Written on 05.21 by girl oh tech
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a low cost interface connection. It is now the most common computer connection with many devices such as keyboards, printers and digital cameras using it as standard. As the number of compatible devices has grown the need to easily access them has also increased. This has meant many users now need to expand and extend the USB connectivity of their laptop or desktop computer. Expanding allows devices to be shared, split and accessed by more than one computer or enabling a computer to connect to multiple USB devices at the same time. Expanding overcomes the problems of the limited number of USB ports often supplied with modern computers, especially smaller laptops and netbooks. Extending increases the distance USB signals can be sent so a computer doesn’t have to be closely situated to the peripheral. This combats one of USB’s major limitations in that the standard maximum recommend length for a USB cable is 5m due to performance restrictions. However, for some applications for example interactive whiteboard installations, 5m is not always enough so signals need to be extended.
The most common method of expanding USB is through the use of simple USB hubs. Hubs allow multiple USB peripherals to be connected to one USB port. Hubs in turn connect to a host computer transmitting all connecting signals to it. The problem of port congestion is then solved as hubs generally have anything from 2 to 8 ports. Hubs are commonly free standing but are also built into devices such as monitors.
USB switches expand peripheral connectivity by allowing them to be shared with multiple computers. They are a cost effective solution especially useful for devices which need to be accessed by more than one computer, such as printers. They eliminate the need for duplicate devices and multiple cables. Switches alternate between computers as the users decide who has access to the equipment at that particular time.
USB sharing hubs combine the functionality of both a hub and a switch and can serve multiple USB devices between a number of computers at the same time. Just like switches, sharing hubs are ideal for larger, more expensive equipment that needs to be accessed by more than one person at a time, but with the capability that allows users to do this simultaneously.
As with expanding, extending USB can also be achieved using a number of methods. A simple way of extending USB is by using extension cables. USB extension cables are useful for extending devices over shorter distances and typically max out at around 3m in length. The ‘plug and play’ capability of extension cables makes them a simple and easy to use solution. They work with both smaller and larger devices such as card readers and printers. USB extension cables are ideal for use with wirelss dongles or with products that have built-in USB cables.
A simple, cost effective way to extend USB over very long distances is by using Cat.5 USB Extenders. As their name implies, these devices use standard Cat.5 Ethernet patch cable to make the long distance connection. A transmitter is connected to a computer via its USB port while a receiver connects to the USB peripheral at the opposite end. The two units are then connected using Cat.5 cable. Commonly used with devices such as interactive whiteboards, extenders are a great solution for connecting devices further away from a host computer than an extension cable would allow. Distances of up to 50m can be achieved; however, USB 2.0 is not usually supported so devices are limited to USB 1.1 performance of up to 11Mbps. Cat.5 USB Extenders are probably the cheapest and easiest solution for connecting a USB device and host computer over great distances.
Perhaps the ultimate form of USB extension is USB over IP servers which allow USB devices to be connected to a network. Equipment such as a standard USB printer can be transformed into a shared network device as the server provides an interface between the device and a network. It simply connects the device to a network via Ethernet so the device can be used by anyone on the network wherever they are in the world!
Posted in
Computer
|
Written on 05.20 by girl oh tech
The revolutionary product that is the DVI cable. This cable has the capacity to improve picture quality to a great extent and provide a great viewing experience to the consumers. The results provided by these cables have made them popular among people for television viewing and watching movies at the home theatre.
DVI cables are great if you wish to improve the picture quality on LCD monitors, HD-TVs or Plasma-TVs. DVI cables have a dual link feature due to which they can transmit information very fast and it results in great resolution and better picture quality. The popularity of DVI cables is growing such that people are shifting from the analogue VGA system to this digital technology.
DVI cables are of three types: DVI-Digital, DVI-Analogue and DVI-Integrated. DVI- Digital is suitable for digital code transmission and DVI- Analogue can transmit analogue signals only. DVI- Integrated has the capacity to transmit both digital and analogue signals. DVI cables are available in varying lengths like six feet, ten feet, fifteen feet, twenty five feet, thirty five feet and fifty feet length.
Consumers can buy the cable according to their requirement from the various sizes available in the market. Previously these cables were available only for shorter lengths, but now you can easily buy this cable of the length of your choice. The aim behind DVI cables is to provide unmatched picture quality and a great audio viewing experience to consumers. Manufacturers have come up with best quality DVI cables to ensure that consumers have the best viewing experience.
These cables contain high quality cabling and jacket materials and they are also gold plated to ensure long lasting use. A gold plated dvi cable lasts quite longer than the normal cable and buyers will not have to keep on changing their cable again and again. Price of DVI cables vary between sizes and manufacturers. Usually a ten feet cable costs around £25 and a 25 feet cable costs about £60. Longer cables cost a little more and a 35 feet dual link gold plated cable might cost about £70. A six feet DVI cable costs around £10 whereas a 50 feet cable can cost around £100.
Posted in
Technology
|
Written on 04.58 by girl oh tech
With the ever expanding market and the growing craze for latest technology, the mobile phone market in UK is emerging as never before. The market is being flooded with numerable brands, latest handset designs and some very good service providers such as Vodafone, Orange, O2 etc.
The mobile phone industry is growing at an enormous pace with the trend expected to continue in the coming future.
Improved cameras, enhanced memory, sleek body and much more have become the usual characteristics of mobile phones these days. Now the quest is to create the thinnest of the handsets and the new mobile phones that would come in to the market would be termed as wafer thin. The term also suggests that apart from being very narrow in width, the mobile phone handsets will also be much lighter in weight than before.
The mobile phone manufacturers and designers have been successful in understanding well the needs of the customers and then developing hand sets around those needs with features that cater to each of those needs. For instance they realised that it is a tedious task for an individual to carry a digital cameras, an mp3 player, a mobile phone, and other similar devices while travelling. Keeping this in mind they embedded all these features in the mobile handsets which resolve the problems of carrying too many gadgets. Internet access and data transfers through infra red and Bluetooth enabled mobile phones have become a common feature in terms of utility for the consumer. Such integration of functions was one of the first step towards design development for mobile phones, the next step that is still being under taken in this direction is that towards enhancement of these integrated functions such as higher data transfer speed, higher mega pixel cameras to improve clarity, mobile phone compatibility with printers and so on. Such emerging trends come into picture after various mobile phone companies undertake research and development at a continuous pace. Newer technologies keep coming out at a result and mark improvements over the existing ones. Consumer remains the main beneficiary of all these efforts.
Posted in
Technology
|
