ConnectPort Display P/N : 301-1180-01

Question

I have one of these devices and it works great. I an using the 2 serial ports and need to more so I figured I'd get a couple of RS232 to USB adapters and plug them into the 2 front USB ports. But they don't seem to support that type of USB function. Do I have to use a Digi branded ones or does this device just not support this function? Thx.

Answer 1

The 2 front USB ports of a ConnectPort Display support USB mice and keyboards exclusively.

If you're looking for more serial ports, you may want to consider a Digi "serial-over-IP" device along-side the ConnectPort Display, i.e. a Digi PortServer.

Answer 2

> The 2 front USB ports of a ConnectPort Display
> support USB mice and keyboards exclusively.

Hi, i've just received my ConnectPort Display and i'm quite surprised to read this. Both the product page and datasheet advertise the ability to connect "USB devices" over IP.

Could please give us some information on why it's technically impossible to connect printers or other type of USB devices (even without isochronous transfers)?

Thank you,
julien

Answer 3

Hi julien,

Actually, it's HID style USB devices that the ConnectPort Display is limited to. Mice and keyboards fall into this category and are the most used kinds of devices so that's probably why I mentioned just those.

HID means Human Interface Device - simple input devices. Other examples of HID devices are Point of Sale devices like barcode scanners and credit card readers.

This limitation is due to the VNC software that we use to handle the remote access. VNC also handles support for the HID devices through the USB ports.

Our AnywhereUSB (a network-attached USB hub) product can be used alongside a ConnectPort Display to add support for other kinds of USB devices, i.e. printers. The AnywhereUSB supports many more USB devices. Its only limitation is that it cannot support isochronous devices,

Answer 4

OK then. If VNC handles the communication, it makes sense that only HID work. I was thinking that only video was getting through VNC, and that USB ports were "virtualised" with the same technology as AnywhereUSB.
Nonetheless, I maintain that your product datasheets are ambigous...

cheers,
julien