Re: Standalone CCTV DVRs

["Martyn Wendon" <martynwendon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've had similar requirements with RS232 ports that you do and have
gone for
a Belkin 5-port USB Network hub (55 notes from Amazon) coupled with a
Quatech 8-port USB->Serial port adapter (15 notes off eBay, they come up
from time to time).

The Belkin presents USB connected equipment over ethernet to their driver
software on the PC (or in my case the VM) and then you can use the hardware
as if it were locally attached.

I've only had this setup for a week or so and initial impressions are good
-
hooked up to the 8-port serial port adapter (via 1 port on the Belkin) are:

3 * Quasar temp sensor boards
2 * serial controlled kit (cctv switcher and video switcher)
1 * Nokia 6210 (sms use)

On the other Belkin USB ports I'll shortly be migrating:

USB weather station
USB RFXCOM 434 RX
USB RFXCOM 434 TX
USB RFXCOM 868 RX

All will be accessed under different VMs in theory.

The RS232 stuff all seems to work ok, I can't see why the other USB stuff
won't as although they're all USB they all install as virtual comm
ports....

Might be something to consider?


Martyn


----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Gordon" <paul_gordon@xxxxxxx>
To: "UKHA Group" <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, June 07, 2009 6:27 PM
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Standalone CCTV DVRs



D'oh! - ignore me, I'm being a dunce!...



Of course, the host machine wouldn't need to know about the COM ports, -
the
virtual COM port drivers would just be installed directly into the
guests...



So this is a solution that would be technically feasible - provided the
emulated COM ports were "good" - and worked with all the physical
devices
and the various bits of software that need to access them... - I guess it
just depends on whether or not such a solution is economically feasible...
-
£500-odd for a serial-over-IP box would pretty much rule it out of
contention unless & until I win the lottery!



Paul G.



> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> From: paul_gordon@xxxxxxx
> Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2009 18:19:09 +0100
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Standalone CCTV DVRs
>
>
> That's something I'd not thought of, - I've used these in the dim
&
> distant...
>
>
>
> Wouldn't I probably have that same problem with driver support though?
-
> don't such devices generally require a driver on the machine accessing
the
> ports over the LAN to emulate a virtual COM port?
>
>
>
> The other thing I'd imagine is probably the case, is that I bet an
8-port
> network RS232 server would be considerably more expensive than an
8-port
> PCI card...
>
>
>
> Obviously I was hoping to re-utilise the PCI RS232 card that I already
> have, but I wouldn't be averse to purchasing some other card /
external
> box, provided it was a sensible price, and that it's guaranteed to
work as
> required.
>
>
>
> Paul G.
>
>
>
>
>
> > To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> > From: yahoogroupskh@xxxxxxx
> > Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2009 17:59:43 +0100
> > Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Standalone CCTV DVRs
> >
> > Paul Gordon wrote:
> > > My original plan was to use ESXi, but I'm almost certain
this is a
> > > non-starter because of the 8-port serial card that I *need*
to support
> > > the various devices that Homeseer talks to (I'd prefer not
to go down
> > > the USB-RS232 converter route).
> > Is it possible you could use an Ethernet serial server with say 8
ports
> > perhaps ?
> >
> > K
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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