USB3 Cable lengthening options

tonyowens_uk

I wonder whether anyone can recommend any type of significant USB3 cable lengthening option for cameras like the ASI 174m please? Is anyone consistently getting reliable operation with any type of active repeater cable or powered hub (on the mount) plus cable back to the camera control PC? If so what kit are you using?

I'm trying to avoid use of a 'headless' mini-PC mounted on the scope for the time being at least. I have had no consistent camera connections using various good quality passive and active USB3 cables.

Thanks

Tony

s3igell

tonyowens_uk wrote:
I wonder whether anyone can recommend any type of significant USB3 cable lengthening option for cameras like the ASI174m please?

What length are you desiring?? There are plenty of 10'-12' USB3 Cables which will work well with any "high quality PC USB3 Port" (and not all are - unfortunately). Or are you looking for 30'?? 50'??

tonyowens_uk wrote:
I have had no consistent camera connections using various good quality passive and active USB3 cables.

Again, are you sure that your Laptop USB3 is up to the task?? Have you tried throttling-back the USB3 via the ASI Driver??

tonyowens_uk wrote:
I'm trying to avoid use of a 'headless' mini-PC mounted on the scope for the time being at least.

Considering the cost of many USB3 Active Repeater solutions, you might want to jump to a PC Stick or Mini-PC or NUC...

einari

If you would like longer cable then you might concierge USB Over Ethernet RJ45.

tonyowens_uk

Thanks for the comments folks.

I would like a 7 metre run that is reliable.

I've tried a number of different 5m long passive USB3 cables, one 10m active cable (with and without power to the camera end) and a 5m passive USB3 cable into an 8 port powered USB3 hub mounted to the scope.

I use Dell Precision M3800 laptops (a model introduced in 2014) and I dont believe there is any issue with the 3 USB3 ports this model provides.

What I was hoping to discover was whether anyone of you folk have a specific hardware solution that is known to be reliably capable of a 7m stretch.

Thanks.

Tony

ncwolfie

In my case, this worked for me.

http://www.manhattan-products.com/superspeed-usb-active-extension-cable

Not a dropped frame or connection since switching to it. Just as much depends on your hub or USB port. 3.0 can be picky.

Regards,

Randy

krazycanuck2011

These are expensive but you can go a very very long ways without any drop in speed.

https://www.corning.com/optical-cables-by-corning/worldwide/en/products/usb-optical-cables.html

Sam@ZWO

usb2.0 cable usually can support longer length

tonyowens_uk

Thanks to all who responded. I've decided to buy an Intel NUC headless box, mount it in a wterproof controls enclosure at the mount and run 2 x 2m long USB 3 cables from the enclosure to the OTA. The box can run PHD2 for guiding and perform camera control and high speed frame grabbing and storage on an SSD with parallel streaming off of this data to cloud-based storage. That seems to be the only way to assure full performance of USB3 cameras in my situation.

Tony