CAMBRIONIX U8S User manual

User Manual
U8S
2022-06
© 2021 Cambrionix Ltd. All rights reserved.
EN

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1. Table of Contents
1. Table of Contents 2
2. Your U8S at a glance 4
2.1. Key Features 4
3. Safety 5
3.1. Signal word panel 5
3.2. Safety alert symbol 6
3.3. Pictograms 6
3.4. Product modification 6
3.5. Power supply 7
3.6. Storage and Installation 8
3.7. OEM 9
4. Getting Started 10
4.1. Opening your product 10
4.2. What's Included 10
4.3. Connecting to Host 10
4.4. Connecting the U8S to the Power Supply Unit using Spade Con-
nectors 12
4.5. Registration 12
4.6. Help and Support 12
5. Using your U8S 13
5.1. Using without connecting to host 13
5.2. Using when connected to host 13
5.2.1 Connecting the Hub to a host computer 13
5.2.2 Charging 13
5.2.3 Data Transfer 14
5.2.4 Communication Interface and Protocol 14
5.2.5 Connecting U8S for API 15
5.3. Manage Ports & Your U8S 16
5.3.1 Port Modes 16
5.3.2 Charging Profiles 16
5.3.3 Firmware 16
5.4. Software 18
5.4.1 Installing Software 18
5.4.2 LiveViewer 19
5.4.3 Cambrionix API 20

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5.4.4 Updating Software 20
5.4.5 Removing Software 21
5.4.6 Command Line Instructions (CLI) 22
5.5. Scalability 24
5.6. Cooling the U8S 25
5.7. Cleaning your U8S 26
6. Product Specifications 27
6.1. Input Power Requirements 27
6.2. Output Power 27
6.3. Physical specifications 27
6.4. Consumables and Placing Orders 27
7. Troubleshooting 30
7.1. Initial troubleshooting tips 30
7.2. Logging through LiveViewer 30
7.3. Hardware Failure 30
7.4. Device connection. 31
7.5. Hub connection issues 32
7.6. No GUI 33
7.7. Software troubleshooting 33
8. Returns and Damaged Products 34
8.1. What do I do if my order arrives and something the product is faulty
or is physically damaged? 34
8.2. What happens after I have requested a Return? 34
9. Compliance and Standards 36

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2. Your U8S at a glance
The U8S provides 10W of charging power to each of its 10 x USB 2.0 Type-A ports, allowing
mobile devices to be charged quickly, safely and reliably. All ports can be controlled using
Cambrionix software to enable charging and data transfer while monitoring important port and
device information.
The U8S can charge attached USB devices without using a local computer, and our intelligent
charging algorithm allows almost any device to be charged at its optimum rate (up to 2.1A). The
firmware can be updated to enable new charging profiles, ensuring the U8S can charge the
latest devices. It is ready to charge out-of-the-box and sync devices when attached to a host
computer.
When a local (host) computer is connected, the host can control the operation of the ports
using freely available software. Device charging and synchronisation can be monitored through
Cambrionix’s LiveViewer App, the Application Programming Interface (API) or Command Line
Interface (CLI). Cambrionix’s free monitoring and control software can be downloaded from
www.cambrionix.com/software
2.1. Key Features
Up To
480Mbps
per Port
Up To
2.1A
per Port
Up To
32
Devices
Transfer Data Seamlessly Power Scalability
Each high-speed port can
transfer data up to 480Mbps
Each port can charge devices up
to 2.1A (10W)
Up to 32 devices can be con-
nected at once using multiple
hubs

