Aug/090
Digi AnywhereUSB Combines USB and Ethernet
USB and Ethernet are probably the best known and most popular wired connectivity options nowadays, so it was to be expected that, at some point, some company would come up with a solution to combine these concepts. In fact, this is exactly what has happened, Digi announcing the AnywhereUSB TS and AnywhereUSB/2 devices, both being a part of its AnywhereUSB family of products.
Digi’s AnywhereUSB products eliminate the need for locally-attached host PCs and break the traditional five-meter USB cabling distance limitation. Customers can access and monitor their devices anywhere an Internet connection is available to simplify operations and reduce IT support.
The first product announced today, the AnywhereUSB TS, is touted by the company as being the industry’s first combined USB and serial over IP hub. It combines Digi’s Realport USB-over-IP and Realport Serial-over-IP technology in one product, allowing customers to easily network both USB and serial devices with one solution. The device features four USB ports, four serial ports and one Ethernet port.
The second product unveiled today, the AnywhereUSB/2, is a compact USB hub featuring Realport USB-over-IP technology. This allows the product to easily connect USB devices anywhere on a wired or wireless network, especially since it features two USB ports and one Ethernet port.
“We are growing the product line to address specific customer needs,” said Stephen Popovich, vice president of business development, Digi International. “In addition to allowing customers to connect both serial and USB devices with one hub, the AnywhereUSB TS provides customers greater flexibility to migrate from serial to USB devices. This is common in healthcare with equipment like blood analyzers or glucose meters and in retail environments.”
Sadly, we haven’t been able to spot any pricing-related details in the company’s statement, so if you’re interested in finding out more on this issue, it’s very likely that you’ll have to contact the manufacturer directly.
