Datasheet

724-746-5500 blackbox.com
BL A C K B O X
®
3 of 4
04/27/2010
#26631
Get a clear picture.
The ServSwitch CX with IP features effective software-based skew
compensation to eliminate the annoying video color drift that can
sometimes happen on long UTP cable runs. To learn more about skew
compensation, see “Technically Speaking” below.
In addition, the switch supports Display Data Channel (DDC)
emulation. It enables your monitor to communicate with the attached
CPUs’ video cards and configure the CPUs’ video drivers automatically
at bootup.
Maximize your control.
Although each ServSwitch
™
CX with IP supports up to 16 or 24
directly connected servers, this is by no means the limit—you can
daisychain switches to control up to 128 host servers. You can cascade
up to three levels deep with servers situated at any level within the
cascade tree.
Simple server selection.
Whether you’re working at a user station or the local analog
console port in the server room, you can select a server to access and
control via on-screen menus or hotkeys. On-screen menus make server
selection simple because you can give each server a name that makes
sense to you.
Sight and sound support.
The ServSwitch CX with IP provides super-sharp resolutions up
to 1900 x 1440 for all users up to 164 feet (50 m) away. And up
to 984.2 feet (300 m) away, the CX displays 1024 x 1280 video
resolution. By choosing a SAM with audio, you add support for
stereo speakers, enabling you to hear audible alerts.
Take charge with your power.
The ServSwitch CX with IP has a power control port that enables
a remote user to reset one or more power switches in the host
system. Plus, dual power connectors enable the CX to draw power
from its included wallmount adapter or from an optional redundant
power supply if there’s a power failure.
Ready right now—and for the future.
The switch comes complete with rackmounting hardware to install
the switch in any open 1U of rack space in your server room. It can
also be flash upgraded, so it’s practically obsolescence-proof.
UTP cable and color drift.
UTP cable is often used with video or KVM extenders to
extend the reach of a video signal. It’s popular for this application
because it’s lightweight, easy to handle, and inexpensive. But
when you transmit video over long stretches of twisted-pair
cable, you sometimes run into a phenomenon called color
drift or color split.
Color drift shows up as that annoying colored shadow you
occasionally see around objects on a video screen. It sometimes
happens with UTP cable because the pairs of wire in the cable
are twisted at slightly different rates to reduce crosstalk between
pairs. Because of these differences between wire pairs, video
signals for different colors often travel different distances before
they reach the remote receiver. When one color signal arrives
behind the others because its wire is longer, you get that red,
green, or blue shadow around the objects on your video screen.
UTP cable varies widely by manufacturer, so before installing
video extenders, it’s difficult to determine whether or not you’re
going to have a color drift problem. You’re more likely to
experience color drift with higher grades (CAT5e or CAT6) of
cable, on longer cable runs, and on high-resolution screens.
If you experience color drift, there are several possible
solutions. You can use a shorter length of cable, switch
from CAT5e or CAT6 cable to CAT5 cable, use a lower screen
resolution, or use a video skew compensator.
A video skew compensator removes color drift by delaying
some color signals to compensate for differences in wire pairs.
Technically Speaking