Vantage Console Manager

Catwalk Version 3.0

A Catwalk device contains electronic circuitry that allows both the console terminal and the Vantage equipment to access a resource. This circuitry enables Vantage to monitor a resource while a console terminal is still physically connected.

Information is available on the following topics:

· The Catwalk Version 3.0 Device

· Catwalk Status on Launch/Status Manager

· Wiring Catwalk Version 3.0

Refer to one of the underlined phrases above to get information on the topic.

Refer to Configuring Resources to get information about defining the initial state of Catwalk when a resource is started.

The Catwalk Version 3.0 Device

The Catwalk device connects two pieces of equipment to the same RS-232 port. It allows both the console terminal and the Vantage system to see all of the characters being sent from the resource. It also contains the electronics that allows both the console terminal and the Vantage equipment to send characters to a resource.

Both Catwalk Version 2.2 and Version 3.0 provide the user with the ability to restrict which device can send characters to the resource. A Catwalk device can prevent either the Terminal port from sending characters to the resource, or it can prevent the COM port from sending characters to the resource. In addition, Catwalk Version 3.0 allows the Vantage software to control which equipment will be blocked from sending data to the resource's port.

The Catwalk unit is about the size of a large pocket calculator. It is wired between the Vantage terminal server and the resource's RS-232 port. It has a third connection for a console terminal. On each end of the device there are 4 LED's and a button, so the user can observe and control the state from either position.

The Catwalk lights no LED's when the COM connection to a terminal server is broken or the terminal server has lost power.

The Catwalk lights the yellow LED when the Vantage resource is inactive. The electronics allow characters to pass between the Terminal Port and the Resource Port.

The Catwalk lights only the green LED when the resource can receive characters from both the Vantage keyboard and the console terminal. This is referred to as the Shared State.

The Catwalk lights the red LED near the terminal icon when the resource can receive characters from the Vantage keyboard (the COM port) but not the Terminal Port. The Terminal Port is blocked. This is referred to as the Remote or Normal State.

The Catwalk lights the red LED near the satellite dish icon when the resource can receive characters from the Terminal port but not the Vantage keyboard. Vantage is blocked. This is referred to as the Maintenance or Local State.

The Catwalk lights both of the red LED's when neither device is allowed to send characters to the Resource. This is referred to as the Blocked State.

The terminal icon has a hole in the plastic where the CRT would be. When the button inside this hole is depressed the state of the Catwalk unit is changed. The button may need to be depressed repeatedly until the LED's indicate the desired state.

NOTE: When the state is modified in this way the software is unaware of the change, so it will not be reflected on the Launch/Status Manager display.

Refer to Catwalk Status on Launch/Status Manager for information about how to change the state of the Catwalk using software.

Refer to Configuring Resources for information about defining the initial state of Catwalk when a resource is started.

For more detail contact ASP Technologies and request the white paper "Catwalk 3.0 Installation and Operation Manual".

Catwalk Status on Launch/Status Manager

The Catwalk Version 3.0 device allows the software to control access to the resource's RS-232 port. The electronics can also detect whether or not a console terminal is physically connected to the Catwalk device. Controlling and monitoring Catwalk 3.0 is most easily done from the Launch/Status Manager.

Reading the Catwalk Status
The Catwalk control in the upper right hand corner of the Launch/Status Manager reflects the Catwalk status of the resource selected in either the Active or Inactive Resource controls.

Clicking on a resource name in either the Active or the Inactive Resource controls initiate a refresh of the Catwalk control. When a resource is selected in this way the software immediately displays the last known Catwalk State and begins reading the Catwalk hardware to determine the current state. When the catwalk settings are determined the Catwalk control is updated. For some TCP/IP terminal servers reading the state may take several seconds.

The meanings of the Catwalk controls are described in more detail below.

The Catwalk control displays no lights and the icons are not shown when there is no resource selected or when the resource that has been selected does not have Catwalk control capability.

The Catwalk control displays a yellow light when an inactive resource is selected and a Catwalk 3.0 device is connected to a Catwalk-capable terminal server.

The Catwalk control displays three green lights when the selected resource is being managed by Vantage and can receive characters from both the Vantage keyboard and the console terminal. This is referred to as the Shared State.

The Catwalk control displays a red light near the terminal icon when the selected resource can receive characters from the Vantage keyboard but not from the console terminal. The console terminal is blocked. This is referred to as the Remote or Normal State.

The Catwalk control displays a red light near the satellite dish icon when the selected resource can receive characters from the console terminal but not from the Vantage keyboard. This is referred to as the Maintenance or Local State.

The Catwalk control displays two red lights when neither device is allowed to send characters to the resource. Both devices are blocked. This is referred to as the Blocked State.

Changing the Catwalk Status from the Launch/Status Manager
Catwalk control is performed by clicking on one of the three buttons in the Catwalk control. The lights nearest the icons are actually Motif buttons which toggle the state of the Catwalk.

