Product category:
Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications
News Release from: Lantronix | Subject: UBox 2100
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 11 September 2007
Server supports USB standard
With UBox 2100, users can put virtually any off the shelf USB 2.0 peripheral device on an Ethernet network.
Lantronix has released the UBox 2100, a USB-to-Ethernet device server that supports the USB isochronous data transfer standard, typically used for audio and video applications With UBox 2100, users can put virtually any off the shelf USB 2.0 peripheral device on an Ethernet network
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 27 Mar 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Removing the distance limitations normally associated with USB, users can access and share a variety of devices such as web cams, speakers, microphones, sensors, security access equipment, multi-function printers, hard drives, scanners - even Apple iPods - over the internet.
Isochronous data transfer is typically used for time-dependent applications, such as multimedia streams with synchronised audio and video where the data must be delivered within specific time constraints.
Along with its support for isochronous data transfer, UBox eliminates the need to directly connect devices to a PC, thus IP-enabling the USB devices.
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For example, users can access and share web cams with fully synchronised audio/video in real-time over a network or the internet without needing to connect them directly to a computer.
Lantronix CEO Marc Nussbaum said "As the first USB-to-Ethernet device server to support isochronous data transfer, the UBox enables a wider range of USB products to be networked and brings multimedia into the realm of M2M communications".
UBox includes software designed to identify, access, configure, upgrade and secure each UBox unit on the network as needed.
Once the software is installed and the UBox is configured, it runs seamlessly in the background, allowing USB equipment to be automatically connected to PCs in the same manner as if they were connected locally.
UBox 2100 includes a feature that automatically connects and disconnects shared USB printers based on need.
UBox enables a PC to connect to the printer when it needs to print, then automatically disconnects when the job is finished, freeing the printer for other users.
Flexible network configuration options make it easy to use the UBox in local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks (WANs).
Rather than require administrators to install drivers on each computer when each UBox is added, its Active Discovery feature automatically loads the software on each computer so that networked USB devices are available for immediate use over a LAN.
For WANs, administrators can set up passwords and use static IP addresses to connect UBoxes to the network.
UBox 2100 supports USB 2.0 high-speed and is housed in a rugged metal enclosure.
The current four-port version, UBox 4100 has also been updated to support isochronous audio and is currently available through the Lantronix channel and other sales partners.
Users can upgrade existing UBox 4100s with a simple firmware upgrade.
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