Anyone successfully used a USB range extender for cDAQ 9178?

[DieselPower]

I tried one from Startech and it did not work.  It sees the chassis but it won't recognize any modules. 

[santo_13]

Nope, range extenders do not reliably implement the full USB protocol to be invisible to all USB devices. Most USB devices do not use all features of USB protocol and forgive the range extenders in the path.

Unfortunately, that is not the case for NI DAQs, where the driver uses a lot of niche features of the USB protocol and if the range extender doesn't support those features, it will not work.

[DieselPower]

We have been using those 10m extension cables.  They work most of the time, but every once in a while we end up replacing one.  Was just hoping for a more elegant solution.  I don't like USB at all as an industrial communication method, but our options are limited since I'm working with CVI and Pharlap.  NI doesn't support the Ethernet chassis for this platform, and they seem to have delays on simple analog writes, etc., due to some overhead issues that USB doesn't have.

[santo_13]

Instead, you can place a low power mini-pc like the Intel NUC close to your cDAQ and connect to the mini-PC over Remote Desktop over WiFi or Ethernet.

Why does the cDAQ be so far away?

[DieselPower]

It's a test cell environment.  The test cell is about 30 feet long and 12 feet wide.  There is a hallway where the real time computer and windows computer live.  We either put the cDAQ chassis out in the test cell to reduce signal wire length, or we run boat loads of wires from the test cell back into the console.  I prefer the first option.

[santo_13]

In this case, probably a mini-PC put alongside the cDAQ inside the Test Cell and run Ethernet cables to the mini-PC or connect to WiFi if there is sufficient signal strength should work.