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APA Cables & Networks
Cisco, Lantronix, Logical Solutions Console Adapter Kit

this page: www.conserver.com/consoles/Cisco/ciscokit.html
(updated: Nov 07, 2005, 04:56 pm)

This page is not maintained by APA Cables and Networks. It is provided for the benefit of systems and network administrators.

When connected to a Cisco device RJ-45 Console/Aux port: DB-25 DTE connectors have signal asserted (TD output from RJ-45) at DB-25 pin 2. DE-9 DTE connectors have signal asserted (TD output from RJ-45) at DE-9 pin 3. A DTE adapter, connected to a Cisco console port with an Ethernet cable appears to be a DTE device.

When connected to an APACN Cisco-schema Patch Panel port: DB-25 DTE connectors have signal asserted (TD output from patch panel) at DB-25 pin 3. DE-9 DTE connectors have signal asserted (TD output from patch panel) at DE-9 pin 2. A DTE adapter, connected to a Patch Panel port with an Ethernet cable appears to be a DCE device.

When connected to a Lantronix console server port: DB-25 DTE connectors have signal asserted (TD output from RJ-45) at DB-25 pin 3. DE-9 DTE connectors have signal asserted (TD output from RJ-45) at DE-9 pin 2. A DTE adapter, connected to a Lantronix console server port with an Ethernet cable appears to be a DCE device.

When conencted to a Logical Solutions SCS, in the default output mode: DB-25 DTE connectors have signal asserted (TD output from RJ-45) at DB-25 pin 3. DE-9 DTE connectors have signal asserted (TD output from RJ-45) at DE-9 pin 2.

(NOTE: See info about patch panels below. Patch panels are wired the opposite from Cisco RJ-45 consoles, and the ports on Cisco 2511-RJ access servers. This was designed so that you can use an 8-wire CAT-5 cable to make the connection between the patch panel and the Cisco device RJ-45 ports.)

Refer to the Cisco Hosts-to-Adapter page to determine which adapters to use, to connect devices to Cisco RJ-45 console ports (and Hydra cables), or to Cisco-schema patch panels. Lantronix terminal servers use the same wiring format as the Cisco-schema patch panel (the opposite of the Cisco Console port), so they can use the same adapters, using the 'Patch Panel' column as your guide.

For more information about the adapters and cables, refer to the Cisco Console Connection Guide.

In general, the Cisco 2509-11 series teminal servers will send Serial Break when they are powered off. The NM-16A and NM-32A Async interface modules have fixed this problem. (In two of only three cases I've been asked to investigate, where a site believed that the NM-32A was sending Serial BREAK, we showed that in incorrectly wired adapter was the cause of the trouble, and not the Cisco hardware.) If you are concerned about Serial BREAK at your site, you may want to refer to our Serial BREAK hardware testing to find out which hardware devices do or do not send Serial BREAK at inappropriate times.

The entire Cisco Kit (part number: 24490-Cisco-Kit) includes one each of everything shown here. The individual APACN part numbers for each part of the kit are shown in red below.

Cisco Console Adapters (One of each adapter. Default case color is black.) When connected to a Cisco console, CFDCE connects to DCE gear When connected to a Cisco-format patch panel, CFDCE connects to DTE gear (Providing connections are made with straight-through (Ethernet) cables.) Signalling below reflects where the Transmit Data (TD, signal output from the terminal server) is on the DB connector, when the RJ-45 is connected to a Cisco-wired patch panel. CFDCE - 24490-01 - female DB-25, signal on pin 3 CFDTE - 24490-02 - female DB-25, signal on pin 2 CMDCE - 24490-03 - male DB-25, signal on pin 3 CMDTE - 24490-04 - male DB-25, signal on pin 2 CMMOD - 24490-05 - male DB-25, signal on pin2, DSR on pin 8 CFDCE91 - 24490-14 - female DE-9, signal on pin 2 CFDTE91 - 24490-07 - female DE-9, signal on pin 3 CMDCE91 - 24490-24 - male DE-9, signal on pin 2 CMDTE91 - 24490-23 - male DE-9, signal on pin 3 These DE-9 adapters tie DSR (pin 6 on the DE-9) to DCD (pin 1), which is often needed for Intel -based PC console control. CFDCE92 - 24490-60 - female DE-9, signal on pin 2 CFDTE92 - 24490-59 - female DE-9, signal on pin 3 CMDCE92 - 24490-66 - male DE-9, signal on pin 2 CMDTE92 - 24490-67 - male DE-9, signal on pin 3