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3. Safety
This user manual is for informational purposes only, it contains information for the start-up and
operation of this product. Note: the contents and the product described are subject to change
without notice. To avoid injuries and damage, observe the safety instructions in the user
manual.
This manual has been arranged to follow IEC/ICEE 82079-1 standard. This is to facilitate the
easier understanding and location of information relating to the U8S. Any errors or omissions
can be reported using our support ticket system (seeHelp and Support). This way, any issues
can be collected and fixed.
Understanding and observing the instructions in this user manual are prerequisites for
hazard-free use and safety during operation. This user manual cannot cover all possible
applications. If you would like additional information or if problems arise that are not
sufficiently addressed in this manual, please ask your distributor or contact us directly using the
means preferred, which are located on the back cover of this manual.
CAUTION
Personal Injury and Damage to the product
lObserve the safety instructions in this user manual
3.1. Signal word panel
Depending on the probability of serious consequences, potential dangers are identified with a
signal word, the corresponding safety colour, and if appropriate, the safety alert symbol.
CAUTION
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, may result in moderate or
minor (reversible) injury.
CAUTION
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in damage to the
product and its functions, or to property in its proximity.

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3.2. Safety alert symbol
Use of the safety alert symbol indicates a risk of injury.
Observe all measures that are marked with the safety alert symbol in order to
avoid injury
3.3. Pictograms
Warning Signs
Electrical hazard Fire Hazard
Mandatory action signs
Read operating instructions Mandatory regulation
3.4. Product modification
Cambrionix products are designed and manufactured to meet the requirements of UK and
International safety regulations. Modifications to the product could affect safety and render the
product non-compliant with relevant safety standards, resulting in injury or damage to the
product.
CAUTION
An electric shock or personal injury may occur

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CAUTION
lDo not modify the product in any way.
lDo not dismantle the product.
CAUTION
Fire, or personal injury may occur
lDo not obstruct air vents on the product.
lDo not cover the product in combustible material.
CAUTION
Damage to your product may occur
lDo not bend or compress any part of the product.
3.5. Power supply
This section describes the safety precautions you must follow when using the power supply.
CAUTION
An electric shock or personal injury may occur
lDo not use a damaged power cord or plug, or a loose power socket.
lDo not touch the power plug with wet hands.
lDo not allow liquids to come into contact with the unit or power supply.
CAUTION
Damage to your product may occur
lDo not short circuit the Power Supply Unit (PSU) supplied with your
product.

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CAUTION
lDo not disconnect the power cord while the product is being used.
lDo not bend or pull the power cord with excessive force.
3.6. Storage and Installation
This section describes safety precautions you must follow when installing and storing your U8S.
CAUTION
An electric shock or personal injury may occur
lDo not place the power cord near heat sources.
lConnect the plug to an earthed socket.
CAUTION
Damage to your Cambrionix product may occur
lOperate the product only in an environment where the ambient
temperature is inside the operating temperature range.
lOperate the product only in an environment where the relative humidity is
inside the operating range.
lBe careful not to leave the power cord underneath a heavy object.
CAUTION
Overheated power sockets may cause a fire
lDo not overload the power socket that your hub is connected to.
lInsert the power plug all the way into the socket so that it is not loose.

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3.7. OEM
CAUTION
Personal injury may occur
lCambrionix OEM modules have sharp edges, corners and components.
suitable protective equipment must be worn whilst handling.
CAUTION
Damage to your Cambrionix OEM module may occur
lWhen mounting a Cambrionix OEMmodule, all mounting holes should be
used with appropriate spacers, screws and a torque level of 1.1Nm.
lCambrionix OEM modules are susceptible to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).
OEM modules should be handled in an ESDsafe area.
lThis product is not reverse-polarity protected. The power connections
MUSTbe connected correctly. If in doubt, please contact Cambrionix.

