Datamation

Datamation is the largest and most experienced source in the United States for several categories of equipment, including USB docking stations, charging carts and cabinets, mobile device management and anti-theft devices for equipment. Datamation provides solutions for many of our largest hospitals, school systems, universities and corporations.

 

Datamation has extensive experience with government and institutional applications, especially coordinating equipment deployments with systems integrators and infrastructure managers. Datamation has distributed nationally a variety of innovative tablet, mobile device and Chromebook devices. Datamation has developed specialized work stations for technology-intensive environments, including innovative workstations for people who are physically challenged, command centers and flexible trading desks.

A powerful feature built into Datamation Systems USB solutions can give you unprecedented control over your USB devices. Datamation's USB hubs and related cabinets and carts are based on components developed by Cambrionix, leaders in mobile technology for charging and connectivity. These solutions are designed and built for professional environments. They are truly future-proof, allowing field updates to device firmware. And they are built to last.

Most users communicate with these hubs using software tools such as Apple Configurator, iTunes and other mobile device management products.

But many do not even know that these hubs also offer user control of devices connected to each port with a unique open API. Available for use on GNU/Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Apple Macintosh computers, this interface allows developers to write simple scripts to control or retrieve information from iPhones, iPads, Android tablets and phones, and other USB devices (such as scanners, cameras, VR devices, etc.).

The API consists of a service module or daemon that is loaded on the host computer. The service module is accessed via JSON-RPC calls over a TCP/IP socket. We can provide customers with sample Python code complete with the necessary JSON library code to be able to make the necessary calls for controlling our Cambrionix-enabled universal hubs connected to the host computer.

It is possible to access the API from any programming environment that has support for making JSON-RPC calls over a TCP/IP socket.

The API works across the full range of our Cambrionix-powered devices, including the new, superfast ThunderSync: the first Thunderbolt sync and charge hub.

Most USB syncing hubs do not charge devices at more than a trickle rate while syncing. A recent firmware enhancement for our customers permitted them to update their Cambrionix-based (PP and U series) USB hubs to add a valuable feature: the ability to charge while iPads and other devices are in sync mode.

Some devices (including Apple devices with Lightning connectors and certain others such as Google Nexus 7 and 10, etc.), have the ability to sync and charge at a power setting that is higher than the normal USB 2.0 sync rate of 500mA. This allows our hubs to provide a charge rate of approximately 1.5A in sync mode.

This permits you, under some circumstances, to fully charge devices while they are left in sync mode, something that is not possible with conventional sync-charge systems. If you are using devices that can take advantage of this, you can leave your devices connected to a host and still charge them overnight. If the devices are not in active use with displays on full, playing videos, etc., they will go from depleted to charged with this feature.

Will the screen display that the iPads are charging?
Yes, iPads equipped with Lightning cables will display that they are charging in this mode. Other devices might not. It depends on the device.

Technology deployments create new and challenging classroom management issues. One important challenge is how teachers control the distribution and return of iPads and tablets that have to be removed from carts, taken to student workstations and returned for storage, charging and protection.

Most carts create a management bottleneck, forcing teachers to supervise crowding in front of cart doors or distribute devices in groups, both of which eat away at precious teaching time. Students and teachers have to bend way down to take and replace devices and locking and unlocking these conventional carts are cumbersome.
 

Datamation Systems’ Gather’Round carts let students remove and replace iPads and tablets from all sides and even give teachers the option of pulling out lift-out trays for faster distribution of small, light devices. Some teachers have told us they can save five to ten minutes, which means more time for learning and less classroom chaos.

Gather’ Round top-load carts are available in capacities of 24, 32 and 40. Tray heights are adjustable to accommodate a range of iPad and Chromebook model sizes and their cases. Datamation also has a top-load model designed exclusively for 13” and 14” Chromebooks. iPad cart versions are available with charge-only and sync-charge capability.