usb News - Page 24 of 28 - CNX Software

February 3, 2017February 3, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Targus Universal DisplayLink Docking Stations Support Up to Six 4K Monitors via a Single USB Cable

USB type C connectors are becoming more and more common and beside transmitting data and power, some devices also support video over USB which requires a dock, and if you have some serious display requirements, Targus docking stations over USB-C or USB 3.0 might be what you are looking for, as they support two 4K monitors at the same time thanks to their multiple HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2a and DVI outputs, and you can even daisy-chain three docking stations over USB 3.0 type A cables in order to control six 4K monitors from one USB port. Targus has several models, but let’s check out the specifications of their “USB 3.0 DV4K DOCK160USZ dock station” pictured above: Chipset – DisplayLink DL-6950 Video Output Ports – 2x HDMI 2.0 ports, 2x DisplayPort 1.2a ports supporting up to dual 4K Ultra HD video @ 4096×2160 60Hz 24 bpp Audio – 1x 3.5 mm […]

January 29, 2017October 8, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Satechi USB Type-C Power Meter Measures up to 65 Watts

CHARGER Doctor is a popular USB power meter for USB 2.0 ports that can help you check whether your charger delivers the promised amperage, and if you are dealing with USB powered device you can easily measure the power drawn by that device. But we are now in 2017, and USB type C has become more and more popular, and can deliver higher voltages higher than 5V, as well as higher currents. So if you are looking for USB type C power meter, Satechi has you covered. Satechi USB-C power meter key features and specifications: Voltage Range – 4V-20V Current Range – 50mA-10W Max readable Power – 65W Indicates power over time (mAh) and current direction (e.g. charger to laptop, or laptop to phone). USB 3.1 data pass-through supported Dimensions – 6.3 x 2 x 0.8 mm Weight – 8.6 g Beside just measuring power usage, several blogs report this USB-C […]

September 1, 2016September 2, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

USB Fun – Tiny USB WiFi and Hub Boards and micro USB Hub

I’ve come across a few interesting tiny USB boards and hubs in the last few days, so instead of writing a post for each, I’ve gathered all info into a single article. Small ESP8285 USB Board A couple of weeks ago, CNLohr released his first ESPUSB virtual USB implementation for ESP8266 allowing to use USB with external hardware, barring a resistor, and only two GPIOs. He has now made a tiny board based on ESP8285 with a USB interface leveraging ESPUSB. Hardware files can be found on github. So what can you do with it? CNLohr leveraged the work of the community in order to emulate a keyboard and mouse using a smartphone. The only bit of bad news in the video is that finally USB full speed (12 Mbps) can’t be supported. NanoUSB Hub Board Mux wanted to add more USB devices to its tablets, but there was none […]

August 8, 2016August 8, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

ESP8266 Gets USB Support Thanks to ESPUSB Software Stack

Neither ESP8266 nor ESP32 support USB, so what am I babbling about? No, ESP8622 did not suddenly grow a USB PHY, but cnlohr decided to implement virtual USB support using two GPIOs (12 & 13) for the D+/D- USB signals, meaning you can connect any ESP8266 module through USB, or even update the firmware through USB without external hardware, apart from a single extra resistor. The source code is available on espusb repo on github. Please note that the code is currently work in progress, and USB implementation currently only works at 1.5 Mbit/s, with potentially future support for 12 Mbit/s. That’s the demo, and an explanation about the design process. Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011. www.cnx-software.com

May 17, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

Yubikey NEO is a $50 USB & NFC Key Used to Secure your Computer and Smartphone

YubiKey NEO is a dongle that supports both contact (USB) and contactless (NFC, MIFARE) communications to secure your Windows, Mac OS or Linux computers and/or Android/iOS smartphones using two factor authentication. It supports one-time password (OTP), smart card functionality (OpenGPG, PIV…), as well as FIDO Alliance’s Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) protocol. The key can be used in a variety of applications, such as logging into your computer, accessing gmail, github, dropbox, and other accounts, and disk encryption. It also works with password manager such as Lastpass or Dashlane. You’ll need to both enter your password, and connect the Yubikey to your computer to be able to login, and for NFC enabled smartphones, you’d need to tap the key on the device. In case you lose your key, online services usually have recovery mechanism in places, and some support registration of up multiple YubiKeys. The latter can probably be used for […]

April 13, 2016April 13, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

The USB Type-C Authentication Specification Aims to Prevent Damage from Non-Compliant Cables and Adapters

The new USB Type-C standard is great, as cables are reversible so it does not matter if you connect them up or down, it can handle USB 3.1 data speed, as well as carrying video and up to 100W power thanks to USB-C power delivery. In theory all is great, but in practice, many USB-C cables are not compliant, and Benson Leung, a Google employee, has found that many USB-C cable sold on Amazon were not compliant, with even one damaging his Pixel 2 laptop and two USB PD analyzers. His reviews on Amazon, as well as customer complaints, probably lead the company to ban the sale of non-compliant cable or adapter, but to really mitigate the issue, a technical solution was needed, and that’s why the USB 3.0 Promoter Group has defined the Authentication Protocol for USB Type-C as part of the USB Power Delivery 3.0 specifications. Key […]

March 16, 2016March 16, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Lattice and Mediatek Announce superMHL Smartphone Reference Designs Supporting 4K over USB-C

Two standards are competing to bring 4K video output @ 60 Hz and 8K over USB type C connectors: DisplayPort 1.4 and superMHL. Lattice, who purchased Silicon Image last year, and Mediatek have collaborated to provide reference designs supporting superMHL and based on Helio X20 deca-core processor combined with Lattice components. Lattice SiI8348 MHL transmitter would handle 4K 60 fps video and MHL power, while Sil7033 USB type-C port controller would also handle USB 3.1 data transfer up to 10 Gbps, USB-C power delivery (PD), MHL Alt-mode on USB-C. Lattice also leverage their SiI7013 mobile USB Typer-C port controller, SiI9396 mobile superMHL/MHL to HDMI bridge, and other chips to offer accessories such as USB-C to HDMI adapters, MHL cables, USB-C charger, and USB-C dock with multiple USB ports and HDMI output. Anandtech notes that one the main problem with USB type C connector is likely to be the cable, as many […]

March 7, 2016May 19, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

The First Devices and Routers with WiFi 802.11ad Delivering Up 7Gbit/s Transfer Rates at 60 GHz Will Be Available This Year

802.11ad is the latest and fastest WiFi standard working in the 60 GHz band and delivering up to 7 Gbit per second data transmission rates. The 60 GHz frequency band offers both advantages and disadvantages because it does not penetrate through walls nor water, meaning it can only be used within a room limiting the range, but at the same time it’s more secure since it cannot be snooped from the outside, and for people who worry about health effects it does not penetrate the human body. 802.11ad routers will also be able to switch to 2.4 and 5.0 GHz frequency bands in order to go through walls. The table above nicely summarize the key features of 802.11ad over 802.11ac and 802.11n, however the throughput row shows the theoretical maximum throughput, but in practice, using 802.11ac as example, clients are often limited to 433 or 866 Mbps, and distance and […]