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Switch 5 childrens classroom application

Discussion in 'KVM' started by AvishaiBartov, Dec 9, 2017.

  1. AvishaiBartov

    AvishaiBartov Member

    Hi,

    I need advise with the system engineering and product recommendations to solve the following problem:

    We have a Windows application that helps childrens with reading difficulties. It has to work in a setting where there are 5 childrens seatings in 5 different rooms, each of them in front of a PC. The student has headphone and microphone. There is also a teacher on a separate workstation, with headphones and microphone that helps them during the session:
    • The student is listening to the application audio (the audio is a story that is being read with pauses, basically every sentence)
    • During the pause the student repeats (talk) the previous sentence.
    • The student should be able to hear himself talking in the headphones (self hearing)
    • The teacher should be able to hear everything the student can hear (story + student speech)
    • The student and teacher should be able to talk between them. So in addition, the student should be able to hear the teacher.
    • KVM - the teacher should be able to switch to a specific student at a time (one of the 5) in order to configure and run the application. Ideally, in a single switch, audio communication (student teacher) will happen as well.
    Thanks,

    Avishai Bartov
     
  2. KVMGalore Expert

    KVMGalore Expert Staff Member

    Avishai,

    We have a few clarifying questions:
    1) What is the longest distance between the teacher's location and the 5 children in different rooms?
    2) What type of video interface do the children's and the teacher's computers have (e.g. VGA, DVI, HDMI)?
    3) What type of keyboard/mouse interface do the children's and the teacher's computers have (e.g. USB, PS/2)?
     
  3. AvishaiBartov

    AvishaiBartov Member

    Hi,
    1) Longest distance is 15 meters
    2) The childrens don't have a monitor (they are just listening and reading a book) the video intrface from the childrens computer is flexible as we didn't purchase the computers yet. So there is no limitation here.
    3) Again, these are all flexible, if we buy a modern PC it will have both

    thanks,

    Avishai
     
  4. KVMGalore Expert

    KVMGalore Expert Staff Member

    Avishai,

    Being that neither the children's computers nor the teachers computer are using video, keyboard/mouse, this leaves their KVM ports available for connecting to a KVM switch.
    And being that the distance between the teacher's location and the furthest child location is 15 meters (about 50 feet) - we recommend you use a CAT-5 KVM switch.

    We envision positioning the KVM switch at the teacher's location and connecting all 6 computers (teacher + 5 children) to it using its compatible dongles and CATx cables.
    Have the teacher connect its console to the KVM switch. The teacher can use the KVM switch to control its own local computer, or at any time switch to any of the 5 children's computers in order to control it, configure it and run the application on it.

    Since video resolution is probably less important in this application you could go with KH1508A: an older model that only supports 1600x1200 resolution and VGA video.
    But you may also want to check out MasterConsole Digital KVM Switch, 1 User, 8 Ports: a newer model that supports 1920x1200 and supports digital video.
    Both will support running CATx from the dongles to the switch at the distance you specified.

    Hope this helps!
    We welcome your questions - please come back and ask us anything, anytime, or just offer your feedback.
     
  5. AvishaiBartov

    AvishaiBartov Member

    Hi,
    Going back to the spec definitions I sent in my first message, there are also audio requirements. Can your recommend equipment for a full solution?

    thanks,

    Avishai
     
  6. KVMGalore Expert

    KVMGalore Expert Staff Member

    It is our understanding that all the above audio requirements are handled by your Windows application.

    MasterConsole Digital KVM Switch, 1 User, 8 Ports supports audio (speakers only) when used with a VGA or HDMI computer. You may need to leave the teacher's computer out of the KVM switch setup since it requires both mic and speakers capability to operate your Windows application.
     
  7. AvishaiBartov

    AvishaiBartov Member

    I saw that the KVM support audio, so the audio of the remote computer can be heraed from the KVM. Is there a KVM solution that includes remote microphone, i.e. microphone on the KVM is connected to the remote computer from distance?
     
  8. KVMGalore Expert

    KVMGalore Expert Staff Member

    Yes. AdderView DDX10 and its User Station (AdderView DDX-USR) support both speakers and microphone.
     
  9. AvishaiBartov

    AvishaiBartov Member

    That seems very close to what I need, perhapse you can help me or refere me to someone who can help to close the audio gap.

    The requirements are as following: (copy for convinencefrom my first post)

    We have a Windows application that helps childrens with reading difficulties. It has to work in a setting where there are 5 childrens seatings in 5 different rooms, each of them in front of a PC. The student has headphone and microphone. There is also a teacher on a separate workstation, with headphones and microphone that helps them during the session:
    1. The student is listening to the application audio (the audio is a story that is being read with pauses, basically every sentence)
    2. During the pause the student repeats (talk) the previous sentence.
    3. The student should be able to hear himself talking in the headphones (self hearing)
    4. The teacher should be able to hear everything the student can hear (story + student speech)
    5. The student and teacher should be able to talk between them. So in addition, the student should be able to hear the teacher.
    6. KVM - the teacher should be able to switch to a specific student at a time (one of the 5) in order to configure and run the application. Ideally, in a single switch, audio communication (student teacher) will happen as well.
    So, this is my analysis (please advise):
    • My assumption is that the student self hearing (3) can be achived using USB sound card on the sdudent computer side (please advise)
    • Now what we need is an audio mixer (probably S/W) for all the inputs: Student microphone, The application, Teacher microphone
    • Mixer output should go to both teacher and student headphones - I think that can be solved using the AdderView DDX10 + DDX-USR
    Can you recommend a USB sound card and an audio mixer (or any other configuration) that may bridge the gap?

    thanks,

    Avishai
     
  10. KVMGalore Expert

    KVMGalore Expert Staff Member

    Avishai,

    As mentioned before, it is our understanding that all the above audio requirements are handled by your Windows application, and that you were looking for A KVM switch as described in your requirement #6.

    A KVM switch cannot 'create' any of the audio features you described - they need to be created by each computer and/or the software application it's running.
    A KVM switch only allows you to access and control multiple computers from one console. Your computers can play sound (speakers) a accept sound input (microphone), and so AdderView DDX10 and its User Station (AdderView DDX-USR) support this functionality.

    Unfortunately we do not handle sound cards or audio mixers.

    Hope this helps!
    We welcome your questions - please come back and ask us anything, anytime, or just offer your feedback.
     

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