Cascading, Limitations – UNIMAX Houseware KVM Switch User Manual
Page 40
NTI UNIMUX MULTI-USER KVM SWITCH
35
CASCADING
The UNIMUX USB Matrix switch can be expanded to access up to 1024 CPUs by cascading multiple units together. As many
switches as there are CPU ports may be connected to a UNIMUX USB Matrix switch. (See Figure 36) All downstream switches
are referred to as "slaves" in a cascaded system. The only additional hardware required to cascade switches is a set of device
and monitor cables for each “SLAVE UNIT” (see MATERIALS on page 2). All CPUs and switches can then be controlled by
users using OSD commands with Command Mode.
Limitations
The front panel keypad is only used to operate standalone switches. To control a cascaded network of switches, only the OSD
commands within Command Mode will be recognized.
The Matrix Switcher's Control Program (page 32) cannot be used to control cascaded switches. It can only be used with a
standalone switch.
RS232 control (page 29) cannot be used between cascaded switches. RS232 control can only be used between standalone
switches.
Users connected to accessible ports on downstream slaves (i.e. ports not connected to the master) will not be able to control
switches or CPUs connected upstream. Only control over CPUs and slaves downstream from a user's connection point will be
enabled. (See Figure 36)
Slaves connected downstream from a master must be switches with at least as many user ports as the master. I.e. If the master
is UNIMUX-4X32, connected slaves can be any switch with 4 or more user ports.
Exception: If the master is a single user UNIMUX switch, slaves connected downstream can be any size multi-user
UNIMUX switch (see Figure 37).
Figure 36- Cascading with only multi-user units
USER 1
USER 2
USER 3
USER 4
USER 5
USER 6
CPU PORTS
USER PORTS
MASTER
UNIMUX-4X8
UNIMUX-8X16
UNIMUX-4X8
SLAVE
SLAVE
CPU PORTS
CPU PORTS
USER PORTS
USER PORTS
CPU1
CPU 8
Users 5-8 only have access to CPUs 9-24.
Users 1-4 have access to all CPUs
USER 7
USER 8
CPU 9
CPU 24
USBVEXT-xx-MM
USBVEXT-xx-MM
(8 CABLES)
USBVEXT-xx-MM
(16 CABLES)