Comtrol Corporation 30020-5 8-port RS-232/422/485 expansion card

What the product is and who it is for

The Comtrol RocketPort Infinity 30020-5 is an 8-port serial header adapter that adds RS-232/422/485 connectivity to servers through a PCI or PCI-X slot. It is aimed at IT teams and system integrators who need to connect multiple serial devices such as industrial equipment, modems or console ports in rackmount or standard server chassis. The low-profile bracket fits 2U rackmount servers as well as full-height systems. The card uses Comtrol Unity ASIC technology to operate on the 66 MHz bus available on PCI-X platforms.

The specification that decides fit

The card requires a 32-bit or 64-bit 3.3 volt PCI or PCI-X expansion slot and communicates at up to 460 Kbps per port through software-selectable RS-232/422/485 interfaces. An external four-port or eight-port interface module must be purchased separately to complete the connection. Physical dimensions are 2.6 inches in height by 4.7 inches in width, so the slot area must accommodate that footprint. No other bus type or voltage is supported.

Who this suits and who should look elsewhere

This adapter suits administrators expanding serial I/O on legacy or current servers that still provide 3.3 volt PCI or PCI-X slots and can accept a low-profile card. It is not for builders whose systems only offer PCI Express, USB or other modern interconnects, nor for installations that need the external cable assembly included in the box. Buyers requiring more than eight serial ports or higher per-port throughput will need a different solution.