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Bitronics DualBus
Switch Kit
User Manual
P73045 F1U128-KIT
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Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Belkin Components Bitronics DualBus Switch Kit! Now, you and your colleagues can share and select between two different parallel devices from your desktop. And, if you are using ® ® Windows 95, 98 or NT , you will be able to take advantage of Bitronics Software, which allows you to print automatically even if you have more than one printer! Features • Allows four computers to access any two parallel devices simultaneously and independently • Virtual Port
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Technical Specifications Compatible Standards: IEEE 1284-1994 Parallel Port Communication Standard Electrical: Input Voltage 9VDC Max Input Current 600mA Max Power Consumption 5.4W Max Heat Dissipation 0.31 BTU/min Dimensions: Width: 7.0” (17.8cm) Height: 3.75” (9.5cm) Depth: 1.25” (3.2cm) Weight: 7.1 oz. (202 g) Storage Temperature: -10ºC to 50ºC (14ºF to 122ºF) Operating Temperature: 0ºC to 40ºC (32ºF to 104ºF) Humidity: 0 to 95% Non-condensing 2
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Product Detail Device activity LEDs Connector to Device B Connector to Device A Connector Connector to PC1 to PC4 DC power jack (side) Connector to PC2 Connector to PC3 Computer button Printer button PC activity LEDs DIP switch settings (located underneath switch): ON DIP SW1: Reset Switch To reset, OFF ON OFF 123 4 ON is UP. SW4 is not used. SW2 and SW3: TimeOut Setting TimeOut is the amount of time the switch remains locked on a PC port after data transfer. Use a longer TimeOut when connecti
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Manual Mode and Port Monitoring In manual mode, you can select a port manually through the buttons on the Bitronics switch. You can also use this mode in conjunction with software to see your switch in action! • Press COMPUTER to select which computer port you wish to configure or monitor. For the computer connected to Port 1, press the COMPUTER button until the LED on Port 1 is lit up either in red or green. • Press the PRINTER button until the LED of the appropriate device port you wish to use
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Choose your operating system ® Windows 3.x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6 MS-DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7 ® ® Windows 95/98 and NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 NOTE: When installing software on any operating system, the software must be installed on all the computers connected to the Bitronics switch so that each machine ca
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® Software installation: Windows 3.x Insert the diskette labeled P27236 in your floppy drive. In the Program Manager, click on File then click Run. In the space, type in "a:\setup.exe". Follow the installation instruction prompts. After the setup program is done, simply double-click on the correct icon to run the port selection program. 6
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Software installation: MS-DOS To switch port, simply click on the port letter of your choice, and your computer will be connected to the device on the port chosen. Software-Installation: MS-DOS Enter the following at the DOS prompt and press ENTER: Copy a:\dos\swport.com c:\SWPORT.com SWPORT.com is a command-line executable. Please follow the syntax for proper operation: ® File Transfer in DOS and WINDOWS 3.x: The file transfer feature of the Bitronics switch allows both computers to connect
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT BEFORE YOU INSTALL THE BELKIN BITRONICS SOFTWARE, YOU MUST FIRST MAKE SURE THAT EACH DEVICE WORKS PROPERLY ON ITS OWN WITH EACH COMPUTER. DO NOT CONNECT THE BITRONICS SWITCH TO THE COMPUTERS OR INSTALL THE SOFTWARE UNTIL INSTRUCTED BY THIS PROCEDURE! 1. Make sure that the printer port on your computer is set to ECP mode. To do this, you must go into your computer’s BIOS or CMOS setup. Instructions on how to do this differs from one computer to the next. Please consult
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) 3. Connect four computers and the devices to be shared to the Bitronics Switch as shown below. Two cables that connect computers to the Bitronics switch are included. Take note of which port each device is connected to: Device A Device B connected to Port A connected to Port B These two cables are included Connect the power adapter to the power jack on the side of the switch, ® and plug it into an outlet. The example shown has a Zip Drive connected to P
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) 4. In order for all computers to properly share the devices, the software must be installed on all four computers. 4.1. Insert the disk into your floppy drive. Click on Start, then click Run. Enter a:\BITRONIX.exe, then click OK. 4.2. You will see the following window. Click Setup. 4.3. Close all other running applications so that the software installation can proceed quickly and smoothly. Click Next. 10
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) 4.4. Select the model of the Bitronics Switch you have, which is the F1U127 / F1U128. Click Next. 4.5. Select Destination Folder. The default folder is recommended. Click Next. 11
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) 4.6. Select Program Folder. The default, Belkin Bitronics Switch, is the recommended. Click Next. 4.7. When done installing, the program will ask you to restart your computer. You must restart in order to activate the software properly. Click Finish. Don’t forget to remove the disk from your floppy drive before restarting your computer! 12
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) 5. Once your computer has rebooted, the Bitronics icon will appear in your system tray. This is how you can easily control and configure the Bitronics Switch. 6. Double-click on the icon to open up the setup program: Select the correct LPT port the Bitronics switch is connected to. If you only have ONE parallel port (usually that is the case), leave this in LPT1. 13
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) 7. Click on Settings. This is where you tell the software what devices are connected to each port: Device Type gives you a pull-down menu showing the types of printers installed on your computer and other possible parallel device types as well. Here, you must select the correct type for the device connected to that port. • If you are using a device which adds a drive letter to your system (like a ® Zip Drive, CD-ROM, LS-120, etc...), use the Mass Storage D
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) Display Name is a free text field. You can enter any description here for the attached devices. For ® instance, Port A has the Zip Drive connected and Port B has the InkJet connected. You can rename these fields to say "My Zip Drive" and "Color Printer #2". ® In our example, we have a Zip drive on Port A, so we chose Mass Storage Device for Port A. And in Port B, we have the Epson printer installed, so we chose that driver in the Device Type for Port B. Cli
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) 8. Change printer port from LPT1 to AutoSwitch port: If one or both of the devices being shared is a printer, you must follow the procedure below to reconfigure the port connected to the printer. If both devices are printers, then this must be done for both printers. If neither device is a printer, then you can skip this step. 8.1. Click on Start, select Settings, and double-click on Printers. 8.2. Right-click on the printer installed on the Bitronics switc
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) 8.3. Click on the Details tab. In the pull-down menu Print to the following port:, select the correct port this printer is connected to on the Bitronics switch: • LPx1 – PA (autoswitch) – Select this if the printer is connected to Port A of the Bitronics switch. • LPx1 – PB (autoswitch) – Select this if the printer is connected to Port B of the Bitronics switch. In the image above, the printer is connected to Port B of the Bitronics switch. Therefore, LPx1
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® ® Windows 95 / 98 and NT (continued) 8.5. If NOT grayed out, click on Disable bi-directional support for this printer. Otherwise, ignore. 8.6. Click OK in the Spool Settings window. Click OK again in the main properties window. Using the Bitronics Software Example: Two Printers Shared Between Two Computers The Bitronics Software automatically handles printing chores by directing your print jobs to the correct port on the Bitronics switch based on the settings you set in the Printer Properties
