SVGA, XGA). It supports various sync types (H&V, composite, sync-on-green). For other monitor types, refer to the manual's DIP switch settings.

What should I do if the display colors are reversed?

This is likely due to incorrect DIP switch settings. Recheck the MONITOR TYPE switch positions according to your monitor types. Ensure all connections are secure.

Is the Splitter compatible with Mac computers?

The Splitter is designed for IBM PC compatible VGA output. It may work with Macs that have a VGA port, but compatibility is not guaranteed; check your Mac's video output.

How do I clean and maintain the Splitter?

Disconnect power before cleaning. Wipe the enclosure with a dry cloth. Do not use liquids or cleaners. The unit contains no user-serviceable parts; do not open it.

What is included in the package?

The package includes: the VGA Video Splitter, an external power supply, a 6-ft DB15HD male-to-male video cable, and a copy of this manual. Contact your supplier if any item is missing.

USER MANUAL AC056AE-R2 Black Box

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, may cause interference to radio communication. It has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference, in which case the user at his own expense will be required to take whatever measures may be necessary to correct the interference.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emission from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulation of Industry Canada.

1. Operation 12
2. Applications ...... 13
3. Troubleshooting 14

6.1 Common Concerns 14
6.2 Calling Your Supplier 14
6.3 Shipping and Packaging 14

1. Specifications

Approvals — FCC Part 15 Class A, DOC Class/MDC classe A

Standards — VGA, SVGA, XGA, XGA-2

Interface — IBM PC compatible video

Maximum

Resolution — 1600 x 1280 pixels; however, image quality and attainable distance degrade relatively rapidly above 1280 x 1024 pixels

Maximum

Refresh Rate — 75 Hz

Maximum

Distance — See the table on page 12

Rise Time — Less than 1 ns

Bandwidth — 300 MHz (-3 dB)

User Control — (1) Front-mounted 4-position DIP switch for selecting monitor type

Indicator — (1) Front-mounted POWER LED

Connectors — All rear-mounted:

All models:

(1) 5-pin mini-DIN female for power;

(1) DB15HD female for VGA input;

AC056 models: (2) DB15HD fem. for VGA output;

AC057 models: (4) DB15HD fem. for VGA output;

AC159A-R2: (6) DB15HD female for VGA output;

AC058A-R2: (8) DB15HD female for VGA output;

AC160A-R2: (10) DB15HD female for VGA output

Power — AC056A-R2, AC057A-R2:

From wallmount power supply:

Input: 115 VAC, 60 Hz, 12 watts;

Output: ±5 VDC at 300 mA to 1 amp;

AC056AE-R2, AC057AE-R2:

From desktop power supply:

Input: 230 VAC, 50 Hz, 5 watts;

Output: ±5 VDC at 500 to 600 mA;

AC058A-R2, AC159A-R2, AC160A-R2:

From desktop power supply:

Input: 95 to 250 VAC, 47 to 63 Hz, 10 watts;

Output: ±5 VDC at up to 2 amps

Temperature — 32 to 125° F (0 to 50° C)

Humidity — 5 to 95% noncondensing

Enclosure — Metal

Size — AC056A-R2, AC056AE-R2:

7.25"W x 1.5"H x 3.25"D (18.4 x 3.8 x 8.3 cm);

All models except AC056A-R2, AC056AE-R2:

7.25"W x 2.5"H x 3.25"D (18.4 x 6.4 x 8.3 cm)

Weight — 2- and 4-port (AC056, AC057) units: 2.5 lb. (1.1 kg)

6-port (AC159) units: 3 lb. (1.4 kg)

8-port and 10-port (AC058, AC160) units:

3.5 lb (1.6 kg)

2. Introduction

Normally, computers are designed to drive their VGA (Video Graphics Array) output to only one nearby monitor. Often, however, circumstances call for VGA output to be driven to one or several monitors far away from the computer. That's where our family of VGA Video Splitters comes in.

A typical application for one of these Splitters involves a PC simultaneously sending VGA output to its own monitor, usually placed nearby, and to as many as nine remote monitors, located around the room or in another room up to 250 feet (76.2 m) away. This makes your Splitter perfect for conference rooms, classrooms, public information displays, show exhibits, and demonstrations. For more about VGA Video Splitter applications, see Chapter 5.

If you need to hook up more monitors than one Splitter can accommodate, you can “cascade” Splitters by attaching one or more secondary units to the MONITOR ports of the primary unit. See Section 3.4.

