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Universal Switching Corporation is a respected source of state-of-the-art programmable
switching equipment, and as such, is looked to as an authority to solve various problems
involving signal routing and switching. If you have questions that are not covered here,
please contact the factory for additional information.
The following is a list of frequently asked questions:
 I need a video switch that will
connect 16 RGB video sources to 32 RGB video destinations. Since the signals
are RGB, does this mean I need a 48x96 switching array?
Can I control your systems from
my personal computer?
Do you supply LabVIEW drivers
with the ATE switching system I have on order?
I need to switch both clock and
data signals. Do I need two switching systems
(one for each)?
What is the difference between
solid-state and relay-based switching, and how do I determine which I need?
I need to replace an old
relay-based unit from Matrix Systems and from Racal, but don't want to write new
software. Are your software commands the same?
What are the different types of
control you offer for your systems?
Do you have representatives that
can assist me with defining my switching requirements?
Are your switching systems CE
certified for export to Europe?
Do your systems keep the
switching configuration if AC power is lost to the system?
The requirement we have is
critical. Do you have redundant power supplies available?
I need a special feature or
specification that isn't shown. Will you provide a modification to meet our needs?
I'm confused. What's the
difference between "blocking", "non-blocking" and
"full-fanout"?
Questions and Answers
I need a video switch that will
connect 16 RGB video sources to 32 RGB video destinations. Since the signals
are RGB, does this mean I need a 48x96 switching array?
This is a very frequent mistake when comparing switching vendors. It's true
that with this configuration example there is a total of 48 inputs and 96 outputs and a
48x96 switching array would work for the application, however, that solution has three
times the switching elements required. With RGB video systems, each of the three signal
types need to connect only to the associated output signal type. Red inputs (R) will only
need to connect to red outputs (R), green inputs (G) to green outputs (G) and blue (B)
inputs to blue outputs (B). Red inputs will never need to connect to green
outputs....and so on. What this requirement needs for efficient connectivity is three levels
of switching each having 16 inputs and 32 outputs. Sometimes, a fourth or fifth level of
switching may be required for switching a horizontal sync or vertical sync signal as well.
A typical application could utilize our Series
G2S32 modules in
a
G2
mainframe. Each module
would switch one level (color).
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Can I control your systems from
my personal computer?
Our switching systems are designed mainly for remote control with manual controls
as an optional item. The remote control ports available for our systems are not
proprietary and are easily interfaced to standard personal computers. Our
software control GUI (RouteWarePRO)
makes it very easy to control out units. The most
popular types to interface to are:
|
Interface Type |
Standard |
Speed |
Distance |
| Serial |
RS-232C |
38.2Kbps |
50 feet |
| Serial |
RS-422A |
38.2Kbps |
3000 feet |
| Serial |
RS-485 (multi-drop) |
115Kbps |
5000 feet |
| Parallel |
IEEE-488 (GPIB) |
1.5Mbps |
15 meters |
| Ethernet-10 |
10baseT |
10Mbps |
Hardware
Dependent |
| Ethernet-10/100 |
10/100baseT |
10/100Mbps |
Hardware
Dependent |
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Do you supply LabVIEW drivers
with the ATE switching system I have on order?
National Instruments™ LabVIEW
VISA drivers are provided in our
support download section.
These drivers are provided without warranty or documentation, and are
designed for general purpose control and status. Diagrams and
sub-VI's are included so the user may adapt them to specific
requirements. LabWindows or CVI are not supported.
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I need to switch both clock and
data signals. Do I need two switching systems (one for each)?
There are many different types of Clock and Data signals so please be specific
about the electrical characteristics of the signals. Most signals referred to as
"clock and data" fall into these categories:
Data Rate |
Electrical Characteristics |
Technology |
| <10Mbps |
Two differential pairs, one
being clock and the other data. Impedance is usually 100 balanced
pair cabling. |
Requires '422 drivers and
receivers on switching system |
| <1Gbps |
Two pair
of coaxial lines, one coaxial pair being for clock and the other data.