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4. Getting Started
This manual provides a reference for end-users installing for the first time and using their hub
after that. As well as a guide for product safety-related information.
The U8S is intended to be used in an indoor static environment in which the environment falls
within the tested specifications to provide charge, sync and management functionality. Please
see the physical specifications section of this manual for information on the environment
specifications.
4.1. Opening your product
When you have received your product, please check the packing slip to ensure all contents and
quantities are correct before opening. This is to avoid retesting and repackaging any items that
are not required.
When opening the packaging, use a suitable method to open the box i.e, do not use a knife.
This is to ensure the product is not damaged.
CAUTION
Personal Injury and Damage to the product
lThere will be a sticker on the hub advising you to read the User manual before use. This
will need to be removed before use as it may be covering host ports, vents etc.
4.2. What's Included
lU8S Hub
4.3. Connecting to Host
Once the power is connected, connect the U8S to your host system using a USB 2.0 Type-B
cable. Using an incorrect host cable may result in the hub and all subsequent ports not being
recognised by your host.
Please note that USB specifications require a minimum 100 mA charge current to be delivered
during data transfer. As indicated in above, if the attached device has a BC1.2 compliant CDP
port, the device can draw up to 2.1A while transferring data.

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4.4. Connecting the U8S to the Power Supply Unit using
Spade Connectors
Having ensured the output voltage of the DC power supply is 5.0V +/-5%, and certainly does not
exceed 5.6 Vdc, connect the PSU to the U8S using insulated copper cables of no less than six
mm2 cross-section and no longer than 150 mm. Longer cables or smaller cross-sections are
likely to cause a voltage drop across the cable and improper board operation.
With the mains power supply disconnected, the PSU should be connected to the input spade
terminals on the U8S using the cable (described above) terminated (at the U8S end) with crimp
connectors. The positive voltage spade terminal is closest to the U8S board edge, and Ground
(GND) is marked on the U8S board close to the innermost spade terminal.
Taking appropriate safety precautions, turn the mains supply on. Periodic inspection should be
made to power supply cables and any USB cables for any signs of damage. If any damage is
found then replace damaged cord before further use.
4.5. Registration
You may register your product at www.cambrionix.com/product-registration
4.6. Help and Support
FAQs and help can be found on the Help page here
lwww.cambrionix.com/help_pages/help.
You can raise a support ticket for more in depth support here
lhttps://cambrionix.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portals
You can also download any of our manuals and keep up to date at the link here
lwww.cambrionix.com/product-user-manuals
When contacting support, please supply the product information for the hub in question. This
can be found on the Device Information Plate which is either on the underside or back of the
unit. Including serial and Purchaseorder numbers, can help identify the product in question
faster, and speed up the process.

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5. Using your U8S
In this section, you can find information using your hub in a charge only or a charge and sync
application. You can also find information on managing your hub, changing port modes,
connecting multiple hubs to one host and using Cambrionix Software.
5.1. Using without connecting to host
When the Hub is switched on and is not connected to a local host computer it is
automatically configured to charge devices using its intelligent charging algorithm. Connect the
devices to be charged to any of the available ports (not the Host Port) using
USB - compliant cables.
Once the devices are connected, the algorithm will detect the highest charge rate allowable for
each attached device. Charging at the optimum rate (up to 2.1A) specified by the manufacturer
will commence once profiling is complete. Depending on the state of charge of the device
attached, this may take tens of seconds.
5.2. Using when connected to host
5.2.1 Connecting the Hub to a host computer
Connect the U8S to your host system using a USB 2.0 Type-B cable. Using an incorrect host
cable may result in the hub and all subsequent ports not being recognised by your host.
5.2.2 Charging
When the Host Port is connected to a local computer, the hub defaults to Sync mode and
charge currents are determined according to USB Implementers Forum (USBIF) Super-Speed
USB3 specifications. If the attached device complies with USB-IF Battery Charging
specification BC1.2 and supports Charging Downstream Port (CDP), the hub can provide
high-speed charging at 2.1A. If the connected device does not comply with BC1.2, the charge
current will be limited to 500 mA in compliance with USB specifications.

