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In order to serve you better in your search for an ExtremeUSB solution, Icron's Customer Support team continues to compile the following list of Frequently Asked Questions. If your question isn't answered here, or you need additional information, please contact Customer Support directly at techsupport@icron.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "LEX" and "REX" stand for? What do they do?

Can I daisy-chain ExtremeUSB systems together for longer reach?

Can the CAT-5 based USB Extenders operate through a standard Ethernet hub, switch or router?

What is the CAT-5 pin out for my product?

How much power does my extender unit use?

What is the difference between the North America and International Power Supplies?

Can I operate an Icron extender outside the documented temperature range?

Can I connect a mouse or keyboard to a Rover 1300?

What is the difference between USB 1.1 Core TP and USB 1.1 Core DL solutions?

What is the difference between MTRJ make and MTRJ female connectors? Which one does the Ranger 422 need?

Is ExtremeUSB 2.0 backwards compatible to support USB 1.1 devices?

What does the "G" mean on the Icron part number?

Is my Icron product EN60601 Medically certified?

Who do I contact if I think my Icron product is defective?

How can I get the firmware on my Icron product upgraded?

Are there known USB device incompatibilities with my WiRanger system?

What is the USB device limit for your USB 2.0 extenders??

What does a blinking REX LINK LED for USB 2.0 extenders mean?

The Ranger 110/410 REX and LEX both have sockets for power supplies, do I need power supplies for both units?

Are Icron's products compatible with my Operating system?



Answers

What does "LEX" and "REX" stand for? What do they do?

LEX stands for Local EXtender.
REX stands for Remote EXtender.
These two units comprise a standard Icron Extension solution. The LEX unit interfaces to the host PC via a Type-B USB connector. The LEX interfaces to the REX unit over the extension media (Cat-5 UTP, Fiber, etc.) and the REX unit provides connectivity for one or more USB devices at the remote location.

Can I daisy-chain ExtremeUSB systems together for longer reach?

No, it is not possible to daisy chain multiple ExtremeUSB systems together. Only a single LEX and REX pair can be connected to a host PC to ensure proper operation.

Can the CAT-5 based USB Extenders operate through a standard Ethernet hub, switch or router?

No. Icron's USB extenders do not use standard Ethernet over the Cat-5 link and are not compatible with Ethernet hubs, switches or routers. The link protocol used is proprietary and operates only as a dedicated point-to-point connection.

What is the CAT-5 pin out for my product?

Most Icron products use two out of the four pairs in a standard Cat-5 UTP cable. Icron uses pins 4,5 and 7,8 on the RJ-45 connector. This is a standard straight-through connection. The Rover 1650 and 2650 units are the only exceptions. Both of these products use all four pairs of the UTP cable.

How much power does my extender unit use?

The table below provides details regarding power supply requirements and power consumption of Icron's products.

Product

Voltage

Current

Polarity

Jack Size

Ranger 110

15V

1A

Center Positive

2.1mm

Ranger 410

15V

1A

Center Positive

2.1mm

Ranger 422

15V

1A

Center Positive

2.1mm

Ranger 140

5V

2A

Center Positive

2.1mm

Ranger 440

5V

3A

Center Positive

2.1mm

Ranger 442

5V

3A

Center Positive

2.1mm

Ranger 444

5V

3A

Center Positive

2.1mm

Rover 200

5V

1A

Center Positive

2.1mm

Rover 1300

N/A

N/A

N/A

Bus Powered

Rover 1650

N/A

N/A

N/A

Bus Powered

Rover 2650

N/A

N/A

N/A

Bus Powered

DVI Ranger 400

5V

1A

Center Positive

1.3mm

DVI Ranger 500

12V

1A

Center Positive

2.1mm

DVI Rover 700

5V

600mA

Center Positive

2.1mm

DVI Rover 800

N/A

N/A

N/A

Bus Powered

What is the difference between the North America and International Power Supplies?

The North American (NA) power supply is generally a 2-prong wall mount adapter for use with North American AC power sockets. The International power supply is a brick style unit with a standard IEC C14 socket connector for connection to the AC mains. Different AC power cords for different regional AC plugs are included with the International power supply depending on the specific part number ordered. (AC cables available include: North American, UK and Europe plugs).

Can I operate an Icron extender outside the documented temperature range?

Operation of Icron products outside of the documented maximum operating conditions is not recommended, and voids the warrantee of the product. Icron takes no responsibility for damage to the unit which may occur if used outside of the recommended operating limits.