These VGA Video Splitters come in compact, attractive desktop enclosures. They are powered by an external power supply and draw no power from the sending computer. Each Splitter can be located up to 6 feet (1.8 m) away from this computer.

With bandwidths of 300 MHz, these VGA Video Splitters can handle resolutions of VGA, SVGA (Super VGA), XGA (Extended Graphics Array), or XGA-2 as high as 1600 x 1280 pixels, at refresh rates as high as 75 Hz. They support a variety of synchronization options, including H & V sync, composite sync, sync-on-green, sync-on-RGB, and 75-ohm sync loads.

3. Installation

3.1 The Complete Package

You should have received all of these things with your Splitter order:

• (1) VGA Video Splitter of the appropriate model
• (1) External transformer (power supply)
- (1) 6-ft (1.8-m) DB15HD-male-to-DB15HD-male video cable for connecting the computer's VGA output to the VGA Video Splitter
• (1) Copy of this manual

If any of these items are missing, call your supplier right away. If any of these items are damaged, call your supplier and the shipping carrier immediately.

3.2 The Procedure

Follow these steps to install the VGA Video Splitter:

1. Place the VGA Video Splitter within 6 feet (1.8 m) of the computer.
2. Run the included video cable from the computer's VGA output to the connector marked VGA IN on the rear of the Splitter.
3. Connect your primary monitor (the one that was previously attached directly to the computer) to the connector marked MONITOR 1 on the rear of the Splitter.
4. Connect the additional monitor(s) to the remaining MONITOR connector(s) on the rear of the Splitter. You can use VGA extension cables to extend the distance you can run to as much as 250 feet (76.2 m); see Section 3.3.
5. Plug the output cord of the included power supply into the jack marked POWER on the rear of the Splitter.
6. Plug the power supply into an AC wall outlet. The Splitter's front-panel LED should glow red to show that the unit is properly powered.
7. Place the VGA Video Splitter within 6 feet (1.8 m) of the computer.
8. Run the included video cable from the computer's VGA output to the connector marked VGA IN on the rear of the Splitter.
9. Connect your primary monitor (the one that was previously attached directly to the computer) to the connector marked MONITOR 1 on the rear of the Splitter.
10. Connect the additional monitor(s) to the remaining MONITOR connector(s) on the rear of the Splitter. You can use VGA extension cables to extend the distance you can run to as much as 250 feet (76.2 m); see Section 3.3.
11. Plug the output cord of the included power supply into the jack marked POWER on the rear of the Splitter.

12. Plug the power supply into an AC wall outlet. The Splitter's front-panel LED should glow red to show that the unit is properly powered.

13. The four-position DIP switch marked MONITOR TYPE on the front panel of the VGA Video Splitter tells the VGA adapter in your computer what type of monitors you have connected when the computer boots up. For a standard application in which your remote monitor(s) are pretty much interchangeable with your primary monitor (the one on MONITOR 1), move all four switch positions to the “UP” setting; this will cause the Splitter to pass the “ID bits” from the primary monitor through to the VGA adapter. Moving all the positions to UP will not work for applications in which:

• there is no monitor on MONITOR 1;
- the primary monitor is connected to MONITOR 1 with a VGA extension cable that doesn't carry the ID-bit leads;
- the primary monitor uses higher-grade video than one or more of the remote monitors (for example, color VGA vs. monochrome VGA or high-resolution XGA-2 vs. low-resolution VGA).

In these situations, set the MONITOR TYPE switch this way:

DIP Switch Positions Monitor Type

1 2 3 4

If your monitors don't belong to any of these three types, you must set all four MONITOR TYPE switch positions UP and connect a representative monitor to MONITOR 1 with cable that carries the monitor's ID-bit leads. If you don't have such a cable, call your supplier for a quote on a cable that carries all ID-bit leads.

1. Turn on the computer and the monitors. The monitors should now display the computer's output.

This completes the VGA Video Splitter installation. Once installed, the Splitter shouldn't require any adjustments; you can keep it out of sight. It should now be ready for continuous operation.

3.3 Extending Your Distance

The maximum distance to which a VGA Video Splitter can drive signals to a VGA monitor depends primarily on the quality of the cable being used and the pixel resolution and refresh rate of the VGA image coming from the computer. Never use twisted-pair cable as video-extension cable, because this will cause “ghosting” of the on-screen images. Table 3-1 below is a guide for maximum distance at various resolutions with high-quality VGA extension cable.

