BLACK BOX KVSC-16 Touchscreen Controller KVM

FAQs

• Q: Can I connect multiple KVSC-16 controllers to one KVM switch?
  • A: The KVSC-16 is designed to work as a single controller for a KVM switch. Connecting multiple controllers may cause conflicts and is not recommended.
• Q: What is the warranty period for the KVSC-16?
  • A: The warranty period for the KVSC-16 is [insert warranty period]. For detailed warranty information, please refer to the product documentation or contact technical support.

SPECIFICATIONS

OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION

The KVSC-16 is a dynamic touchscreen controller that is used to control Black Box Secure KVM switches and any other commercial KVM switch from a single USB cable with an optional extension.
Black Box’s Secure KVM Switches are designed for use in secure defense and intelligence applications where sensitive data must be protected. The Secure KVM Switches are equipped with the highest security features that meet today’s Information Assurance safe control standards. The switch itself is limited as you can currently only switch the channel by pressing the physical buttons on the front panel of the KVM switch. This makes it very difficult to store all the computers in a secure location and still be able to control the switch efficiently. The KVSC-16 solves this problem. The Touchscreen Controller uses an encrypted protocol to communicate with any Black Box KVM Switch to easily control the Switch from up to 100 feet (30 meters) away.

NO MORE CONFUSION

The current method of switching channels on the Secure KVM switch can be very confusing. For a 16-port switch, the operator would have to remember exactly which computers are secure and which are not just based on a number. The KVSC-16 makes this simpler by adding visible text and color that allow the operator to identify the correct computer to access and reduce the possibility of accessing the wrong computer. The text and color are customizable to fit a wide range of needs for the organization. Users access the configuration menu through RS-232 to any PC, so they can easily customize the KVSC-16 to fit their needs.

KEYBOARD AND MOUSE ACCESS BUILT-IN

The KVSC-16 offers a game-changing feature in providing ports for a keyboard and mouse directly on the remote to be able to control the connected computers on the switch from up to 100 feet (30 meters) away. All of the secure keyboard and mouse emulation when connected directly to the switch is still available when connecting these peripherals to the KVSC-16. All software and hardware security features are still in place when using the KVSC-16 with a keyboard and mouse.

INSTALLATION GUIDE

Follow the steps below to properly connect the KVSC-16 to a Black Box Secure KVM.

1. Ensure that power is turned off or disconnected from the unit and the computers.
2. Use the desired length of the USB cable (Type A to Type B) to connect the USB Type B port on the KVSC-16 to the USB Type-A port labeled “KM” on the KVM.
3. If using the active USB extender, plug this cable into the Receiver of the USB active extender. Plug the USB extender transmitter into the USB Type-A port labeled “KM” on the KVM, then run a CATx cable between the USB active transmitter and receiver.
4. Insert a keyboard and mouse into the USB Type-A ports on the KVSC-16.
5. If RS232 / external switching is required, use an RJ-11 to RS-232 serial cable. Connect the RJ-11 end to the KVSC-16 and the other end to the serial controller.
6. Power on the Touchscreen Remote by connecting a power supply to the barrel connector on the back of the KVSC-16.
7. Power on the NIAP4 KVM / KM switch, and then power on all computers.

Figure 1 illustrates how the KVSC-16 fits within a standard computing environment and how to organize the various cable connections.

Note: All hardware must be physically connected before powering the system up. Failure to follow this step will result in the NIAP4 triggering its anti-tamper feature and the KVSC-16 won’t work correctly.

SETTING CONFIGURATION

CHANGING COMPUTER COLORS

To change the color of a computer on the Touchscreen Remote:

• Select the computer’s name on the Touchscreen Remote.
• Click the settings icon as shown in Figure 2.
• Click “change color.”
• Select the color you wish to use, then press “OK.”

ACCESSING ADMIN SETTINGS FROM AN EXTERNAL COMPUTER

Initial Setup of the Serial Connection

To access the administrator settings, an RS232 / Serial connection can be established with the LCD panel to configure/switch ports using an external serial controller. There are two methods of accessing the administrator settings which are explained below.

Note: The steps below show an example when using a Windows-based operating system to configure the panel. Similar steps should be taken on other operating systems, but may not be depicted here.

Using VCOM (Virtual COM)

The KVSC-16 is equipped with an internal USB to RS232 (serial) converter which allows the end user/administrator to configure the settings without having to use any special adapters. This connection can only be used at the startup of the LCD panel for configuration. This serial connection does not support external switching during normal operation if the keyboard/mouse is required since this is a shared/dual-use USB Port. To use this port for configuration, follow the steps below.

