4500-003 - 

Toughened Keypads Now Speak USB

The keypad manufacturer Storm Interface has made it ridiculously simple to connect keypads to any USB compatible host system. The Storm 450 Series USB Encoder is a small black box, about the size of a matchbox. It simply presses on to the back of any compatible Storm keypad, instantly turning it into a “connect and communicate” device.

The encoder (MFG# 4500-003 or 4500-103) is compatible with the following Storm keypad series: 700, 720, 1K, 2K, 3K and PLX (4, 12, and 16 way keypads).

In its “out-of-the-box” configuration, the 450 USB Encoder is pre-programmed to output USB key codes compatible with the most commonly used keypad formats, including 4, 12 and 16 key arrays. This without additional software downloads or re-configuration. However, the Storm 450 and 450i series encoders do much more than provide a simple system interface. They can be easily re-configured, by the user, to transmit alternative USB codes for customized keypad functionality. This enables the keypad to address a variety of system functions, not just numeric data entry. Multiple keypads with USB encoders can be connected to a single host system and used in combination to provide more complex system controls.

The 450i model encoder also drives and controls keypad illumination (featured as an option in many Storm keypads). Audible alerts and key press confirmation tones are also generated by the 450i model.

The encoder fits directly to the rear of the Storm keypad and the cable (MFG# 4500-013) is required to connect the encoder to the host system.

If using the encoder with a keypad that does not have a standard layout, the code table of the encoder can be customized using a free software utility available from Storm Interface at:
www.storm-interface.com/download.aspx