If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
KVM on PCMCIA?
Does anyone know of a PCMCIA card that houses a KVM?
The idea is to have laptop's keyboard, video, and mouse act as a console via a KVM built into a PC card, which would have PS2 & HD15 connections for the rack server. We have techs who visit various computer server rooms, and thay'd like the option of attaching their notebook or laptop to a server to act as the console. For our *nix systems we run consoles on the serial port and use a terminal proggie, but if the console happens to be on the video or if it's running Windows... IP-based solutions are a pain; Raritan Dominion, which is small, requires a power brick, and ties up the network port, etc. Anyway, it would be nice to know if one exists. TIA Jaz [please excuse the burp when replying] |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
In comp.sys.laptops Jaz wrote:
the console. For our *nix systems we run consoles on the serial port and use a terminal proggie, but if the console happens to be on the video or if it's running Windows... ... you run VNC. IP-based solutions are a pain; Raritan Dominion, which is small, requires a power brick, and ties up the network port, etc. Use wireless? Or run ppp or slip over the serial line. You can certainly SEND mouse commands over the serial line so that the other computer's serial mouse input picks up from you, but you also need a driver to reflect your mouse signals out your serial line. As for the keyboard ... I don't know of any card that has a PS socket! Perhaps a usb adapter for ps/2 and serial could be driven by you out the usb port, but I don't. know of prebuilt machinery for that. And for the video .. well, that's really a networking question, since you want to send signals to YOUR video card which come from a remote computer, so the other computer must send them to you over a transport medium. I rather like your description "pcmcia kvm"! Look it up on google! http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/aten.html may well have something you like. Peter |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
On Wed, 12 Oct 2005 21:18:19 +0200, "Peter T. Breuer"
wrote: In comp.sys.laptops Jaz wrote: the console. For our *nix systems we run consoles on the serial port and use a terminal proggie, but if the console happens to be on the video or if it's running Windows... ... you run VNC. The idea is to have a console, not a terminal. The console allows watching the post while booting, etc. Thus, it has to use the HD15/vga and PS2 connectors of the client/rack-server/etc. IP-based solutions are a pain; Raritan Dominion, which is small, requires a power brick, and ties up the network port, etc. Use wireless? Or run ppp or slip over the serial line. You can certainly SEND mouse commands over the serial line so that the other computer's serial mouse input picks up from you, but you also need a driver to reflect your mouse signals out your serial line. As for the keyboard ... I don't know of any card that has a PS socket! Perhaps a usb adapter for ps/2 and serial could be driven by you out the usb port, but I don't. know of prebuilt machinery for that. And for the video .. well, that's really a networking question, since you want to send signals to YOUR video card which come from a remote computer, so the other computer must send them to you over a transport medium. I rather like your description "pcmcia kvm"! Look it up on google! http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/aten.html may well have something you like. Peter [please excuse the burp when replying] |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
In comp.sys.laptops Jaz wrote:
On Wed, 12 Oct 2005 21:18:19 +0200, "Peter T. Breuer" wrote: In comp.sys.laptops Jaz wrote: and use a terminal proggie, but if the console happens to be on the video or if it's running Windows... ... you run VNC. The idea is to have a console, not a terminal. The console allows watching the post while booting, etc. That's not the salient difference - you are talking about a bios function, sending post messages to a particular device. It's not affected by what kind of device you are using, but by what device the bios is sending the messages to, something which depends on the bios, what it may be configured to do, and the hardware that the bios works with. You need a "server bios" that can do i/o to the serial line i/o port address and irq or elsewhere. It's nothing to do with what you have as a device, nor with what operating system (will be) running. Thus, it has to use the HD15/vga and PS2 connectors of the client/rack-server/etc. There is no "thus". If you want to watch the whole kaboodle, including post, you might as well get proper