Re: Keyboard Question
- From: Paul <nospam@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:45:59 -0400
exec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi,
We have 1 PC with 2 cloned monitors. The monitors are in seperate
offices, about 30 feet apart. What we need to do is to be able to
have each monitor have it's own keyboard & mouse to control the
screen. We are running XP.
My questions are:
1) Can you do thing with Windows configuration, or some type of
inexpensive software or hardware.
2) Since the monitors are cloned, I assume that what happens on one
happens on the other.
3) If we wanted 2 seperate monitors on the same PC, what is involved
in that?
If I could get some help, it would really be appreciated.
Thanks!
Jetway used to make a "dual user" PC. The idea here, is two
users are logged into the same computer, each has their own
keyboard, mouse, and monitor. The video card has two video
connectors, and one "channel" is given to each user. I'm not
sure Jetway does these boxes any more or not. I cannot find
mention of "twin" on their site now.
http://www.engadget.com/2004/04/17/jetways-dual-user-pc/
http://www.jetway.com.tw/jw/news_show.asp?newsid=64
You are more likely to operate an ordinary PC in "clone mode",
with the two monitors displaying the same content. A video card
with two connectors can be placed in clone mode, but the monitors
should ideally be the same with respect to native resolution.
A 30 foot run of video cable, could degrade VGA signal quality,
so 1920x1200 resolution might be pretty fuzzy. Similarly,
DVI or HDMI have some cable limits, and you can search
for reports on what cables worked there, and at what
resolution choices.
Monitor1 ---------|___ video card
Monitor2 ---------|
You can run a USB extension to the other office, and a USB
hub placed there, for a USB keyboard and mouse. Keyboard
and mouse input from either keyboard and mouse should work.
The only thing that might not work, is the remote office
worker may not be able to change the BIOS settings. It
could be that only the local USB keyboard can fix BIOS
settings.
To extend a USB connection, there are active cables like
this. You can use no more than 5 of these, plus a length
of USB cable off the last one. So 5*5 meters plus 5 meters,
for a total of 30 meters. When buying these products, read
the reviews carefully - some active repeater cables don't
seem to work right when cascaded, which is the whole reason
for their existence! What an active cable consists of, is
5 meters of wire, plus a "1 port hub". So there is a chip
inside the blob at the end of the cable, and it is
following normal USB protocol and functions as a USB
hub. That is how it is regenerating the signal, and
also why the cable is limited to 5 meters per stretch.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16812224004
With your stated objective of 30 feet, I would use
Computer ---- 2*active_cable---self_powered_hub ---- keyboard
<---30 feet--> ---- mouse
---- other_usb_dev
---- other_usb_dev
By a self powered USB hub, I'm referring to one that comes
with its own power adapter. The power adapter can provide
power to high power local USB devices. You can see such an adapter
bundled with this USB hub. Otherwise, if power for USB
devices comes down the 30 feet of cable, the power
quality could be pretty poor.
http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/17-364-017-03.jpg
http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/17-364-017-06.jpg
The "clone mode solution" described above, is suitable for
*one* user to run from room to room, and have the ability
to do work from either location (same document still open on
screen for edits etc). Only the Jetway solution supports *two*
users, in a more independent mode of operation, running from
the same computer box. I have not read of any accounts of
other companies offering the Jetway "twin" concept.
Paul
.
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