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If you wish to limit the charging to your devices whilst connected to your host system then you
can disable CDPon all ports by inputting the following commands.
The CLI commands for turning off the sync charg options, with a 1 or 0 per port.
settings_unlock
settings_reset
settings_set sync_chrg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
settings_set alt_sync_chrg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
reboot
This can also be done via the API if this is easier. Just supply that string (joined with \n) like:
cbrxapi.cbrx_connection_set(handle, "Settings", "settings_unlock-
\nsettings_reset\nsettings_set sync_chrg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0\nsettings_set alt_sync_chrg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0\nreboot")
Note that settings_reset clears any previous settings, so if you need to retain something else, it
would be better to issue settings_display first, which gives you the entire settings which you
can then modify and re-issue in entirity.
5.2.3 Data Transfer
If you wish to transfer data, change applications, restore or update your mobile device, a data
connection to a local host computer is required. The hub is compatible with macOS®,
Windows™ and Linux® operating systems and can transfer data between these operating
systems and many mobile operating systems such as iOS™ and Android™.
In order to transfer data, connect the host port to your local (host) computer using a USB 2.0
Type-B compliant cable. Any devices connected to the hub will now appear as if they were
connected to the host computer’s USB port.
5.2.4 Communication Interface and Protocol
TheU8S appears as a virtual serial port (also called a UART or VCP). On Microsoft™ Windows,
the system will appear as a COM port. On macOS®, a device file is created in the / directory. S is
an alpha-numeric serial string unique to each device
/dev/tty.usbserial S

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Devices incorporate a FT230X USB to UART converter IC from FTDI International. On Windows 7
or later, a driver may automatically be installed (if Windows is configured to download drivers
from the internet automatically). If this is not the case, or if a Mac® or Linux® platform is used,
the driver may be downloaded from www.ftdichip.com. The VCP drivers are required. For
Linux® or Mac computers, the default OS drivers should be used.
The default communications settings should be set to 115200 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, and
one stop bit. This is sometimes referred to as "115200,8,N,1". No flow control is used. ANSI
terminal emulation should be selected
5.2.5 Connecting U8S for API
In order for the U8S to work correctly with the API there must be a USB Type-A to Mini-B cable
that connects the control or update port to an expansion port on the same product. This is in
addition to the USB cable that connects the host port to the machine running the API.

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5.3. Manage Ports & Your U8S
Each port on your U8S can be managed either individually, or all together. You can turn the
ports off and on, change the port mode, or change the charging profiles. This can be done
either through LiveViewer, or by connecting to the hub via the API.
5.3.1 Port Modes
Charge Turn specific ports or the whole hub to charge only mode (no data
channels open only power)
Sync Turn specific ports or the whole hub to sync mode (data and power
channels open)
Biassed Detect the presence of a device but it will not sync or charge it.
Off Turn specific ports on or off or switch the whole hub on or off. (no
power and no data channels open)
5.3.2 Charging Profiles
To ensure attached devices charge at their optimum rate, our smart USB hubs come with the
below intelligent charging profiles built in:
0 Intelligent charging algorithm which will select a profile 1-6
1 2.1A (Apple)
2BC1.2 Standard (this covers the majority of Android™ phones and
other devices)
3 Samsung
4 2.1A (Profile 1 but with a longer timeout)
5 1.0A (Typically used by Apple)
6 2.4A (Typically used by Apple)
5.3.3 Firmware
The firmware can be kept up to date using our LiveViewer software. As part of delivering an
easy user experience, our LiveViewer application is now a set-and-forget solution. The
LiveViewer application will discover your USB hub’s firmware and present an update for you.
To update the firmware, first, go to the firmware updater section of LiveViewer. Here you can
see the available Firmware versions to download and install to the hub. To download a

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firmware file click on the version under the "downloadable firmware updates" section. once
downloaded it will appear in the "Available firmware files" section.
The current firmware version on the hub is displayed in the firmware updater section alongside
the hub's name. This will appear red if a newer version is available or green if it is the most up
to date.
To install the firmware onto the hub click the hub/ hubs connected that you want to update,
then select the firmware version you want to upgrade to. Once selected press the update
button at the top and the update will commence.
CAUTION
Your Cambrionix Firmware may get corrupted
lDo not interrupt the Firmware update process.
lDo not disconnect the power during the update process.

