USB- Universal Serial Bus is a plug-and-play, bidirectional serial interface commonly used to connect computers to peripheral devices such as keyboards, mice, touchpanels, interactive whiteboards, and printers. Extron USB products are built upon the USB 2.0 standard, which supports data speeds up to 480 Mbps and which is backwards compatible with earlier USB standards. There are three common connector types: - USB A: Used to connect USB peripheral devices to the host PC or USB hub
- USB B: Typically used to connect a USB hub to the host PC
- USB Mini-B: Typically used where space is a consideration. For example, Extron uses USB Mini-B connectors on the Host side of the USB HUB4, a compact four port USB 2.0 hub for architectural mounting applications.
 Back to Top
USB is used to facilitate serial communication between computers and HID-Human Interface Devices such as keyboards, mice, and touchpanels. It can also be used to connect AV and HID devices, such as the Extron Annotator and available third-party touchpanel displays or graphics tablets. Back to Top
Extron USB switchers allow switching between multiple host devices and multiple USB peripherals. They are specifically designed with the integrator in mind with features including multiple control points, port status indication, and RS-232 pass-through. They are ideal for applications such as KVM, interactive whiteboard, and annotator-based applications in education, judicial, or corporate settings, or wherever reliable multi-I/O USB switching is needed. Extron USB Hubs are designed for architectural mounting applications and enable several USB devices to share a single host port. For integration flexibility, Extron USB hubs are equipped with both USB Mini Type B and captive screw host inputs and can be powered by the host or with an optional 12VDC power supply. They are available in two versions: AAP – Architectural Adapter Plate and MAAP – Mini Architectural Adapter Plate. Extron USB extenders work as transmitter and receiver pairs to extend the transmission distance capability of USB data significantly beyond the current 15’/5m standard limitation. USB extenders can be used with standard CAT5/5e/6 or CAT 7 cable. Extron USB Architectural Connectivity products enable convenient, flexible USB integration into common AV environments. They are designed to fit into frames that accept AAP - Architectural Adapter Plates and MAAP - Mini Architectural Adapter Plates. Extron USB Configuration cables are designed for use with various Extron products that feature a front panel Mini USB “CONFIG” port and provide an ideal means for product configuration and firmware updates for permanently mounted products. Extron USB Configuration Cables carry the Extron Cable Performance Warranty: Limited lifetime. USB Terminology
USB – Universal Serial Bus – A popular serial bus interface standard that allows communication between a host and one, or many, peripheral devices. USB 1.0 was introduced in 1995, and the current version, 2.0, was released in 2000. Host – A device, usually a computer, that initiates communications transfer with attached downstream devices/peripherals. Hosts utilize Type A connectors. Peripheral – Downstream devices, such as keyboards, mice, and other interfaces that communicate with the attached host. Multiple peripherals can be actively connected within a system with simultaneous communication taking place. Peripheral devices typically utilize Type B connectors. Enumeration – The discovery process in which device recognition and configuration takes place. This process is repeated each time the USB host is restarted. Hub – Expands the number of devices to which a host can communicate. Powered or “active” hubs provide 5V power for attached peripherals. Speed/Data Rate – USB currently supports three speeds, or data rates. Low speed – 1.5 Mbps, Full Speed – 12 Mbps, and High Speed – 480 Mbps. Device Class – Categories defined by the Device Working Group of the USB Implementers Forum that describe usage and operation. Drivers are utilized to support functionality of these classes. Two common classes are Mass Storage and HID – Human Interface Devices. Mass Storage – Devices such as thumb drives, external hard drives, and digital cameras. HID – Human Interface Devices include keyboards, mice, joysticks, annotators, and interactive whiteboards. Connector types – Multiple connector types exist, but at the most basic levels, Type A connectors are utilized on Host devices, while Type B connectors are found on Peripherals. Back to Top
|