Can I connect a mouse or keyboard to a Rover 1300?

No. The Rover 1300 only supports a single, Full Speed (12Mbps) USB device such as a webcam, or harddrive. It does not support Low Speed (1.5Mbps) devices such as keyboards and mice. Additionally, the Rover 1300 does not support hub connections at the remote end.

What is the difference between USB 1.1 Core TP and USB 1.1 Core DL solutions?

The USB 1.1 Core TP (Twisted Pair) modules provide a small form factor embedded platform for integration of ExtremeUSB in OEM applications. The Core TP module provides the physical layer interface and requires a minimum of 2-pairs of a CAT-5 UTP cable for proper operation.

The USB 1.1 Core DL (Direct Link) modules provide the same small form factor embedded platform, but offer even greater application flexibility by removing the physical layer interface and providing a simple digital interface with which any physical layer design can implemented. Reference designs for 1-pair and 2-pair applications are provided with the modules.

What is the difference between MTRJ male and MTRJ female connectors? Which one does the Ranger 422 need?

The Ranger 422 requires fiber optic cable to be terminated with an MTRJ female connector. Most fiber manufacturers will make female MTRJ connectors if the gender is not specified. Male connectors are used only in patch panel applications where two fibers are joined through a connecting socket. The MTRJ male connectors have two small studs protruding from the front of the connector. These studs mate with the holes in the female connector to align the fiber optic cables inside the MTRJ connector.

Is ExtremeUSB 2.0 backwards compatible to support USB 1.1 devices?

Yes, a Low Speed or Full Speed USB device will operate with ExtremeUSB 2.0, however, the ExtremeUSB 2.0 device (Ranger 140/440/442/444 or Core 2.0 DL) must be connected to a USB 2.0 Host Controller. ExtremeUSB 2.0 will not function if connected to a USB 1.1 host.

What does the "G" mean on the Icron part number?

The G on the Icron part numbers has been recently added to indicate that the product is RoHS Compliant. Click here for further information regarding RoHS Compliance for Icron products.

Is my Icron product EN60601 Medically certified?

Icron products are not EN60601 certified.

Who do I contact if I think my Icron product is defective?

Please contact your point of sale regarding the return of defective products. If you require debugging assistance in deterimining if the unit is defective, contact Icron Technical Support at techsupport@icron.com.

How can I get the firmware on my Icron product upgraded?

To upgrade the Ranger 110, 410, 422, Core/TP or Core/DL products please contact Icron Technical Support at techsupport@icron.com and Icron will be able to ship you new PROMs with the latest firmware (where applicable).

To upgrade the USB 2.0 Ranger 140, 440, 442, 444 or 2.0 Core/DL products please contact Icron Technical Support at techsupport@icron.com. To upgrade these products, the units must either be returned to Icron to re-flash the program memory, or a Xilinx JTAG programming cable (either the Parallel Cable IV or the Platform Cable USB) will be required to perform the upgrade on site.

There are no upgrades available for the Rover 1300, 1650 or 2650 products.

Are there known USB device incompatibilities with my WiRanger system?

The WiRanger complies with USB 2.0 specifications governing the design of high-speed USB devices. However, because of the data rate limitations inherent in the IEEE 802.11g radio platform, Icron Technologies Corporation does not guarantee that all USB devices are compatible with the WiRanger.

Webcams that use the BULK transfer protocol are not supported. This limitation is due to the restricted bandwidth available over the 802.11g channel on the WiRanger system. NOTE: This restriction does not apply to Isochronous Web Cameras. These devices function normally with the WiRanger.

What is the USB device limit for your USB 2.0 extenders?

Our USB 2.0 extenders have a maximum limit of 14 devices connected to the REX unit (including USB hubs).

What does a blinking REX LINK LED for USB 2.0 extenders mean?

The USB 2.0 extender is in suspend mode. Windows XP will put hubs in suspend mode when no USB devices are connected to the USB hub. The hub will wake-up from suspend mode when a USB device is connected.

The Ranger 110/410 REX and LEX both have sockets for power supplies, do I need power supplies for both units?

Only connect one power supply to either the Ranger 110/410 REX or LEX unit as there is no benefit to having a power supply attached to both REX or LEX unit. Please see the user manual for details.

Are Icron's products compatible with my Operating system?

Any Operating system that supports the required Icron Ranger USB specification requirements in full and includes the use of USB hubs via operating system vendor supplied drivers is supported by Icron's products. We perform testing on many platforms to ensure product reliability and performance.