Amest Santim General Business

 Overview

The X Series PCI direct connect access device allows for up to 7 (seven) users to simultaneously share a single PC at a fraction of the cost of a typical PC. Each user enjoys their own virtual workspace complete with their own applications, settings, files and preferences providing each user with a rich PC experience.

Most PC users only use a small fraction—as low as 5%—of the power they have. PC-Station takes the excess capacity and allows additional users to utilize the wasted power.

With a PC-Station solution, each user still has their own monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. However, instead of connecting directly to a PC, these peripherals connect to a small PC-Station access terminal on their desk. The access terminals then connect to the host PC, it uses a high-performance software that comes bundled with the devices, free of charge.

PC-Station runs on Windows Xp and Linux (Ubuntu). It features compact design, a stereo jack, and 16-bit video for 800×600 and 1024×768 video modes. The performance of each access terminal is similar to the host PC.  The configuration includes one or two PCI cards, each of which has three connectors. PC-Station access devices connect directly to each PCI card via standard cables (up to 9 meters long using Cat 6e network cable).

PC-Station is best used for common PC applications such as Internet browsing, e-mail, office suites, educational software, accounting applications etc. It doesn’t support 3D games, heavy video based applications or CAD applications.

Key Benefits

• Easy to Install – With each kit including PC-Station software, a PCI card and three access devices (terminals), set up is as easy as plugging in the card and installing the software.
• Powerful and Flexible - Software applications run simultaneously and independently on each virtual desktop. The access devices are small, silent and can be mounted on the back of the monitor or on a wall.
• Economical and Efficient – Share one PC with up to 7 users and lower your computer hardware and support costs by up to 70%.
• Green and Clean – Uses only 1 watt of energy per user, and weighs just a few grams.

PC-Station Savings Calculator

Host Computer Requirements

To add one set of PC-Station (three additional users) to a given host, it needs to have at least a Pentium IV processor with 2.8GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. To add two sets of PC-Station (six additional users) the host computer needs to have a processor speed of at least 3.4GHz and 2 GB of RAM. PC-Station also requires MS Windows Xp to be installed on the host computer. It runs on all versions of Win Xp but works best on Service Pack 3. It can also be used with various version of Linux such as Ubuntu and Debian Linux.

Limitations

The terminals do not have a microphone port and therefore voice requiring applications such as Skype voice chatting are not supported. The lack of a USB port also means you can not plug in individual web cams or other USB devices but you can run USB Extension Cables (see picture) from the host computer to the station and use the PC-Station management console to assign specific USB ports on the host for specific terminals to achieve a USB port for every station (terminal) user. The host computer can also be used for such purposes as it has all the necessary ports.

Moreover if USB ports are a requirement, you can choose to use our USB based multi-user device called Multipoint Workstation.

Cabling Guide

Although PC-Station supports Cat 5e cables (for lengths up to 5 meters) it is advisable to use Cat 6e cables. With Cat 6e cables, you can go up to a maximum length of 10 meters for each cable.

Cables should be terminated to RJ-45 connectors according to the standard method (wires match on both ends of the cables). This is the most common configuration available when purchasing standard patch cables. So called “cross-over” cables (used to directly connect two Ethernet devices without a switch) CANNOT be used.

PC-Station systems can be configured in a wide variety of ways depending on the specific needs of your application. The following examples can be used to help identify the approximate cable lengths for your installation. The examples assume a center-to-center spacing of 1 meter between users (for side-by-side configurations) and a table height of 1 meter. Classrooms, office cubicles, Internet cafés and other environments have unique needs and furniture can also vary in size. Please use the following guidelines just as a starting point for your planning. It is important to carefully measure your specific environment to ensure the right cable length.

Remember you can also download and use iTimer, our FREE Internet Cafe Management Software.

Warranty

We warrant this hardware product against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE (1) YEAR from the date of original retail purchase. If a defect exists, at its option Amest Santim General Business PLC will (1) repair the product at no charge, using new or refurbished replacement parts or (2) exchange the product with a product that is new or which has been manufactured from new or serviceable used parts and is at least functionally equivalent to the original product. A replacement product/part assumes the remaining warranty of the original product. When a product or part is exchanged, any replacement item becomes your property and the replaced item becomes Amest Santim General Business PLC’s property.

This Warranty applies only to hardware products sold by Amest Santim General Business PLC and that can be identified by different marks, names, stamps or logo affixed to them. The Warranty does not apply to similar hardware products sold by other vendors or any software, even if packaged or sold with Amest Santim General Business PLC’s hardware.  Software distributed by Amest Santim General Business PLC is not covered under this Warranty. Amest Santim General Business PLC is not liable for any damage to or loss of any programs, data, or other information stored on any media. This warranty does not apply: (a) to damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, misapplication, or non-Amest Santim General Business PLC products; (b) to damage caused by service; (c) to a product or a part that has been modified; or (d) if any Amest Santim General Business PLC or original manufacturer serial number has been removed or defaced.