Quatech RS-232 PCI boards utilize a single PCI slot to provide two, four, or eight independent asynchronous serial ports that share a single interrupt. All PCI registers are properly implemented, so you can be assured that Quatech boards will be good citizens on the PCI bus. The RS-422/485 serial boards are available with either two or four ports. The ports are jumper configurable for either RS-422 or RS-485 in any combination for full and half duplex networks. PCI registers are properly implemented to assure that Plug-and-Play works reliably, and that the board will not cause PCI bus conflicts.

Features

• 2, 4, or 8 independent RS-232 ports
• 2 or 4 independent RS-422/485 ports
• Speeds up to 921.6 kbps (up to 460.8 kbps for DSC-100)
• 16750 UARTs with 64-byte FIFOs (16550 for DSC-100/200/300, with 16-byte FIFOs)
• Full duplex and half duplex modes supported on -200/300 models
• PCI 3.0 compliant
• Full modem control and hardware and software flow control
• DB-9, DB-25 connectors
• Surge suppression package available
• Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista & Linux support
• RoHS compliant
• 5 year warranty
• MOSCHIP RS-232 Serial PCI Boards
• UniversalPCI Serial Boards also available

How can you tell the difference between serial boards?  Click here for Quatech's Guide to Choosing a Quality PCI Board.

DIRECT FROM QUATECH

Retail/Hospitality (POS) Applications--RS-232 PCI Board

Application: S.A.M, Self Service Automated Machine
Quatech Products Used: ESC-100D eight port RS-232 serial PCI board with DB9 connectors

S.A.M. (Self-Service Automated Machine) was designed by Singapore Post to enable customers to conduct a wide variety of consumer transactions at any one of 90 convenient 24-hour KIOSK locations throughout Singapore. From paying bills, to weighing and properly posting packages, to paying taxes and even settling traffic fines, S.A.M can do it..

To accomplish these varied transactions the S.A.M. Kiosk must utilize a robust network of serial I/O devices in order to interact successfully with the customer. Each S.A.M. is equipped with the following serial devices:

1. A TouchScreen through which users enter information (such as a pin number or transaction amount) and make menu selections

2. A scale upon which letters and packages can be weighed so that S.A.M can sell the required postage

3. A magnetic card reader to process debit card transactions and phone card transactions

4. A bar-code scanner through which an identifying code is scanned from utility bills, telephone bills, cable bills, etc.

5. A Label Printing Controller (LPC) that prints stamps and postage labels

6. A receipt printer to provide a record of all transactions for the customer

Quatech's ESC-100D eight port RS-232 serial PCI board provides SAM's vital serial connectivity link. It was chosen for a number of important reasons. First and foremost it provided the fastest data transfer rate of all cards tested. It also provided convenient DB9 connectors, which were an ideal solution for the small amount of space available in the S.A.M. Kiosk. It also provided the added bonus of easier maintenance and lower cabling costs. In addition, Quatech's ESC-100D was ideal because it allowed for S.A.M. to be upgraded without replacing its serial board. Currently, S.A.M. uses only six of the eight available serial ports, leaving two open for future devices. Quatech also offers extensive OS support options for its boards making software upgrades an easy task. In this case, Singapore Post is planning a migration from Windows NT to Windows XP, and the ESC-100D has drivers for both.