For example, if the console terminal is blocked as shown here the user can depress the red LED display nearest the terminal icon.

While the software is performing the changes the buttons become inactive.

Once the job is done the control reflects the new state of the Catwalk hardware.

Detecting the presence of a Dumb Terminal
The Catwalk electronics can detect whether or not there is a console terminal connected to the Terminal port. If the console terminal is turned off, or if there is no terminal connected to the Terminal port, the Catwalk device will set itself to the Normal State. The result of the detection is shown in the Catwalk control in the right most button.

Detection of a console terminal must be initiated by clicking one of the Catwalk buttons. How this works is outlined below.

The default state in the right most control is a question mark, indicating that the software does not yet have enough information to determine what hardware is connected. Depressing this button will cause the software to detect what kind of Catwalk device is connected.

The display in the right most field reads Sensing while it is performing the detection function.

The display in the right most control may be V2.2, indicating that a Version 3.0 Catwalk unit was not detected. There may be a version 2.2 Catwalk unit connected or there may be nothing at all.

The display in the right most field may be V3.0, indicating that a Version 3.0 Catwalk unit has been detected. When the control looks like this it does not know if there is a console terminal connected. Depressing this button will cause the software to detect the presence of a console terminal.

In order for the software to display No DT, indicating that there is no console terminal, a detection operation must have been initiated from the Launch/Status Manager.

Detecting the absence of a console terminal requires that all of the following be true -

· There must be a Catwalk Version 3.0 unit connected; AND

· Switch number 6 in the Catwalk unit must be set to ON; AND

· Switch number 4 in the Catwalk unit must be set to OFF; AND

· The console terminal must be turned off, OR the console terminal's TxD pin must be physically disconnected from the Catwalk unit; AND

· The button at the far right in the Catwalk control must have been depressed, OR one of the other buttons in the Catwalk control was depressed but the change of state was unsuccessful.

Refer to Configuring Resources to get information about defining the initial state of Catwalk when a resource is started.

For more detail on the switch settings inside the Catwalk device, contact ASP Technologies and request the white paper "Catwalk 3.0 Installation and Operation Manual".

Wiring Catwalk Version 3.0

The Catwalk Version 3.0 device is wired between the Vantage terminal server and the resource's RS-232 port. It has a third connection for a console terminal.

The following describes how the physical connections are made.

Port label -
COM ---- to Vantage Terminal Server
RESOURCE ---- to Managed Resource
TERMINAL ---- to Console Terminal
Default Pin-Outs
The default pin-outs were selected so that a cable would connect directly from a Catwalk port into a Central-Data terminal server port. The default pin-outs for all 3 ports are the same looking into the connector from the outside of the Catwalk device.


Pin	Name	Direction		DB-25		DB-9
1	RTS		<-		4		7
2	DSR		->		6		6
3	DCD		->		8		1
4	RxD		->		3		2
5	TxD		<-		2		3
6	Ground				7		5
7	DTR		<-		20		4
8	CTS		->		5		8

The cable between the Catwalk COM port and the Vantage Terminal Server must have all 8 wires in order to support Version 3.0 capabilities. Category 5 10Base-T patch cable is recommended.

Terminal and Resource Port Connections
The cable between the Catwalk port and the other equipment may have as few as 3 wires in order to function. RxD, TxD, and Ground are required. Adding the DTR line can help provide some of the electronic power that the Catwalk unit needs in order to function. Category 5 10Base-T patch cable is recommended.

There are loop-back connections that are made in the default configuration. These are pins 1-3, and 2-7-8. The loop-backs or any pin-out arrangement can be changed within the Catwalk device using the DIP switches and jumper blocks provided.

Lantronix Pin-Out Connections
The default pin-out selected will connect directly into Central Data/Digi terminal server ports. The Lantronix terminal server ports have a different pin-out.

A special adapter board is provided in order to re-arrange the pin-out so that it will connect directly into a Lantronix port. Changing the Catwalk to Lantronix is done as follows:

1. Remove the Catwalk enclosure's cover,

2. Remove the adapter board from the set of pins just behind the COM port,

3. Set all 8 of the exposed dip switches for the COM port to OFF,

4. Place the adapter board so that it covers both rows of pins for the COM port,

5. Replace the Catwalk enclosure's cover.

When this is done the pin-out is changed to the following looking into the connector from the outside of the Catwalk device.

Catwalk
Pin Name Direction
1 - RTS <-
2 - DTR <-
3 - TxD <-
4 - Ground
5 - Ground
6 - RxD ->
7 - DSR ->
8 - CTS ->
DCD does not exist.

Refer to The Catwalk Version 3.0 Device for Catwalk hardware functionality.

For more detail contact ASP Technologies and request the white paper "Catwalk 3.0 Installation and Operation Manual".

E-Mail questions to ASP.