Physically connecting to the VCOM Port

1. Connect a USB Type A to B cable between the KVSC-16 and a Laptop / Computer that has a serial program (such as Putty, TeraTerm, etc.).
2. Turn on the KVSC-16 by plugging in the external power adapter into the barrel connector on the rear of the panel.
3. Watch the loading screen on the panel, when it says “Double tap settings for VCOM”, tap the Gear icon two times.
4. If successful, the message “Config. By VCOM” will be displayed on the screen.
5. The Laptop / Computer connected to the serial port will enumerate the COM connection automatically and you will see USB popups and USB notifications if sound is enabled.
6. You will have to configure the Virtual COM Port in your Device Manager on the Laptop / Computer now. Use the reference steps below.

Configuring the VCOM Port

1. On the Laptop / Computer that is running the serial program, navigate to the Start Menu and type “device manager”, then when found, select it.
2. In Device Manager, expand the “Ports (COM & LPT)”, and right click on the entry that says “USB Serial Device (COM#)” where # is a number between 1-25 usually randomly assigned, then click properties.
3. When the “USB Serial Device…” window pops up, click on the “Port Settings” tab and configure the port using the following parameters (115200, 8, None, 1, None).

Using the RJ-11 Serial Port

The KVSC-16 is equipped with an RJ-11 interface which can handle serial communication. This port can be used for configuration, and for external switching where a user wants to send a command from a serial controller to switch ports on the KVM. Using this RJ-11 serial port during operation will not affect the user’s keyboard and mouse input like the VCOM method. The serial port configuration parameters use (115200, 8, None, 1, None). The RJ-11 port pinning can be found below in the reference diagram.

Tip: Sometimes enabling the serial program local echo helps when typing the commands. It will confirm the command is being typed correctly. If local echo is not enabled, you may still type the commands, however you won’t see what you are typing.

Serial Port Usage (Configuration)

The Serial port allows the end user or administrator to configure the panel, and support external serial switching on the KVM (for RJ-11 only). In order to use these features, the commands below can be used.
To get started, open the Serial / RS-232 program to first establish a connection and log in. The steps outlined below are using Putty, however other programs will work too if they support serial / RS-232 communication using the connection parameters outlined above.

Start the connection, then when at the command prompt, type “//cnfg” in the terminal to continue.

When prompted to enter the administrator password, type “12345” without the “”.

While using the serial / RS-232 communications port, Invalid Selection warnings will show periodically if the wrong value was entered, or is out of the range/scope of the variable. This is also a COM port, so even if you do type the correct value in the terminal, you may still get an Invalid Selection warning which is normal. To clear it, try entering the setting again, or keep typing 0 to get back to the main menu. If the terminal refuses to get back to the main menu for whatever reason, the best way to resolve this is by powering down the KVSC-16 and starting from the beginning in order to clear any previous errors.

Serial Port Usage (Switching via the RJ-11)

The RJ-11 serial port on the KVSC-16 can be used to accept switching commands from external serial controllers/systems. The available command syntax can be found below.

Note: <CR> is a carriage return which can also be triggered by using the Enter key in most terminals.

Switching KVM Only (not CAC)

Switching KVM + CAC

SWITCHING CHANNELS

• Switch channels by pressing the name of the computer on the touchscreen. As shown in Figure 7, there are four computers named “Secure,” “Open/Web,” “Documents,” and “Operations”.
• A green light on the Touchscreen Remote will indicate which computer is selected. In Figure 7, “Documents” is the selected computer.

CAC

• To enable a CAC device on a specific computer, simply press the CAC button next to the name of the computer on the touchscreen as shown in Figure 8.
• The CAC button will turn blue when CAC is enabled for a specific computer. In the above example, the computer “Documents” has CAC enabled.
• To register and configure CAC devices, refer to the document “Secure KVM Administration and Security Management Tool Guide for KVM and KM” from the following link
  • https://www.blackbox.com/en-us/NIAP3/documentation.
• CAC port configuration is detailed in section 6.2.

APPENDIX

APPENDIX A: REGULATORY INFORMATION

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy, and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio communication. It has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference, in which case the user at his own expense will be required to take whatever measures may be necessary to correct the interference. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emission from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulation of Industry Canada.

APPENDIX B: DISCLAIMER/TRADEMARKS

B.1 DISCLAIMER

Black Box Corporation shall not be like liable for damages of any kind, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential or cost of cover damages, resulting from any errors in the product information or specifications set forth in this document and Black Box Corporation may revise this document at any time without notice.

B.2 TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL

• Black Box and Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc.
• Any other trademarks mentioned in this manual are acknowledged to be the property of the trademark owners.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• BLACKBOX.COM
• 1.877.877.2269

Documents / Resources

BLACK BOX KVSC-16 Touchscreen Controller KVM [pdf] User Manual KVSC-16, KVSC-16 Touchscreen Controller KVM, KVSC-16 Controller, Touchscreen Controller KVM, Touchscreen Controller, Controller KVM, Controller, KVM

References

• User Manual