RS232 extensions and USB repeater cables.

[blackparticle]

Is anyone using their CCD camera with a 5m USB repeater cable or multiples of?

Same goes for driving their mounts via RS232.

I've been thinking for when the nights get colder that I might want to be sitting somewhere nice and warm so if they work ok, will daisy-chain a few of these together so I can have my laptop about 15m - 20m away from the scope.

I know RS232 will work quite happily at 15m at 9600kbps which is what the Synscan v3 controller communicates at and should probably be ok at 20m.

I've seen 80' quoted as the maximum you can achieve with USB repeaters although have no experience of trying it.

Cheers - Alan.

[perfrej]

Alan,

I use a 10m active USB extension cable for my rig. It carries to composite signal of:

- Canon remote shutter (via USB to serial right at the camera)

- EQMOD direct drive adapter (via USB to serial by the mount)

- Canon EOS 1000D USB connection (does transfer images!)

- Orion Starshoot Autoguider (does transfer images)

I have a powered USB hub in the power case and then the single extension cable from the case to computer. It works perfectly. The 20m cable, however, will not function with image transfers, so I guess there is a practical limit somewhere between 10 and 20m.

Al the best,

Per

[davy999]

I use 5m active extensions sometimes with my cameras and my mount and they work fine.

But now I have reduced the number of cables I just have a powered hub strapped to the mount and a 3m standard usb lead to the computer. All leads from the hub to the cameras etc are 20 - 30 cm long and is much tidier.

[fatwoul]

I'm currently using individual 5m USBs for cameras and filterwheel, and a long RS323 for the mount, which all go under the floor to the bay in my POD. At the moment that's the way it has to be, because I'm running a very modest desktop for some tasks, and a slightly better netbook for others, and I need to be able to switch around.

Are there any downsides to running through a hub? Does it slow things down or make it more difficult for equipment to be detected connected-to?

[Earl]

RS232 is much happier been extended than USB.

In my experience, USB depends on the weather wind direction and the date, all of which change daily.

[Johnboy2011]

I was thinking of just a 5m extension from my hub, do I need the more expensive active version or can I get away with a standard 5m version for a fiver?!

John

[pete_l]

I've tried using just a plain 5m USB extension cable. What I found was that the supply voltage to my SPC900 webcam dropped over the length of the cable to the point that the camera wouldn't work. When I supplied it with +5V locally it was fine. It could send the USB 1 speed signals across that length OK but I can't say if a USB 2 device would work.

[Stargazer51N]

I recently bought an active 10m USB2 extension so I can keep my (ageing) laptop in the somerhouse and have the scope outside. Was very frustrated to find that my SPC900 would not work when connected via the extension. Tried the extension lead / SPC on a friends (shiny new) laptop and it worked fine!

Searched for help online and many people suggested using a powered hub between my laptop and extension lead. I bought a 4 port powered hub, connected everything together and, hey presto, it worked. I'm very relieved

Isn't technology wonderful?

Stargazer51N

[johninderby]

Bought a decent 10m USB active cable off eBay and it works perfectly with a Lumenera 70 camera and my 5 year old laptop, no problems at all.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390319099209&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Be careful though when buying a 10m cable that it's a one piece cable, not two 5m cables connected together. There's a lot of cheap sub-standard rubbish out there.

John

[leeq]

Anyone using 5M USB2 straight run cables vs. active repeaters at same length?

[blackparticle]

I've got hold of an active 5m cable and the SPC900 works fine. So that at least gives me the option to setup right outside the window. I'll have to wait until I get a CCD with USB connection before trying it with a 5m "ProGold" USB cable I have. (to give a 10m run)

A 10m RS232 extension turned up as well but I've not tried that yet. I'm not expecting a problem there though.