FOXBOX DOCS Official documentation

The goal of this tutorial is to detail step-by-step the setup and the use of PuTTY, both for serial and SSH connexion.

PuTTY is available for download at this link.

PuTTY is an open-source terminal emulator and SSH client that you can use to connect your computer to your Foxbox. This software is useful if you are connecting your Foxbox from a Windows system. From any UNIX-like system, the terminal is enough to connect to your Foxbox.

Only old motherboards have a DB9 port, you may need a USB/Serial converter to link both machines.

This tutorial has been realised with a Foxbox GT and a Windows 7 Pro x64 laptop.

First of all, you need to install the driver of the USB-to-Serial converter.

If you have any driver-CD sold with your converter, please use it and go to next step.

Two majors brands sells this kind of chip and both have specific drivers available here :

• Prolific PL2303 Series
• FTDI chips

The goal is to install a Virtual COM Port (VCP) that will be recognised as a Serial Port by Windows in the Device Manager.

The Device Manager can be accessed from the Start Menu of Windows, by right-clicking on “Computer” and clicking on “Manage”.

Check in the Device Manager that the VCP is well recognised.

In the Device Manager, you will also be able to identify the ID of the COM port (almost always COM3).

To use PuTTY and a serial connexion, you just need :

• Your Foxbox connected to the PSU
• Your USB/Serial converter
• A DB9 cable with both female connectors (depending on the connector of your USB/Serial converter)

The Foxbox can be running while setting up the serial connexion, it will not affect the system's behaviour in any way.

Link the Foxbox and the computer together using the DB9 cable and the adapter.

PuTTY is a stand-alone application, it does not require any installation.

Run PuTTY and go on the serial configuration page and set the software as below :

Then click on Open, and you now have access to yout Fowbox terminal !

You can save this serial configuration inside PuTTY on the main screen as shown below :

The next time you will use PuTTY, just click on your settings name and click on the “Load” button. You will be able to open again this serial connexion without any other operation.

SSH (Secure Shell) is an encrypted network protocol that allow remote login safely. It is natively supported by UNIX systems through the terminal using the command :

ssh username@IP_ADDRESS

On Windows systems you need to use a third-party software, such as PuTTY, to enable SSH connectivity.

The default IP address of every Foxbox system is 192.168.0.98.

If you want to set another IP address for the Foxbox, you therefore have to perform the following steps. Connect your Foxbox to your network, and configure the netword card of the computer you use to put both machines over the same network.

To modify the settings of the netword card, you need to go in the Network and Sharing Center. Then click on Change adapter settings.
Right click on you wired connexion, and go in Properties.
You have to edit the settings of the IPv4 connexion.

We suggest you to use an IP address like 192.168.0.XXX with XXX any number available on your network (from 0 to 255 without 98). The subnet mask is 255.255.255.0.

To be sure that everything works fine, you can open the Windows command prompt and type :

ping 192.168.0.98

If your Foxbox is running and if you have an answer on this IP address it means that your network is well configured, you can now set up your SSH connexion.

Pay attention to the type of Ethernet cable you use.

Indeed, if you use a RJ45 crossover cable, you can directly plug your computer to your Foxbox.

If you are using a standard Ethernet cable, you need to connect both devices to a network switch.

Pay also attention to the Ethernet port you use on the Foxbox, use the one that is next to the serial port (quoted LAN1 on the board).

There is no need of particular configuration of PuTTY to connect with SSH.

Type the IP address of your Foxbox as below :

Port 22 is the default SSH port.

You can save this SSH configuration inside PuTTY on the main screen, as for serial configuration :

The next time you will use PuTTY, just click on your settings name and click on the “Load” button. You will be able to open again this SSH connexion without any other operation.