Using 1 USB device similtaniously on 3 PCs
John Bond
Posts: 369
Please assist with an interesting problem.
I would like to control 3 PCs with one USB wireless keyboard and one USB wireless mouse (I've bought the Microsoft kit). The idea is that I can access any one of the PCs by just switching the keyboard and mouse to operate that particular machine. The desk we sit at is·2 yards·from the PCs so we currently have 3 extension cables for the·Keyboards and 3 for the mouses and the setup is a disaster.
The PCs are not on the same network and are not linked in any way (sorry -·can't use·VNC) so the concept is to have an infrared remote control, use an SX to receive the RC5 code and switch between the PCs - The Parallax documentation on IR is good and I have some experience·as well·so I·know how to handle this.
My·question is - how to I switch the USB (1 USB is used for both keyboard and mouse) between the three computers?. Do I buy three keyboard kits and just use my circuit to enable/disable·each receiver or·can I switch the two wires of the serial bus·between each of the three PCs.
Kind regards from Africa - the Dark Continent.
John Bond
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Post Edited (John Bond) : 5/14/2007 10:04:33 AM GMT
I would like to control 3 PCs with one USB wireless keyboard and one USB wireless mouse (I've bought the Microsoft kit). The idea is that I can access any one of the PCs by just switching the keyboard and mouse to operate that particular machine. The desk we sit at is·2 yards·from the PCs so we currently have 3 extension cables for the·Keyboards and 3 for the mouses and the setup is a disaster.
The PCs are not on the same network and are not linked in any way (sorry -·can't use·VNC) so the concept is to have an infrared remote control, use an SX to receive the RC5 code and switch between the PCs - The Parallax documentation on IR is good and I have some experience·as well·so I·know how to handle this.
My·question is - how to I switch the USB (1 USB is used for both keyboard and mouse) between the three computers?. Do I buy three keyboard kits and just use my circuit to enable/disable·each receiver or·can I switch the two wires of the serial bus·between each of the three PCs.
Kind regards from Africa - the Dark Continent.
John Bond
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Post Edited (John Bond) : 5/14/2007 10:04:33 AM GMT
Comments
The cheapest one I found is the ATEN MasterView CS-1734 model.
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Don't visit my new website...
If all of the machines are running windows XP then I would try using remote desktop. if your not familar with remote desktop, it basically does the same thing as a KVM switch just through a network. you can make short cuts to each computer. so you just double click on one and the other computer comes up in a window (or full screen). you control it just like you were sitting at that computer. Depending on what you are doing this would be a cheap and easy solution. you wouldn't want to try and run photoshop or something remotely, the colors and speed just wouldn't cut it. but doing your normal day to day things it works great. I have 3 computers at work that I control remotely and sometimes I forget that I'm using a computer in the back room. and not the one 2 ft. away.
good luck.
The PCs are attached to machines and are NOT networked. I also think one may have Linux as an operating system. Otherwise the remote desktop - VNC type solution would be perfect.
KVM sounds like the answer. I was hoping to do it as a fun project using a stamp or an SX though.
Kind regards
John
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