Several years ago, I wrote a
column about USB and its
impact on PCs. I wondered then
if USB would replace the RS-232
port in industrial products as
well. I received so many
comments that I actually
wrote a second column on the same subject a couple of
issues later. One comment, though, stuck in my mind. A
reader said that USB was just not an option for ruggedized
products, since you could not secure the connector.
Then, the other day, I received a package in the mail
from Sealevel Systems. It was a sample of their new
SeaI/O-270U isolated 7-port USB hub. A press release
was also in the box with the title: “Isolated USB Hub
Includes Innovative Locking Connectors for Maximum
Dependability.” The first thought that came to my mind
was the comment noted above. So, I thought, they finally
figured out how to make a USB connector hang on
tight, the way RS-232 and other connectors do.
The patent-pending technology is called the
SeaLATCH locking USB connector design. Earle Foster,
the VP of Sales & Marketing at Sealevel Systems, pointed
out in his letter to me that standard USB connections
provide low retention strength and offer no locking
mechanism and said that, as a result, accidental cable
disconnection is the single most common point of failure
with USB industrial I/O devices. I certainly can understand
that. So, I tried out the SeaLATCH technology.
The hub has seven Type A female and one Type B
male connectors. Each has a screw hole above it. The
cable they sent is called a “SeaLATCH USB Type A to
SeaLATCH USB Type B Device Cable.” I screwed in the
connectors with my handy Swiss Army knife, and they
really hold tight. Terrific!
According to Foster, Sealevel plans to encourage
other manufacturers to adopt the SeaLATCH design in
their products as well. If you have been grappling with
this problem, I heartily recommend that you to take
them up on their offer.
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