Interface Cards & Controllers

Solid Information That Help You Use KVM Cable

A KVM cable enables you to connect one PC central processing unit to several monitors, without the need for additional keyboards and mice. KVM stands for keyboard, video or visual display unit and Mouse.

This situation is beneficial, if you want to access one computer from two or more monitors situated in different locations. You can also control many computers using a single monitor and keyboard. However, in order to benefit from these functions, you will need a KVM switch.

This switch is a hardware device that allows you to control multiple computers from a single keyboard, video monitor and mouse. Some K switches give you access to a varying number of computers such as 2, 4, 6 or 16.

There are even switches that can accommodate 64 computers. This type of KV switch is perfect for businesses with large server rooms. The modern versions of this switch added a nice feat-the USB.

This additional feature permits you to share USB devices and speakers with several computers. In the USB KVM cable, the cable has one end with USB socket that can be plugged into a free port to gain control of the mouse and keyboard.

But in case something goes wrong, and you have to boot into a safe mode or do something in the BIOS, the keyboard and mouse do not work with a USB K switch. To reverse this effect, you may choose to use PS2 switch.

With K switches, you can enjoy features such as the on-screen toolbar with multiple functions like file transfer, desktop image scaling and more. The built-in file transfer utility permits you to transfer files, business information, and presentations. You can also create backup copies between computers or from external USB storage devices.

These switches do this by having a KVM cable that communicates signals through a computer into the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. You can also control several commands like scroll lock commands and Control Alt Delete functions.

In choosing the ideal KV switch for you, you need to make several considerations. The control method comes in few types. There is a model that enables you to control the switch from the keyboard using ‘hot key' commands, or a combination of keys pressed at the same time or in sequence.

Another option is a simple push button on the switch itself to change the computer in control. Other models provide both types of control method. Resolution capability is another consideration.

Some computers use graphic cards and monitors with very high resolution and very high frequencies. The video signal passes through a switch, and differs in its ability to handle resolutions and frequencies. Hence, the image shown on the monitor can be degraded by the switch.

In order to have similar resolutions and frequencies, you need to study the specifications of switches. Make certain the model you buy can handle the resolution and frequency your monitors have. Also, use more custom KVM cable especially aimed at professional users.

Ensure too that your K cable is flexible, rugged PVC uni-body jacket for durability and safety. It should also have individual shield coaxial VGA lines for crisp and quality video.

About the Author

Get your quality KVM cable at http://www.kvmequipment.com/ . Get the KVM cable you need and then get your switches. Do you need LCD displays? We have distribution amplifiers and extenders. Visit us at KVM to see the variety of KVM equipment that you can have.

Samsung HZ15W Digital Camera – An Excellent Compact Digital Camera

The Samsung HZ15W is quite a compact, ultra zoom camera that’s designed to compete with the likes of the Canon PowerShot SX200 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. It features a 12 Megapixel CCD, a 24 – 240 mm lens, optical image stabilization, a 3-inch LCD, and HD movie recording. The camera also has the usual point-and-shoot features, plus a nice selection of manual controls.

The Samsung HZ15W has as little brother, known as the HZ10W ($279). That camera has a 10 Megapixel sensor, a smaller LCD, and no HDMI port.

While recent Samsung cameras have all been well designed, they’ve disappointed in the image quality department. Will the HZ15W buck that trend? Find out now in our review!

The HZ15W is known as the WB550 in some countries.

The Samsung HZ15W has an average bundle. Inside the box, you’ll find the following:

* The 12.2 effective Megapixel HZ15W camera
* SLB-10A rechargeable lithium-ion battery
* Wrist strap
* USB-to-AC adapter
* USB cable
* A/V cable
* CD-ROM featuring Samsung Master software
* 17 page Quick Start manual (printed) + full manual on CD-ROM

Like most cameras these days, the Samsung HZ15W Camera has built-in memory, instead of having a memory card included in the box. Samsung put relatively little memory into the HZ15 (21MB to be exact), which holds just three photos at the highest quality setting. Thus, you’ll want to buy a memory card, and fast. The HZ15 supports SD, SDHC, and MMCplus cards, though I’d stick to the first two for best results. I’d recommend a 2GB or greater card for use with the HZ15, and it wouldn’t hurt if you spent a little extra on a high speed model.

The HZ15W uses the SLB-10A rechargeable lithium-ion battery for power. This battery has 3.8 Wh of energy, which is pretty typical for a compact camera.

The HZ15′s battery is charged inside the camera via the USB cable. You can connect it to a computer, or you can plug into a power outlet using an included USB-to-A/C adapter (which you can also use to power the camera instead of using a battery). It takes a rather lengthy three hours to fully charge up the battery. While Samsung doesn’t sell an external charger, I found some third-party types available online.

Focusing speeds are in the average area as well, at least in good light. Expect wide angle focus times of 0.3 – 0.5 seconds, with delays twice as long for telephoto shooting. The HZ15 struggled to focus in low light, despite its AF-assist lamp. Thus, it’s probably not a great choice for those taking a lot of photos in dull lighting conditions.

