The SS420x is an intelligent instrument interface box designed to collect analog data, and input and output digital signals. The SS420x attaches to the controlling computer via a standard RS-232C serial interface. It contains the circuitry of the SS420 interface card, along with an additional CPU, one megabyte of RAM for long-term collection of chromatography data and the ability to retain all the settings required by the SS420.
The SS420x provides a seamless interface to the controlling computer that is independent of any specific hardware architecture; for example, it does not require a PC slot or the associated interrupt and I/O address settings. Additionally, by placing these capabilities outside of the PC, the SS420x off-loads the processor power required by the original SS420 card and provides the capability of retaining data and controlling chromatography equipment, regardless of the state of the controlling computer.
For details on specifications and hardware, please refer to the Agilent SS420x Interface User's Guide.