Hostess 550 ISA

Overview

Hostess 550 and Hostess 554 buffered nonintelligent controllers offer the performance of intelligent controllers without the increased cost or complexity of an intelligent controller. On-board 16550 or 16554 UARTs provide data buffering that reduces the number of system interrupts and increases system throughput. It is hard to find a more economical or simple way to enhance multiuser system performance.

Using a single expansion slot, Hostess 550/554 series controllers can connect four, eight, or sixteen asynchronous serial devices such as terminals and printers. Like all Comtrol products, the Hostess 550/554 gives you the freedom of choice and the flexibility to grow. Upgrade modules allow growth from four to eight ports. To increase users beyond eight, try our 16-port controller. And when you need more than 16 users, add up to four controllers in your PC. Hostess 550/554 controllers are available for ISA compatible systems.

Software Support

Because every multiuser environment is unique, Hostess 550/554 software is designed for reliable performance and maximum compatibility with the widest range of PCs and operating systems available. Hostess 550/554 controllers are compatible with DOS, UNIX, and other major multiuser operating systems (See our Supported Drivers section for details).

Software drivers with simple menu-driven routines make installation easy. All software drivers and updates are available at no charge.

Options and Accessories

Comtrol controllers feature the largest selection of interfaces and connectors on the market. You can select from RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 interfaces. Connector options include DB9, DB25, or RJ45.

The Hostess 554  RJ and Hostess 554  Octa/RJ45 come with RJ45 connectors. The RJ45 connector option is easy-to-use, quick to install, and saves you money by eliminating the need to purchase an interface box. The 4-port model ships with four RS-232/422 RJ45 connectors located on the controller. The 8-port model comes with eight RS-232 RJ45 fan-out cables.

Features and Benefits

• 4-, 8- and 16-port models
• Hostess 550/554 is ISA compatible
• 16550 or 16554 UARTs - 16 byte transmit & receive FIFO
• Each port individually software controllable
• 50 to 115,200 bps, standard baud rates
• 5, 6, 7, 8-bit characters - 1, 1.5, 2 stop bits (even, odd, or no parity)
• Field upgrade module - from 4-ports to 8-ports
• Switch selectable block addressing and hardware interrupts
• Hostess 550 4- or 8-port IRQ's 2-5, 10 and 11
• Hostess 550 16-port IRQ's 2-5, 10-12
• Configurable I/O addressing

Controller Specifications

Certification:

FCC Class A Certified UL Recognized

Product Listing

Call Comtrol sales for more information.
+1 763.494.4100 or 800.926.6876