I didn’t find shutter lag to be any problem, even at the slower shutter speeds where it sometimes crops up.

Shot-to-shot delays range from two seconds without the flash, to a sluggish four seconds with it.

You cannot delete a photo right after it’s taken — you must enter playback mode to do that.

The Samsung HZ15W has an attractive, easy to navigate menu system. You can use the rear command lever to move through the four tabs in the menu system, with the four-way controller handling everything else. Keeping in mind that not all of these options will be available in every shooting mode, here’s what you’ll find in the record menu:

* Recording options
o Command lever (EV, ISO, white balance) – what this button does
o Flash intensity (-1EV to +1EV, in 1/2EV increments)
o Quality (Super fine, fine, normal)
o ACB (on/off) – I have no idea what this stands for, but it essentially brightens shadows when your subject is backlit
o OIS (on/off) – you’ll want to turn the image stabilizer off while using a tripod
o Voice memo (on/off) – add a 10 sec sound clip to a photo
o Voice recording – record up to 10 hours of audio, saved in WAV format
* Sound options
o Volume (Off, low, medium, high)
o Start sound (Off, sound 1/2/3)
o Shutter sound (Off, sound 1/2/3)
o Beep sound (Off, sound 1/2/3)
o AF sound (on/off)
o Self portrait (on/off) – turn the audio feedback for this feature on or off
* Display options
o Language
o Grid line (2 x 2, 3 x 3, X, cross hairs)
o Date & time
o Start image (Off, logo, user image)
o Display brightness (Auto, dark, normal, bright)
o Quick view (Off, 0.5, 1, 3 secs)
o Display save (on/off) – whether the LCD turns off when camera is idle
* Setup options
o Format
o Reset
o Recycle bin (Off, on, recycle folder) – see below
o File name (Reset, series)
o Imprint (Off, date, date & time)
o Power off (Off, 1, 3, 5, 10 mins)
o Video output (NTSC, PAL)
o AF lamp (on/off)
o Anynet + (on/off) – allows you to control the camera with your Samsung TV remote, when connected via HDMI cable
o HDMI size (1080i, 720p, 480p, 576p)
o USB (Auto, computer, printer)

Believe it or not, I only want to discuss one of the options above. That option is the “recycle bin”, which is a good idea in theory, but not as useful as one would like in practice. When the feature is on, the camera uses 10MB of the internal memory to store recently deleted pictures. So, if you dremove a photo accidentally, you can get it back. The catch is that 10MB of memory only holds about two images are the highest quality setting, so don’t expect to get back a photo that you took last week.

For the most part, the HZ15W scored average across the board in terms of performance. It takes about 1.5 seconds to start up, and focus speeds ranged from 0.three seconds at wide-angle to close to a full second at telephoto. The HZ15 struggled to focus in dull light, and the fact that the LCD doesn’t brighten a whole lot doesn’t make things any easier. Shutter lag wasn’t a problem, and without the flash, shot-to-shot delays weren’t too bad. The HZ15′s flash is slow to charge, though, so be prepared to wait around 4 seconds between flash shots. The HZ15 has two continuous shooting modes: one is slow (0.7 fps) but lets you see what’s going on, while the other is twice as fast, but the LCD is blacked out the entire time (what’s the point?). Battery life was about average for this type of camera. Do note that the battery is charged internally (via a proprietary cable), which some folks may not like.

Photo quality has always been quite a weak spot on Samsung’s cameras, and that hasn’t changed here. On the positive side, color and exposure were both good, though don’t be surprised if you see some highlight clipping here and there. Purple fringing was minimal as well, and redeye was well-controlled thanks to the camera’s digital removal system. The bad news is that images are soft and fuzzy, and fine or low contrast details appear quite mottled due to heavy noise reduction — even at the lowest ISO. The HZ15W doesn’t compete with the best cameras in its class at higher ISOs, either. The small print crowd probably won’t notice, but if you’re making larger prints, viewing images on your computer screen at 100%, or planning on using high ISOs, you’ll probably want to consider another camera.

The only other things I wanted to mention relate to the bundle. The Samsung HZ15W Digital Camera doesn’t come with much in the line of internal memory, which not only restricts how many photos it can hold, but it also holds back the well-intentioned Recycle Bin feature. There’s also no Mac software included, though iPhoto is arguably better than what would’ve been supplied anyway. Finally, the full manual is only available in digital format on a CD-ROM, and its quality is pretty lacking.

If you want a smallish camera with a great zoom range, large LCD, and useful set of features — and you’ll be taking photos in good light and not making large prints — then the Samsung HZ15W is certainly worth checking out. Those of you who want better image quality and low light performance will probably want to consider one of the HZ15′s competitors.

Is it possible to connect 2 IDE hard drives to one enclosure with a normal ide cable?

I have a 3.5" IDE hard drive enclosure (USB), and I know normal IDE cables can connect 2 drives to one IDE controller slot on a motherboard. Is it possible to do the same with the controller card in my enclosure, by swapping out the tiny little cable with a normal one?

You can try, but it may not have enough power to run both and would actually be harmful to the drives in the end.

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