The Code Operated Switch II (COS II) makes
code-operated switching possible for diverse
combinations of serial devices. As it switches, the
COS II also reconciles differences in word size,
speed, flow control, and parity for up to four
devices. An Expansion Board, available separately,
doubles the maximum number of devices, to eight.
Configuration is port-independent: You may set
different speeds, word sizes, parities, and flow-control
requirements for each port. The 8K buffer handles
speed conversions from 110 bps to 19,200 bps. DTE
and DCE are also independently determined for
every port.
A control sequence manages the switching for the
COS II. The COS II will accept the sequence from
any port—the master port, which will ordinarily
have a PC or terminal connected to it, or any of
the four (or eight) slave ports.
A special graphics timeout lets you send graphics
files through the Switch without the chance of
accidental switching. In graphics mode, the COS II
recognizes the appearance of the control code only
when the code characters are preceded by a pause
of a specified length. The COS II treats all other
occurrences of the control code as data—they are
passed along to the slave device with the rest of the
characters in the file.
Any office, lab, or shop with a variety of serial
devices will benefit from a COS II. Use it in a typical
multiprinter office, or to transfer files between
computers. You could also set up the COS II as the
link between a single PC and a mixture of high-
and low-speed remote data lines. The COS II will
pass your high-speed—9600-bps—data without
interference, while the internal buffer of the COS
will downshift PC data for the slower modems.
2. Introduction
5
CHAPTER 2: Introduction
