FAQfor MCC Ethernet ConectivityWhat are some typical applications for this system? Using the US-4A and Measurement Computing’s USB-based data acquisition products, you can easily perform remote monitoring for temperature and voltages. You can also use the system for controlling equipment and devices using our USB-based relay and analog output products at remote locations on the LAN. Alarming conditions and notification can be set up using any of our powerful data acquisition software tools. Can all PCs on the network access the Measurement Computing USB-based data acquisition devices? Yes, all PCs that have the Keyspan USB Server client utility can access connected USB devices. However, only one PC can access a single USB device at a time. You cannot have multiple PCs using the same USB device simultaneously. To allow others to access the USB units, you must use the US-4A Server Utility to “disconnect” the devices. Can I restrict access to the USB devices connected to the US-4A? Yes, you can configure the USB Server to limit access, as well as provide password protection. Access protection is configured using the US-4A Server Utility. How does the US-4A connect to the network? The US-4A server connects to a network using a RJ45 cable. IP addressing can be configured for static, DHCP, and rendezvous. Refer to the US-4A Users Manual for further information on networking options and configurations. How many of the Measurement Computing USB-based products can be connected to the US-4A? There are a total of four USB ports on the US-4A USB Server. When using our products with the FS designation, you can put a total of two products in a configuration using the US-4A. The products within the FS series include:
We have tested successfully a combination of four of the following products on a single US-4A, using each of the four USB ports available:
If you have questions regarding other configurations, contact one of our Sales Engineers at 508-946-5100, option 3, or email sales@mccdaq.com. Are there known limitations with the US-4A and Measurement Computing high-speed USB products? We have bench tested a throughput rate of 1 kHz continuously for a week without failure. There are indications that high-speed acquisitions are not possible at this time with the USB-4A server. (>20 kHz) The US-4A server is a USB 2.0 full-speed device. Keyspan plans to release a USB 2.0 high-speed device in the future, which is expected to increase throughput rates. At this time, Measurement Computing recommends you use the US-4A USB server for relatively slow acquisition rates. Our tests indicate that you can only do paced A/D on one MCC USB unit at a time. What if I cannot detect the US-4A server using the Keyspan Server Utility? If you cannot detect the US-4A server, make sure that both the PC and the US-4A are on an active networked connection. There are status lights on the US-4A which you can use to troubleshoot the configuration. Refer to the Keyspan US-4A Users Manual available at www.keyspan.com for further information. You may need to contact your IT department to disable firewalls to allow access to the US-4A. Windows XP also has a firewall which may need to be disabled. For more information, refer to the US-4A Users Manual. Can I create a Web-enabled system with Measurement Computing’s USB devices and the US-4A USB Server? Yes. You could build an applications using Visual Studio .NET 2003 or 2005 and our Measurement Studio product to obtain data and make it available to users with internet access. To learn more, or to download an evaluation copy of Measurement Studio–MCC Edition, click here. |