Plugable UGA-165 USB to VGA/DVI/HDMI (1920×1080 / 1600×1200)

Features

• Connect up to six monitors to any brand of laptop or desktop (one adapter required per monitor)
• Plug and play, extensible USB 2.0 connectivity to any VGA, DVI, or HDMI monitor or projector
• DisplayLink DL-165 chipset, supports resolutions up to 1600×1200 or 1920×1080 (widescreen)
• Windows 7/Vista/XP drivers installed automatically via Windows Update (Internet connection required); Latest Windows 8 drivers available via download
• Mac OS X versions 10.8.3, 10.7.5 supported with some limitations.
• Linux configuration for advanced users only

Product Description

The Plugable UGA-165 enables multiple monitors with any laptop or desktop (one adapter required per monitor, up to 6). Most people use it to gain a 2nd or 3rd monitor for their laptop. You gain the benefits of USB, including plug-and-play connectivity, thin and flexible cabling, and the ability to connect via USB 2.0 hubs and repeaters. Projectors can be connected with long and flexible USB wiring that doesn’t lose monitor configuration information. Multitask with a dedicated monitor for each document or application.

The adapter works by rendering 2D/3D with your computer’s CPU and GPU, and then compressing and transmitting over USB any pixels that have changed. Dual core or 2Ghz or better CPU recommended. The monitor itself is then constantly refreshed directly from the USB hardware. The adapter package includes a USB 2.0 cable and hardware adapters for the different connector types (DVI to VGA and DVI to HDMI). No power plug is needed – power is provided by USB and the adapter has an LED indicator light.

Multiple Displays

We often hear customers say “After using multiple monitors, I can’t go back!”. If you’re doing information work — looking at one document while editing another, researching, or generally working on several things at once — it’s indispensable.

Simply drag windows back and forth to make use of all the extra Windows desktop space.

Plugable USB graphics adapters fully support rotation — turn one or both screens to show documents in gorgeous full-page layout (with a monitor stand that’s capable of rotation).

A common setup is to create a beautifully symmetric yet flexible 3 display desktop, combining your laptop display with 2 extra monitors on either side with your laptop’s external graphics port + one Plugable adapter, or with two Plugable adapters to allow easy USB dock/undock.

Included in the package

Hardware Requirements
Dual Core Intel CPU 2GHz or better. For Windows, the GPU should be Intel, nVidia, or ATI


Supported Operating Systems
This device only works with computers running the following operating systems:

• Windows 8 (32-bit or 64-bit)
• Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit)
• Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 or 2 (32-bit or 64-bit)
• Windows XP Home or Professional (including Tablet edition) with Service Pack 2 or 3 (no 64-bit support)
• Windows Server 2003, 2008 and 2008 R2
• Mac OS X 10.8.3, 10.7.5 with some limitations. Please note: Macs do not currently support audio via USB 3.0.

Operating System and Drive Details
WINDOWS VERSION COMPATIBILITY:
Drivers are provided automatically via the Microsoft Windows Update mechanism with approved drivers across for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 and Windows 8. 64-bit and full Aero support on Vista and Windows 7. Windows XP 64-bit not supported. Note that Microsoft limits multiple display support in Windows 7 “Starter” Edition and Windows Vista “Home Basic” Edition to mirroring screens. Even though drivers are provided automatically, we recommend visiting the Plugable driver webpage for the most recent drivers and other information.

For Server 2008 (32 and 64-bit) and Server 2008 R2 (64-bit), drivers are not provided through Windows Update. To function, Aero theme must be enabled (which is not the default), and a WDDM capable primary graphics driver installed (some server hardware comes with low-end graphics hardware like Matrox GPUs, which do not support WDDM). To insure everything is in place, the Windows built-in Aero troubleshooter should run without issues. Once it does, download and install DisplayLink drivers .

MAC VERSION COMPATIBILITY:
Up to 4 DisplayLink devices can be used with a Mac.
Only Mac OS X version 10.8.3 Mountain Lion and 10.7.5 Lion are supported for this device. Update your Mac if necessary, and download the driver at http://www.displaylink.com/support/sla.php?fileid=87. There are some limitations due to issues in the operating system: This driver does not support 3D acceleration. Some features of Mac OS X-based applications that require hardware OpenGL acceleration, such as Keynote presentations and iPhoto slideshows, will not function properly.

LINUX COMPATIBILITY:
As of Linux kernel 2.6.31, this adapter has open source drivers in the kernel staging tree. As of 2.6.38, the driver was promoted to the main kernel tree. Configuration of X Windows for USB displays is still distribution and scenario dependent, however, and only for very adventurous users. Plugable is involved with Linux development work, see http://plugable.com/category/platform/linux/ for details.

HDMI

The HDMI standard is built on DVI. This enables conversion from DVI to  HDMI 1.0 with a simple, physical, passive adapter like the one included with the UGA-165. HDMI routed through DVI does not include audio signals, and does not support HDMI content protection. It is suitable for displaying applications on a HDMI monitor and some TVs. It is not for Blu-Ray quality video playback.

HDMI TV Compatibility

Most, but not all, TVs are also compatible. The exceptions are TVs that don’t support EDID (which communicates monitor capabilities to the PC) or which require specific higher versions of the HDMI spec, beyond 1.0. Many TVs that have a VGA port in addition to HDMI, assume that computers will use VGA for connectivity rather than HDMI, provide the best results with VGA.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the green LED indicate?

The green LED on the adapter indicates that both the hardware and the software involved in the functioning of this device is working properly. It remains steady when nothing is changing on the screen and blinks when data is transferred through the adapter.

The green LED on the adapter does not light up when:
1) The unit does not receive enough power because it is plugged into a port that does not provide the required 500mA of power or because of a failing USB Cable
2) Display to that monitor is disabled
3) The driver is not installed or is corrupted
4) The unit itself has failed.

Where to Buy