Cyclades-Z Series Multiport Serial Boards

The Cyclades-Z is the ultimate Multiport Serial Card for demanding users. It transforms UNIX, Linux or NT servers into powerful remote access, multi-user or Internet servers. Modems, terminals, printers, ISDN terminal adapters, scanners, sensors, point-of-sale terminals are examples of serial devices that can be connected to the Cyclades-Z serial ports.

The Cyclades-Z architecture is modular and flexible. The choices range from entry-level 8-port model to a rack-mountable or desktop model expandable to 64 ports per PCI slot. The jumper-free Plug-and-Play installation and standard drivers make configuring the product a breeze!

A unique architecture with a full-blown 32-bit RISC processor, PCI master interface and on-board DRAM allows the highest throughput with maximum system efficiency. With the Cyclades-Z, the fastest serial communication will not take more than the minimum host CPU overhead and system bus bandwidth.

The most advanced hardware and software technologies combined with Cyclades expertise in access technology resulted in a product without match in the market.

Cyclades Z Models:
The Cyclades-Z is offered in two basic models: the Ze and the 8Zo. They can be installed in any PC system with an available 32-bit PCI slot.

The Cyclades-Ze is expandable from 16 to 64 ports. A PCI host card is connected to the external boxes called Serial Expanders (rack-mountable or desktop boxes with 16 RS-232 ports on RJ-45 connectors). Up to 4 external Serial Expanders can be connected to each host card.

The Ze is recommended for users who need a large number of serial ports. The modular design allows gradual growth in increments of 16 ports. With 4 host cards, the total capacity of a system could go up to 256 ports per server. The exceptional performance and efficiency of the Cyclades-Z assures that the host CPU will not be overloaded with processing required by the serial port handling.

Cyclades-8Zo

The Cyclades-8Zo is the entry-level model of the Cyclades-Z Series. It is a 8-port PCI multiport serial card. The RS-232 serial ports are accessible through an octopus cable (included) on standard DB-25 connectors.
The 8Zo is recommended for applications where the port count is low but the performance and efficiency requirements are high.

Technology:

32-bit MIPS R3000 processor
Plug-and-Play compatible
32-bit PCI Master/ Slave Interface
Surge Protection
RS-232 Interface - 921.6 Kbps
RAM-Based FPGA
Downloadable Firmware
Expandable from 16 to 64 Ports
Rack-Mountable or Desktop

Supported Software:

Linux (Built into the standard kernel distribution)
FreeBSD
Microsoft Windows NT
SCO UNIX
BSDI
MacOS (MegaWolf - Third Party Drivers)

Performance Features

Performance Feature	Cyclades-Z	Other RISC/ASIC Based Intelligent Boards	Non-Intelligent Boards
Processor	Full-blown 32-bit RISC processor (MIPS R3000)	Small 8-bit RISC engine	None
FIFO Size	Default: 4 Kbytes, configurable (1Mbyte DRAM on-board)	Ranges from a few bytes to about 1 Kbytes	16 bytes for the 16550
Bus Interface/ Data Transfer	True 32-bit PCI Master/Slave	8-bit ISA/ 8-bit PCI slave	8-bit ISA
Maximum nominal baud rate	921.6 kbps	Ranges from 115.2 - 460.4 kbps	Up to 115.2 kbps

Application Example

Application Sample for Cyclades-Z Series

Cyclades-Z Benefits

The Best Performance in the Market
In serial communications, performance is the combination of throughput (ability to send and receive data at the nominal serial speed without data loss) and low CPU overhead (ability to handle serial communication with minimum host CPU intervention).

The Cyclades-Z on-board CPU handles all the communication tasks and transfers data to the host in the most efficient way, using the 32-bit PCI master interface and 4 KByte FIFOs per channel. Other ASIC and RISC-based cards use small RISC engines with limited buffering and a 8-bit slave PCI or ISA interface and cannot match the performance provided by the Cyclades-Z.

Trouble-free Installation
The Cyclades-Z is PCI Plug-and-Play compatible. This means that there are no jumpers or switches to set. No IRQ are required in most of the operating systems. Modern operating systems standardize the way applications access serial ports. Once the Cyclades-Z device driver is installed, the application sees the serial port and can access it using system calls that are independent from the underlying hardware. If your application works with standard serial ports, it works with the Cyclades-Z cards.

Expandability and Modular Design
The Cyclades-Z has a modular design. Options range from an entry-level, 8-port version to the expandable model which allows you to start with 16 ports and grow to 64 ports per slot without changing the host card. Multiple Cyclades-Z cards can be installed in the same system and is supported by the same device driver. The software that runs in the on-board processor is 100% downloadable. Even the board internal logic is implemented in a RAM-based FPGA and can be downloaded by software. That means that the Cyclades-Z can be updated to accommodate new technologies and applications.

The Cyclades-Z has the performance without any compromise. Feel secure that you have purchased the right solution for your needs. Cyclades has the answer for you.

Serial Expander

Cyclades-Z Scalability

Cyclades-Z Series Specifications

Cyclades-Ze
(expandable model)

Host Card:
CPU: MIPS R3000/IDT3051@33MHz, 33 MIPS
On-board Memory: 1 Mbyte
Bus Interface: PCI 32-bit bus master, plug-and-play compatible
Form Factor: PCI half-size (6.6 in x 3.85 in)
Expansion: Each host card supports up to 4 Serial Expanders
Power Requirements: 800 mA typical (5V) 1.2A max.
Accessories: Expansion cable included

Serial Expander:
Serial Ports: 16 on-board RS-232 ports on RJ-45 connectors
Serial Port Speed: 921.6 Kbps
Dimensions: 17 in x 8 1/2 in x 1 3/4 in (standard 1U 19" rack mountable)
Power Requirements: 800 mA typical (5V) 1.2A max. (independent power supply recommended for more than 32 ports)
Control Signals: TXD, RXD, CTS, RTS, DCD, DTR, DSR, GND
Surge Suppression: Transient voltage protection in all lines
Accessories: Rack mount/desktop kit and expansion cables provided

Cyclades-8Zo
(8 serial ports, non-expandable model)

CPU: MIPS R3000/IDT3041@25MHz, 25 MIPS
On-board Memory: 1 Mbyte Bus
Interface: PCI 32-bit bus master, plug-and-play compatible
Serial Ports: 8 on-board RS-232 ports on DB-25 connectors
Serial Port Speed: 921.6 Kbps
Control Signals: TXD, RXD, CTS, RTS, DCD, DTR, GND
Surge Suppression: Transient voltage protection in all lines
Power Requirements: 800mA (5V)/ 100mA (+12V)/ 100mA (-12V) typical
1.2 A (5V)/ 200 mA (+12V)/ 200 mA (-12V) max.
Accessories: External octopus cable included.

Supported Operating Systems

Device Drivers:

Linux (Built in the standard kernel distribution)
FreeBSD (Built in the standard kernel distribution)
Microsoft Windows NT
SCO UNIX
BSDI
MacOS (MegaWolf.com - third party drivers)