server hardware/mobo/bios that can send that kind of thing out across the net or a serial line. If you are happy with just watching the o/s kernel messages, then you can get away without the special hardware, because the kernel can substitute for the hardware. If you are happy with just watching everything AFTER the kernel has booted, as I assumed you were saying, as you said "if it's running Windows" (which implies that Windows is running, and hence has already booted), then VNC will do you fine. IP-based solutions are a pain; Raritan Dominion, which is small, requires a power brick, and ties up the network port, etc. Use wireless? Or run ppp or slip over the serial line. You can I should also point out that you "don't tie up a network port" by using the net. The net deals with huge numbers of packets at a time. Actually, server bioses or kernels with a network console DO send out packets on a UDP port (either broadcast or single-target, as configured), but I wouldn't call that "tying up" a port. You are free to ignore those packets on the net in any client, etc. etc.. I rather like your description "pcmcia kvm"! Look it up on google! http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/aten.html may well have something you like. [please excuse the burp when replying] I heard nothing over here. Can you repeat? Peter |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 15:34:19 +0200, "Peter" wrote: In comp.sys.laptops Jaz wrote: On Wed, 12 Oct 2005 21:18:19 +0200, "Peter" -- wrote: In comp.sys.laptops Jaz harbell wrote: and use a terminal proggie, but if the console happens to be on the video or if it's running Windows... ... you run VNC. The idea is to have a console, not a terminal. The console allows watching the post while booting, etc. That's not the salient difference - you are talking about a bios function, sending post messages to a particular device. It's not affected by what kind of device you are using, but by what device the bios is sending the messages to, something which depends on the bios, what it may be configured to do, and the hardware that the bios works with. You need a "server bios" that can do i/o to the serial line i/o port address and irq or elsewhere. It's nothing to do with what you have as a device, nor with what operating system (will be) running. Thus, it has to use the HD15/vga and PS2 connectors of the client/rack-server/etc. There is no "thus". If you want to watch the whole kaboodle, including post, you might as well get proper server hardware/mobo/bios that can send that kind of thing out across the net or a serial line. If you are happy with just watching the o/s kernel messages, then you can get away without the special hardware, because the kernel can substitute for the hardware. If you are happy with just watching everything AFTER the kernel has booted, as I assumed you were saying, as you said "if it's running Windows" (which implies that Windows is running, and hence has already booted), then VNC will do you fine. IP-based solutions are a pain; Raritan Dominion, which is small, requires a power brick, and ties up the network port, etc. Use wireless? Or run ppp or slip over the serial line. You can I should also point out that you "don't tie up a network port" by using the net. The net deals with huge numbers of packets at a time. Actually, server bioses or kernels with a network console DO send out packets on a UDP port (either broadcast or single-target, as configured), but I wouldn't call that "tying up" a port. You are free to ignore those packets on the net in any client, etc. etc.. I rather like your description "pcmcia kvm"! Look it up on google! http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/aten.html may well have something you like. Okay, thanks for the lesson... I'm familiar with VNC et al, redirecting console via the BIOS, running a *nix console on a serial port, etc. I'm simply curious if there's specifically a device that acts like a KVM (HD15/vga + two PS2) that plugs into a laptop's pcmcia slot or UBS port. Something that makes it easy to connect to any Wintel box without having to configure anything besides the laptop. Thanks! -Jaz [please excuse the burp when replying] |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Please help with PCMCIA adapter | jakesnake66 | General | 13 | December 18th 04 10:24 PM |
pcmcia questions | Mark Juszczec | General Hardware | 0 | July 30th 04 02:34 AM |
32 bit cardbus pcmcia network card in Compaq Armada 4131? | Ronald | Compaq Computers | 3 | June 1st 04 04:20 AM |
PCMCIA -> ATA or PCMCIA -> CF -> ATA | Ralph & Diane Barone | General Hardware | 1 | January 10th 04 06:25 AM |
Help! What's it worth?! | Mirko Fodor | General | 5 | September 24th 03 05:40 PM |