The impedance is usually 50 ohm or 62 ohm coaxial lines. |
Differential
ECL,
PECL or LVDS (<400Mbps) |
You might notice that both items in the table are
differential. This is because the majority
of applications that need to route clock and data type signals are critical. Routing
the signals differentially greatly increases the integrity of the signals over any
distance and in electrically noisy environments. You do not need to have two different
systems to do the clock and data switching. Similar to
multi-level
RGB video
switching, you need one level of switching for the clock signals, and
one for the data signals. Two modules can be installed into the
Series G2 units and may be
independently or ganged controlled. Modules that may be used
for this type of application are G2 modules with the "D" type of
model number, or the
VXI modules VXI-E3216 (ECL), VXI-E3216P (PECL) and
the VXI-DS4216.
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What is the difference between
solid-state and relay-based switching, and how do I determine which I need?
There isn't are hard line that can drawn as to when to use solid-state or
relay-based switching. Universal Switching's product line offers both. Both
types have advantages and disadvantages. The most obvious reason to use solid-state
is for reliability since there are no moving parts or contacts to wear out or to stick
closed. The products that we offer with relay-based switching elements are offered because
a solid-state solution will not meet the requirements or is not practical for the
application the module was designed for. Such is the case with our relay-based elements in
the
Series
G2R18 modules. These
are designed to switch a wide range of signals in the frequency range of DC to 18GHz.
Providing this function with a solid-state element isn't practical for most
applications. If you need additional assistance in this area, please contact an
engineer at Universal Switching Corporation:
eng@uswi.com
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I need to replace an old
relay-based unit from Matrix Systems, Datachron and one from Racal, but don't want to write new
control software. Are your software commands the same?
Most any remote controlled switching system utilizes
ASCII control codes to command the various features, even
the simplest such as closing or opening a crosspoint in a switching array.
   
No
standard has ever developed (with the exception of SCPI from HP) to control switching
systems. As a result, each manufacturer has their own command protocol. We can provide control emulation for
most older switching vendor
products. Please contact the factory for
additional
information.
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What are the different types of
control you offer for your systems?
The remote control ports available for our systems are not proprietary (except for
one) and are easily interfaced to standard control methods. For details,
see our
C710 CPU that is used for many of our products.
Interface
Type |
Standard |
Speed |
Distance |
Comments |
| Serial |
RS-232C |
38.2Kbps |
50 feet |
One to one control |
| Serial |
RS-422A |
38.2Kbps |
3000 feet |
One to one control |
| Serial |
RS-485 |
115Kbps |
3000 feet |
Multi-drop |
| Parallel |
IEEE-488 (GPIB) |
1Mbps |
15 meters |
Multi-drop |
| US-Link |
N/A |
115Kbps |
3000 feet |
For remote control
panels and other peripherals offered |
| Ethernet |
10 BaseT |
10Mbps |
N/A |
Includes TCP/IP |
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Do you have representatives that
can assist me with defining my switching requirements?
Yes we do. We have a growing number of representative offices across the
United States and globally. Biyearly training of many of these offices assists them with learning
new techniques and new products. Please see our
list of
offices for the closest representative. If you feel that you would rather
contact the factory, please feel free to contact a factory sales engineer.
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Are your switching systems CE
certified for export to Europe?
Our systems utilize some of the highest quality
components throughout, the majority being CE certified and approved. All products are
CE approved (except S6400D).
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Do your systems keep the
switching configuration if AC power is lost to the system?
All of our switching systems include Lithium-backed RAM to keep the last switching
configuration stored until power is restored to the system. The unit can be set (via
menu selection on front panel controls) to automatically recall the last configuration
before power was removed, or to power-up in an "all clear" mode. If signals need
to remain passing through the system while the power is off, the only alternative is to
utilize a
latching mechanical relay for the
switching element. Universal Switching Corporation has a few products that offer this
capacity. Please contact the factory for
additional information.
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The requirement we have is
critical. Do you have redundant power supplies available?
We do offer redundant power supplies on all systems as an option,
standard feature on some units, and all are
Hot-Swappable allowing removal and installation while the power is on.
Units include power supply health indicators and CPU monitoring. Refer to the
individual specifications for additional information.
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I need a special feature or
specification that isn't shown. Will you provide a modification to meet our needs?
Even though our product line is very comprehensive, it can't possibly cover every
need or requirement. To augment our standard product line, we can make modifications
or design specials to meet your needs. These are quoted from the factory.
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I'm
confused. What's the difference between "blocking",
"non-blocking" and "full-fanout"?
These terms have a few different meanings in the switching industry. Please
see our glossary for the correct definition. Links to these are provided below.
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