Table 3-1. Maximum Distances
Pixel Resolution and Maximum Cable Length in Refresh Rate Feet (Meters)

640 x 480 at 60 Hz 250 (76.2)

640 x 480 at 75 Hz 175 (53.3)

800 x 600 at 60 Hz 200 (61)

800 x 600 at 75 Hz 150 (45.7)

1024 x 768 at 60 Hz 175 (53.3)

1024 x 768 at 75 Hz 125 (38.1)

1280 x 1024 at 75 Hz 100 (30.5)

To run the cable the full distance, you must not route it near motors, generators, air compressors, or other sources of electromagnetic noise.

If you would like to order VGA extension cable, call your supplier for technical support.

3.4 Cascading

If you need to display your computer's VGA output on more monitors than a single VGA Video Splitter can handle, you can always “cascade” Splitters: You can connect secondary Splitters to the MONITOR ports on the primary Splitter with short DB15HD-male-to-DB15HD-male cables. (If you need any of these cables, call your supplier.) Then you can plug as many as a hundred monitors into the MONITOR ports on the secondary Splitters.

If you'll be cascading Splitters, we have several suggestions for maintaining image quality and reducing the complexity of your system:

• Begin connecting secondary Splitters to the highest-numbered port on the primary Splitter and work backwards from there. For example, attach the first secondary Splitter to MONITOR 8, the second to MONITOR 7, etc.
• Avoid connecting secondary Splitters to primary Splitters with fewer ports. For example, rather than attaching a ten-port secondary to a four-port primary, use the ten-port unit as the primary and retire the four-port until you need to use it as a secondary.
• In general, use as few Splitters and as short runs of cable as possible to reach all of your monitors.
• You can cascade to more than two “layers” of VGA Video Splitters; that is, you can begin plugging tertiary Splitters into the MONITOR ports of secondary Splitters when you run out of MONITOR ports on the primary Splitter. However, the more VGA Splitters that come between your computer and your monitors, the more signal degradation you will get. Try not to go to a third layer of Splitters unless you absolutely have to—if you have to send VGA output to more than a hundred monitors, for example.

4. Operation

The VGA Video Splitters provide a reliable means of getting your VGA images to widespread arrays of monitors: They use equalized amplification to compensate for the normal signal losses that occur when you run cable to VGA monitors at longer distances. With this technique, the signals that reach the monitors closely match the signal that left the VGA adapter, and you get the truest representation of your VGA images in terms of detail and color fidelity.

Each monitor output is independently buffered. This ensures isolation and proper signal levels regardless of the number of monitors used.

The Splitter's external transformer will feel warm after the unit has been on for a period of time. This is normal, because the unit draws a significant amount of current.

If, during operation, you find that you need to send your images to more monitors than a single Splitter can support, you can “cascade” Splitters (use two or more in combination). See Section 3.4.

5. Applications

VGA Video Splitters are used where a number of monitors need to be connected to one computer. Typical applications would include classrooms, business meetings, and trade shows.

In a conference room or demonstration room, for example, the VGA Video Splitter can feed images to the PC's own VGA monitor plus others located around the room or on the demonstration table. This eliminates the need for people to crowd around the PC for a look at the display.

In a classroom, instructional material on your computer can be easily viewed by all the students at their desks.

Also, you can give presentations by creating an “electronic slide show” on your computer and using the VGA Video Splitter to drive the “slides” to the computer’s own monitor plus a large-screen projection monitor that has a VGA input.

6. Troubleshooting

6.1 Common Concerns

If the display colors on all the monitors seem to be “reversed,” this might be caused by improperly setting the MONITOR TYPE DIP switch on the front panel. Recheck the switch setting (see Section 3.2, step 7).

If one or two colors are missing on one of the VGA monitors, make sure all connections to the VGA Video Splitter are secure. Make sure the monitor connector's jackscrews are tightened.

If problems persist, call for technical support.

6.2 Calling BLACK BOX

If you determine that your VGA Video Splitter is malfunctioning, do not attempt to alter or repair the unit. It contains no user-serviceable parts. Contact Black Box Technical Support at 724-746-5500. The problem may be solvable over the phone.

Before you do, make a record of the history of the problem. We will be able to provide more efficient and accurate assistance if you have a complete description, including:

• the nature and duration of the problem.
- when the problem occurs.
- the components involved in the problem.
- any particular application that, when used, appears to create the problem or make it worse.

6.3 Shipping and Packaging

If you need to transport or ship your VGA Video Splitter:

• Package it carefully. We recommend that you use the original container.
• If you are shipping the Splitter for repair, include its power supply. If you are returning the Splitter, make sure you include everything you received with the unit. Before you ship, contact Black Box to get a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number.

NOTES

NOTESNOTES

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