AV via USB-C: Ochno Power Conference 3 in a practical test
by Dominik Roennekearticle from the archives of
The Swedish manufacturer’s philosophy is simple: “One smart port. For everything.” Ochno relies on USB-C as the only interface for video conferences and collaboration. This is followed by a test for the Ochno Power Conference 3.
According to Ochno, everything needed to connect to one another should be combined in a single cable, stylishly, easily and efficiently for all types of workplaces. It is therefore not surprising that the front of the Ochno Power Conference 3 (OPC3 for short) is very manageable and only has USB-C ports. In general, the device is intended for installation directly under the tabletop rather invisibly using the included mounting brackets. From there, the cable routing can be routed into table sockets, for example, which users can use to connect to their digital devices via USB-C. This is trendy, as most notebooks and tablets now have this connection.
The four USB-C inputs on the front are each equipped with a screw-on connection lock. Alternatively, “normal” USB-C plugs can also be used. For permanently installed technology
The secured connection is of course preferable. The inputs are specified for DisplayPort Alt-Mode 1.1 – 1.4 with a maximum bandwidth of 32 GBit/s. On the back there is the video output via HDMI, two USB 3.1 (Super Speed up to 5 GBit/s) and two USB Type-A ports for I/O devices or for the assignment of a maximum of four ” LED button switch”.
On the front of Ochno Power Conference 3 there are only four USB-C inputs, which are secured with screw locks. (Image: Ochno)
With the “Daisy Chain Adapter” from Ochno it is possible to connect several OPC units. With this “star topology” you can e.g. For example, large meeting rooms can be served with up to 16 USB-C ports. The daisy chain adapter is connected to the I/O ports of an OPC-3 so that up to four devices can be connected.
In addition, the device has a connection to “Cloud Management” with a network connection and WiFi antenna on this side of the housing. The power supply via a power supply enables the device to have a power of up to 100 W per USB-C port on the four USB-C and the additional four USB-A ports with a total power of 180 W. This means that the individual USB ports can be used. C ports can be used as desired to transmit video signals and/or to charge notebooks and smartphones.
Operational readiness of the Ochno Power Conference 3
There is a push button labeled “Console” on the back of the device. This allows the four input channels to be activated alternately in a row. Three red LEDs serve as a visual control, showing the four different video input options (all three LEDs light up for input channel four). This “toggle” mode also provides a fifth position in which none of the four video signals are present at the HDMI output.
There is only a single control button on the back next to the power supply, HDMI, USBA, RJ 45 and WiFi antenna connections. (Image: Ochno)
In this use mode, the USB-C switcher can be used directly without any pre-configuration, e.g. B. for “Bring your own device” (BYOD) applications. The change from input to input takes place with a change time of a few seconds over black and with visualization of the image resolution of the newly applied image signal.
Ochno Power Conference 3 is intended for use in workplaces, presentation and video conference rooms. Especially in permanent installations, signal management and media use should be tailored to the room. Webcams, conference speakers or video bars should also be connected to video conference rooms. The device is connected to these devices via HDMI and USB Type A. Users only need to connect a single cable connection via their USB-C output on the notebook or tablet, for example to start a video conference.
If a wireless connection is to be provided for users, this can be done, for example, with Barco Clickshare via the USB-C inputs of the OPC3.
For installation, brackets for the device and the power supply are included in the scope of delivery. (Image: Ochno)
Ochno Power Conference 3 application configurations
Various manual and automatic source circuits are provided for the application. For manual operation, Ochno, for example, offers USB-C cables with a built-in socket and an integrated LED LED/button, which are embedded directly into the table at the seats or screwed into a control panel. Participants can connect their digital devices to one of these sockets via USB-C and activate their AV signal using the small “LED button” and send it to the room display. This means that participants can take turns manually and easily on the display at any time. The LED color indicates the activated source. For this functionality, the Ochno cable includes a second parallel cable, which is connected to the “LED Switch & I/O” connection via an adapter on the back of the Power Conference 3. The Ochno system alternatively provides for the connection of customer-specific LED buttons.
USB-C built-in ports, switchable and with status display via LED, are used for intuitive input switching. (Image: Ochno)
Since the USB-C input also transmits the USB communication signals, an active participant is also connected to the “room equipment” permanently installed via “USB Pass Through”, for example. B. to start a video conference. These can be: a webcam, a video bar and also microphone arrays or conference speakers.
Retractable USB-C connection cables can be advantageously used: no additional cables are required for operational reliability. (Image: Ochno)
For automatic switching, the Ochno Power Conference 3 will be configurable via the Ochno Management Console via PC. This is done via the USB-C input 4. The open Management Console is activated with the OPC3 after pressing the “console button” for five seconds. Now the switching behavior can be defined: What is active when starting? Which input is the default channel? What happens when you plug in a new source? Which sources should be included in the desired switching logic? How to handle the inclusion of Microsoft Teams Room (MTR)? How should MTR and BYOD scenarios be organized? Should individual channels only be enabled for power supply? For example, if only USB-C inputs 1 and 2 are intended to be used in a smaller video conference room, the remaining two can be used to power USB-C devices. The Power Delivery on the Power Conference 3 is designed for standard outputs of up to 20 volts with 5 amps per USB-C port.
The LED status lights with switching function are connected to OPC3 via the “LED Switch & I/O” connection and can be used independently and flexibly in the conference room furniture be installed. (Image: Ochno)
In many conference rooms, people want a permanently installed PC for use without the need for additional devices. Mouse and keyboard can be connected via Ochno Power Conference, but are also available for connected laptops. Any USB devices can be connected to the USB pass-through ports. Laptops connected to the USB-C ports thus have access to the USB devices, e.g. B. Keyboard and mouse.
The specific cable specification for USB-C cannot be clearly seen on a cable. This means that it is not always clear whether a cable is actually intended for a high data transfer rate or whether the power delivery of the cable is specified at a sufficiently high level. A cable manufacturer may also have an E-marker chip added to its cable product to regulate the range of functions.
These ambiguities can be very annoying for the user. Ochno addresses this problem by offering an extensive range of cables for USB-C use. This means the buyer can be sure that the cables used match the device specifications. This reduces the likelihood of errors.
The extensive range of accessories also includes separate LED status lights with switching functions for retractable USB-C cable connections. (Image: Ochno)
And so not only are USB connection cables of different lengths available, but also, for example, the fixed installation cables described with a built-in socket and LED light diode/button for simple and intuitive operation. Particular attention should be paid to the accessories “Adapter from HDMI to USB-C with USB-A 2.0”: USB-C is currently built into almost all devices, but how often does it happen that participants work with notebooks that either do not have one or have a non-“full-featured” USB-C port. If the graphics card does not support USB-C, image output will not work. In these cases, the adapter enables a connection via the notebook’s HDMI output for the AV signal. The additional cable with the USB-A connection creates the connection of the corresponding USB communication signals, with which permanently installed room equipment can be used, for example.
With the “Adapter from HDMI to USB-C with USB-A 2.0” accessory, notebooks can easily be integrated via HDMI and USB-A. (Image: Ochno)
Exertis Pro AV has had the Ochno Power Conference 3 in its program since July 1st, 2022. The “Ochno Operated” cloud service will be available to all licensed customers from October 1, 2022. Ochno Operated allows efficient administration and definition of the switching behavior of every device in the system. Not only can a large number of devices be managed and set up remotely, but also in a wide range of variations for the specific applications in the rooms. Depending on the space, the defined range of functions and the media options, the OPC3 can be used very well for video conference rooms. It is very easy for users to operate without a media control system.
