USB redirect for SmartBoard

dwchan · ‎12-02-2009

Has anyone try and successfully connect a SmartBoard to a VMview 3 or 4 client. The SmartBoard will be physically connect to a windows XP desktop, can a virtual XP Client form VMview able to usb redirect the smartboard device?

ErnieKim · ‎02-15-2010

Have you had any luck with this? We're trying to do the same and aren't able to.

-Ernie

SWCS833 · ‎02-15-2010

Would be interested too as we are in K-12 and are using smartboards. We haven't tried it yet though.

ErnieKim · ‎02-15-2010

I called SmartTech today, the maker of our SmartBoards. They support person said that they don't support thin clients. If we wanted thin client support, we should email usability@smarttech.com. I've send them email asking for Thin Client support. If others did the same, maybe we can get some traction.

I'm trying a few different tacts with this problem to get it to work. Hopefully something will come out of it.

nonsparker · ‎02-16-2010

I know with digital cameras we had to install the driver on the thin client and the VM.

Twitter @thickguythinapp
Website thickguythinapp.com

dwchan · ‎02-16-2010

Well, to instal the drivers for the VM guests are no big deals, but if the thinclients are CE or Linux, that this will be an issue.

ErnieKim · ‎02-18-2010

I wonder if I use a zero client, will this still be an issue? I could be wrong, but there's no OS to really install a driver onto with a zero client. Shouldn't it forward everything to the VM?

ErnieKim · ‎03-16-2010

So we were able to get the SmartBoard to work, but we had to buy a USB over IP hardware solution to make it work. We used AnywhereUSB by Digi:

http://www.amazon.com/Digi-Intl-ANYWHERE-O-CONC-301-1130-01/dp/B00006HWX6

We're getting a Wyse P-20 zero client and will try to test it with that without the AnywhereUSB.

dwchan · ‎03-19-2010

Awesome, can you provide a bit more details? What OS client (XP or vista), which drivers/app you install? What version of drivers/smartboard app you are running? Smartboard model? Is the smart board exclusively to one Guest? or can it share (not at the same time) to another client? What if you have multiple smartboard, how you delegate the right smart board to the right client?

ErnieKim · ‎03-19-2010

The VM was running XP with the latest service pack with the latest drives from the SmartBoard people. We're using a SmartBoard overlay on top of a Samsung monitor.

It's exclusively tied to one guest right now. But I guess it's possible with the Anywhere USB system to have multiple VMs connect to the SmartBoard. It wouldn't make much sense to do it at the same time. To tell you the truth we haven't really tested out the many SBs to one VM or many VMs to one SB scenarios.

It may be a little laggy, but I think it's due to our networking and having one ethernet drop feed a 100Mb/sec desktop switch.

I hope this helps.

gibsonbm · ‎01-13-2011

Are there any updates on this issue? We have just implemented VMware View 4.5 and smartboards. Didn't find this until after I tried to start setting it up.

Thanks,

Benji

indyogb · ‎03-11-2011

Anybody have any luck with this?

I can install the SmartBoard Drivers on the virtual desktop, and redirect the device successfully (using instructions at http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=101160...). However, while logging in, the SmartBoard LED flashes green for about 10 seconds, and then turns red, and after the login completes, the device is not installed. However, simply unplugging it from the USB port, and plugging it back in makes it work perfectly. The only hypothesis I have been able to formulate is that the device is redirected to the operating system before the driver is loaded, and the SmartBoard times-out before the driver is loaded (totally guessing here)? Is there a way to delay USB redirection?

I had the wild idea of installing the drivers on our Windows Embedded thin clients, but the software complains of disk space shortage. It was such a wild idea, that I kind of abandoned it at that point.

Thanks for any help anyone can give.

auhank · ‎08-24-2011

Is there a workaround better than unplug/plug the USB cable? We have the same experience as indyogb with the Smart Technologies smartboard.

RickatBabln · ‎11-01-2011

Smartboard works extremely well with Vsphere5 and View5 Windows7 VM . We had great results and we are currently deploying it as a solution.

The Wyse P20 works great with amazing full screen video (Out of the Box,No Mod Needed).

Repurposed desktop work too with excellent performance. I been waiting for this solution and and its here.

For repurposed desktops you need to modify the registry

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware VDM\USB]

Add the following reg key:

MULTI STRING VALUE

Give it the name =AllowHardwareIDs

Add the following data= VID_0B8C&PID_0001

Check out the following youtube video as it illustrates great results. Repurposed Desktop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc3hyPdmzeM&feature=related

Worked great with Wyse z90 too , but you need to add the registry PID and VID as flagged above.

Enjoy….

PS See attached is an actual pic of the registry

PhilofPerth · ‎02-23-2012

Hi RickatBabin

I am trying to attempt the exact same thing as you have described. WIN7/ P20/ Vsphere 5/ View 5. I have been able to install the software but not the drivers. Everytime I try to install the drivers the welcome sheild stalls at computing space requirements. Did you do anything special? Also I am using WIN7 x64.

RickatBabln · ‎02-28-2012

Hello PhilofPerth,

Its pretty much a straight forward install...... For both 32x and 64x

We have smartnotebook 10 installed before we connect the smartboard.

Once we connect the Smartboard it does take windows a couple of minutes for the VMware Virtual USB device driver to find itself.

Let this happen....

What you may be experiencing that you have a USB to serial connector for your 64x system. This requires requires a patch from Smart Tek.

http://smarttech.com/us/Support/Browse+Support/Download+Software/Software/SMART+software+patches/SMA...

Lets see if this helps...

rick

PhilofPerth · ‎03-02-2012

Hi Rickatbabin,

Got it all working, the issue was with the length of cable from the board. Plugged in a USB powered hub and it all worked. Only one issue now - why does it work as expected with all the applications except a thin append version of PowerPoint. It makes you click 4 times to go through each page, have you ever seen this before?

iforbes · ‎08-20-2014

Hi. We're trying to get it working with View 5.3.2, Windows 7 virtual desktops and Wyse P25's. Could you share how you got it to work?

Thanks

peterbrown05 · ‎08-20-2014

with regards to the 4x click... whilst this might not be the perfect solution (as it may disable other functionality you need) could you try disabling the Tablet PC Input Service" and see if that helps. If you have any other win7 "touch" related service (for example from a pen input device), maybe try disabling that. i have seen wierd things before where they amplify the number of clicks required.

not a perfect solution but maybe worth a shot.

cheers

peterB