Why do I need the individual port switching on the USB Control Hub?
Individual port control allows you to remotely power-cycle any single piece of equipment connected to the USB Control Hub. If a camera driver freezes or a device becomes unresponsive during an automated imaging session, you can switch its port off and on again through software to force a hard reset without having to go outside to your telescope.
Can the USB Control Hub power a cooled camera and a filter wheel at the same time?
Yes. Each of the six ports can supply up to 2.5 Amps of current, which is more than enough for typical cooled astronomy cameras, filter wheels, focus motors, and guide cameras. With a total available current of 8 Amps, you can confidently run a full imaging rig from the hub.
My current USB hub disconnects on cold nights. Will the Pegasus USB Control Hub solve this?
This is precisely the problem the USB Control Hub was designed to solve. Unlike consumer-grade hubs, it uses industrial components rated to operate perfectly in temperatures from −40°C to +85°C. This robust construction prevents the connection drops and instability that plague standard hubs in cold weather.
What happens if a device connected to the USB Control Hub tries to draw more than 2.5 Amps?
The USB Control Hub has built-in protection. A smart current sensor on each port will detect the over-current condition and automatically shut down that specific port to prevent damage to the hub or your other equipment. Your operating system will also receive a pop-up warning alerting you to the issue.
Is the 5Gbps speed of the USB Control Hub shared across all ports?
The hub has a total bandwidth of 5Gbps. While this bandwidth is shared among active devices, the hub features multi-transaction operation. This allows it to handle high-speed USB 3.1 traffic and slower USB 2.0 traffic concurrently without the slower devices creating a bottleneck for the faster ones, which is critical for planetary imaging and guiding at the same time.
How does the USB Control Hub handle both a fast USB 3.0 camera and a slower USB 2.0 guide camera?
The USB Control Hub is fully compliant with the USB 3.1 Gen1 specification and backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.0 devices. Its controller is designed to ensure that high-speed 5Gbps data transfers from a main imaging camera are not impacted by the simultaneous, slower data stream from a USB 2.0 guide camera, ensuring both operate at their maximum potential.