Moving working usb PLM about 50 feet from polisy

[jds31]

Is it possible to locate my 2413u PLM 50 feet from the polisy.  The system is working with the PLM and polisy connected with a 6 foot or so cable.  

As a test I tried a 25 foot usb cable and that did not work.  

Option one is to get an active USB extension.  Does the polisy provide power or should I buy one with an external power connection?  Does the PLM use a standard usb protocol? 

Option 2 is get a transmitter receiver pair usb to ethernet and run the connection with cat 5e or better.  Same questions about power and usb standards.

Option 3 is to switch to a 2413s and run serial cable.  50 feet is the rs232 max distance.  But then is the 2413s not really a serial device.

Any ideas, different options, or experience? 

 

[paulbates]

Your best bet is serial. USB is not designed for that kind of distance. Having said that, 50' is a long serial run but I've read stories here and the homeseer forum of that working for a PLM

[Brian H]

The 2413S has a special pin out on network style connector. Only three wires are used. Common, Send and Receive are connected.

The signals are true RS232 with a Serial Port interface chip. At the least you would have to create a special cable.

[hart2hart]

I had about that length over shielded cat 5 or 6 for a time. Seemed fine. I don’t recall which 2 of the 3 wires were in a twisted pair but I’m sure google will tell you.

Also a balun could be used which moves signal from unbalanced to balanced for the trip over wire.

[MWoods329]

FWIW, I've had a PLM with serial connection work on a 30 ft run of CAT6 just fine.  

When I had the USB PLM, I tried the 50ft USB and couldn't get it to work.  Also, I tried an active USB extension over CAT6 for 50ft and couldn't get that to work either.  Serial was just the way to go for me.

[dbwarner5]

Similar here.. I convert serial to ethernet, run the ethernet from 2nd floor to basement, so its approximately a 50ft run.

Plug ethernet into PLM..

No problems. Used a standard ethernet.

[jds31]

Looks like serial is the way to go.  Unfortunately my serial PLM's are at the other house.  Next week I'll test it.  Still interested in any other ideas.  

Thanks all.

[Brian H]

You may have to have the special UDI USB adapter on the Polisy end. As I am not too sure if it can do serial. I know the eisy can not do serial. There are other signals on the RJ45 style connector that you do not want to connect to anything. Like TTL signals.