Maximum USB and IDE cable length?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ola
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ola

ola

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Hello,

We discussed mouse/keyboard/monitor extension cables a while back and the conclusion seemed to be that they couldn't be long enough (only 1.5 meters or something) to put the computer in the next room to avoid computer noise in recordings. However, there are mice, keyboards and monitors that use USB (right?), and there are USB hubs and I've seen three meter long USB hub extension cables so I wondered, how long cables can you use with USB? Also, are there connection transformers that would allow you to use your old gear with USB? I read somewhere that you could use several USB hubs in a row and thus get pretty darn far away from the computer. Has anyone here tried it?

When it comes to IDE cables, how long can they be? I plan on putting my computer behind an insulated false wall (with its own ventilation) in my coming studio and was planning on mounting the CD-burner, DVD player and floppy drive in the false wall together with a USB hub, power switch LEDs etc. and thus use the wall as front panel so to speak.
Apart from looking cool, the bulky and noisy parts of the computer would be hidden and muffled and the only things you need to access regularly would be easily accessable. If mounting the devices in the wall turns out to make it hard to reach over the table/mixer, maybe one could build a box and mount the gear in it and then put it under the monitor or something.
I guess that this would require IDE cables that are around one or maximum two metres and was wondering if that is possible to use that long cables. Again, I read that 18" would be the limit but I guess that can't be true. Many bigtowers would require longer cables than that just to reach.

As usual, insane or interesting?

/Ola



[This message has been edited by ola (edited 07-11-2000).]
 
As for USB 30M is the max length using 5 Hubs chained together in serial. www.usb.org. 5M for individual devices plugged in straight to the Computer. Haven't seen any usb monitors - way too much of a power draw, but many monitors have USB hubs attached to the front for ease of access.


Everything I've read indicates 18" as well, and even better to be shorther than that. With a DAW I don't think you want to take chances with errors/unreliablity by extending beyond the 18" specification.

Interesting idea, I still havn't got around to building a box around my PC, but the false wall sounds cool since you have the space and ability to. SCSI would allow you the lengths you require. It may still be possible to use IDE, by orienting the tower in such a way that you could just have the cd/DVD and floppy cable come through a heavily insulated wall. Maybe with the tower positioned parallel to false wall, this would be possible.




[This message has been edited by Emeric (edited 07-12-2000).]
 
You're right about the monitors. The ones with USB have a powered USB hub. My mistake. I think the monitor cable will be long enough though.

With USB mouse and keyboard and a SCSI chain to attach the DVD and CD, I should be fine. I saw this really cool bluetooth-ish keyboard and mouse. Mmm, cordless and not having to worry about clear line of sight. If I remember correctly, my old SCSI CD burner came with an el-cheapo SCSI adapter so maybe I don't even have to get a really expensive one as I would need if I went for SCSI disks. Are there SCSI floppy drives available? Nevermind, I'll check myself.

As for the orientation of the tower. The problem is that the false wall be behind the desk so to speak so the reach will most likely be too long for IDE in any case. Maybe if I build another false wall at the side of the desk...Hmm, back to the drawings.

I'll post some pictures of the result when I'm done around this autumn.

Cheers

/Ola
 
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