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5.4. Software
More productivity, saving you time. Cambrionix provides three interfaces by which the Hub can
be monitored and managed:
• LiveViewer
• Cambrionix API
• Command Line Instructions
The U8S uses string commands to communicate with the host system. These can be sent via the
virtual serial port of the U8S directly, or the API can be used to provide other protocols that
send translated string commands. LiveViewer can use the API to interact with the devices
through a user-friendly application.
There are three different channels for both our LiveViewer application and the API. The three
channels are Alpha/ Beta and Release. We would recommend using the release version of both
the APIand LiveViewer.
We will push bug fixes and updates through Alpha and then onto Beta before it is merged into
the Release version. If you have found a bug that we have a fix for, the Alpha and Beta releases
may already have addressed these and implemented fixes.
5.4.1 Installing Software
Cambrionix has two pieces of software that can be used to manage the devices and your hub
using different host systems. This section has instructions and information on using our
software on three of the most popular host systems.
Our software is available to download from www.cambrionix.com/software, you will find
software available for Windows™, Mac® and Linux® Systems.
To install on Mac® and Windows™ systems, download the install files from the above link, once
downloaded run the install process and dialogue boxes will help you through installation and
initial set-up.
For Linux® systems, download the install files from the website at the above link. Once
downloaded, you can either install it from the desktop GUI or the command line via:
sudo apt install ./

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after this command you will need to enter the file name that has just been downloaded from
our website.
5.4.2 LiveViewer
LiveViewer is an application downloaded from www.cambrionix.com/products/liveviewer.
Once downloaded and installed on the host computer, LiveViewer allows you to switch the
ports on and off, set the port to charge only, or sync mode. LiveViewer’s home page shows the
following information about all the ports:
• Status (Attached/disconnected)
• Mode (Charge/Sync/Off)
• Profile (Charging profile)
• Duration (How long the device has been attached)
• End time (Time the battery reaches a threshold (full) level)
• Current (Quick charge current in mA)
• Energy (Present energy rate)
Tick boxes adjacent to each port symbol allow that port mode to be changed. When the port is
in Sync mode, only instantaneous current can be monitored through LiveViewer. When the port
is in Charge mode, the charge profile, current, energy rate, charge duration and end time are
displayed. In addition to individual port information and control, LiveViewer shows the hub rail
voltages, time since switched on, total current and power, and temperature. Further details on
LiveViewer are available on our website.
NVRAMsettings
Within your hub, there are some specific controllable settings called "none volatile
RAMsettings", which are referred to as NVRAM settings. These control a variety of different
settings on your U8S.
You can navigate to the NVRAMsettings by opening LiveViewer and selecting the hub you want
to connect to. Once you have chosen the connected hub, navigate to the below icon on the top
right of the screen from LiveViewer and click on advanced.

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Once you have pressed advanced this will take you to the advanced settings page where you
can view and change the NVRAMsettings, including reverting back to default factory settings.
There is more information on the NVRAMsettings and how to manage them in our CLImanual.
which can be found at the link here.
5.4.3 Cambrionix API
Cambrionix API allows you to monitor and control each port in more detail and to integrate
these functions into your own workflow processes. The API comprises a daemon that can be
downloaded from www.cambrionix.com/products/api and installed on the host machine. Port
information and control can be provided through the API using JavaScript Object Notation
(JSON) Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) over TCP. JSON-RPC calls send a request to the API to
“Get” port, device or Hub information, or “Set” port functions (such as mode). A library of
sample Python code can be obtained from www.cambrionix.com/products/api to help you
integrate many of these functions into your process workflow alongside the complete user
manual.
5.4.4 Updating Software
By using LiveViewer you will be able to automatically download and install the most up to date
software (LiveViewer and the Cambrionix API)
By going into the settings section on the left-hand side of LiveViewer, you can navigate to the
general tab, and under this can see the options for keeping both LiveViewer and the APIup to
date.