3.1 Compatibility
The ServSwitch Brand CAT5 KVM Micro Extender is designed to operate in various environments and with a mix of hardware from different manufacturers. During development, this product was extensively tested with a wide variety of hardware. However, please note that it is impossible for us to guarantee that the Micro Extender will interoperate correctly with every keyboard, mouse, monitor, and motherboard variant currently on the market. If you suspect that you’re having incompatibility problems, please call Black Box Technical Support.
In general, the Micro Extender is compatible with the following types of equipment:
•CPU: IBM® PC/AT®, PS/2, and 100% compatible clones. These should be desktop machines; laptops and docking stations are not supported.
•Monitor: VGA, SVGA, XGA, XGA-2, or RGsB (sync on green). Be aware that a few monitors and graphics cards might not work with the “as is” Micro Extender—at least in their factory-default settings—because they exchange monitor IDs or VESA DDC (Display Data Channel) information. Call Black Box Technical Support for help with “ID bit” problems. As for DDC, the Extender supports it at the ACU3009A’s local user station but not at any remote user station, so either (a) do not use a DDC monitor at your remote station, or (b) go into your graphics card’s settings, turn DDC off, and manually configure the card for your monitor(s).
•Keyboard: Standard (101- or 102-key) PS/2 type or enhanced PS/2 type (104- or 105-key, designed for use with versions of Windows® starting with Windows 95). Although we don’t recommend this, you might also be able to use a PC/AT type keyboard with 5-pin DIN connectors; you’ll need adapters to attach it and its native CPU to the Micro Extender (see the start of
Section 4.2). Some older PC/XT™ or PC/AT type autosensing keyboards might not be compatible with the Extender. If the keyboard you want to use is some other type or has some other type of connector, call Black Box for technical support.
For information about keyboard typematic support, see Section 7.2.
•Mouse: Standard PS/2 type, Microsoft® IntelliMouse® compatible, or Logitech™ 3-button PS/2 compatible mouse; the CPU should have standard PS/2 type mouse ports. If your PC doesn’t have a PS/2 style mouse port, you’ll need a special adapter to attach the PS/2 mouse cable to one of the PC’s serial ports (see the start of Section 4.2). The Extender is not compatible with serial mice or bus mice. If a mouse you want to attach is some other type or has some other type of connector, call Black Box Technical Support.
