Does a wireless USB 3.0 hub exist (or would I even want it to)?

[fhlunatic]

I'm trying to connect several USB 3 devices to a computer on my wifi. The catch is these devices are controlling my telescope/camera setup outside on my deck (close to my router with good signal), so I need the connection to be wireless.

Right now I'm leaving an old Samsung ATIV tablet outside connected to a USB 3 hub to control the mount/camera/guide camera etc., but some of the plate solving algorithms require a bit more power to run quickly. I just built a massive 22 core xeon machine that I'd like to use to control the telescope, but that thing is never staying out on a porch all night! 😉

 

[popatim]

How far, and how many walls between the pc and the deck?

 

[fhlunatic]

10 feet from the router and a sliding glass door.

 

[BFG-9000]

The answer is no, because USB 3.0's 5Gbit/s is faster even than 60GHz WiGig (IEEE 802.11ad) so it would be unreasonable to expect any consumer product to move data wirelessly that fast. However there are plenty of wireless USB 2.0 solutions used for telescopes.

Given that USB 2.0 cables can be up to 5 meters long (16 feet, 5 inches), and that you can use active extension cables (which are essentially 1-port USB hubs located every ~15' on a cable)to further extend this, you would likely have the fewest problems by running three of these to the telescope.

As you already have a USB 3.0 hub, you may wish to instead get a single active USB 3.0 extension cable for it, to run to the PC instead of the tablet.

Keep in mind that while data may transfer fine at long cable lengths, devices powered by or charging off of the 5v may not appreciate the voltage drop which can be ~1v at 15' depending on the wire gauge of the conductors. And of course being a motor driven telescope, it is sensitive to weight or wires hanging off of it. That's why lots of people use a stick PC on the telescope and connect to it remotely over WiFi.

 

[popatim]

I too was thinking of an active usb3 cable between the pc and (outside) hub.