Cisco Console Cables Cisco-end RJ-45 has a black boot non-Cisco-end RJ-45 has an orange boot The MMJ doesn't get a boot. Cisco Patch Panel to Kentrox Console (RJ45-to-RJ45) - 24490-47 Cisco Patch Panel to U.S. Robotics (RJ45-to-RJ45) - 24490-16 Cisco Patch Panel to DEC console (RJ45-to-MMJ) - 24490-17 There are other cables available to connect these devices directly to Cisco console ports, or to 2511-RJ ports, but they are not included in the Cisco Kit. Please contact APACN for more information about the other cables.

Ethernet Cable, 10' long (RJ45-to-RJ45, white cable with black boots.) - 24490-21 USOC 'Rolled' Cable, 10' long (RJ45-to-RJ45, red cable with red boots.) - 24490-22

This is the end of the components included in the Cisco Kit.

Adapter Shell Color

You can purchase the any of the adapter shown above from APA Cables ∓ Networks (www.apacn.com), by asking for the part number (shown in red), above. Try contacting Steve Vacik (1-800-422-2537) for a price quote or information. If you want to specify a different case color than the default, us the APACN part number, followed by an optional shell color suffix. The default color for Xyplex-wired adapters is black, unless you specify otherwise.

Colors: BK = black, GN = green, RD = red, YL = yellow, BL = blue, GY = grey

So, the part number CFDTE91-GN would be the DE-9 female DTE adapter, with a green plastic shell, wired for Cisco/Lantronix.

Patch Panels for Cisco Async Servers (not included with the Cisco Kit)

The Cisco 2509, 2510, and 2511 units includes Async ports, delivered using 68-pin (SCSI-2) connectors. (The 2511-RJ has 16 RJ-45 RS-232 ports, instead of the 68-pin connectors.) The Cisco 3600 series also has an Async Interface module (NM-16A for 16 ports, or NM-32A for 32 ports) which also uses the 68-pin connectors. Each 68-pin connector serves 8 RS-232 serial ports. You can connect these 68-pin connectors to RJ-45 patch panels with the patch panel options shown below.

The patch panels from APA Cables and Networks are wired the null-modem opposite from the Cisco console ports. More info is available from the patch panel section of the Cisco Console Guide. You can also refer to the hosts-to-adapters page to determine which adapters/cables you need to connect various devices to either Cisco Console Ports, or the APACN Cisco-wired Patch Panels.

Option #1 is a single rack-unit-high patch panel, with 16 ports, and two cables with the 68-pin connectors. Be aware that these are slightly larger than 1-Rack Unit tall, which will affect rack mount spacing.

• 1) One 24-port Patch Panel for each 2509-11 device (APACN part number 19309-05). You can use two of these patch panels for each NM-32A server.

Option #2 is a combination of a 48- or 96-port patch panel (with 50-pin AMP (telco) connectors), and an appropriate number of harnesses with 68-pin (SCSI-2 connectors) on one end, and the 50-pin AMP connectors on the other end. (This is a better solution for high-density applications where you want a lot of ports close to each other.)

• 1) 8-port 68-pin SCSI-2 connector to 50-pin AMP (telco) connector (APACN part number 19309-02, $90 USD each), and you need one of these cable assemblies for every 8-port async connector.
• 2) 48-port patch panel (APACN part number 19309-03, $475.00 USD each)
• 3) 96-port patch panel (APACN part number 19309-40, $950.00 USD each)

Useful Extras: The threaded nuts that retain the serial cable harnesses on the Cisco 2509-2511 communications servers, and the async modules for the 3600 series devices, is a wider diameter than the screws on the cable harnesses themselves (so the screws cannot be tightened). You can get the proper threaded standoffs from APACN (www.apacn.com), by asking for part number 25057 ("AMP female screwlock kit", only two pieces/bag), for about $2.50 (USD) per bag(!). You will need one bag per connector, so you will need two bags per 2509-11, and 4 bags for each NM-32A module.

You can reach APA Cables and Networks at 1-800-422-2537.

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