Picking between USB and Ethernet for your pneumatic probe setup feels trivial—until data drops mid-test or lags ruin your results. The right choice depends on your test environment, speed needs, and setup size. Let’s compare.

USB works best for:

· Small setups (1–4 probes): USB hubs handle 4 devices easily without performance hits.

· Short distances (≤5m): Beyond that, signal degradation causes data errors.

· Low-speed tests (≤1,000 samples/sec): USB 3.0’s 5 Gbps bandwidth is overkill but reliable for slow, steady flows (e.g., water pipe pressure monitoring).

It’s plug-and-play—no IT expertise needed—and cheaper (USB cables cost $5–$20 vs. $20–$50 for Ethernet).

Ethernet shines when:

· You have 5+ probes (e.g., a wind tunnel with an array of sensors). Ethernet switches scale to 24+ devices without slowing down.

· Probes are far from the logger (e.g., 50m from the test section to the control room). Cat6 cables transmit data without loss over long distances.

· High-speed sampling (≥10,000 samples/sec): Ethernet’s full-duplex communication (sending/receiving data at once) prevents bottlenecks in fast tests (e.g., engine surge simulations).

Managed Ethernet switches add bonus features: VLANs to separate probe data from other network traffic, and error-checking to flag corrupted readings.

When to mix them:
Use Ethernet for critical, high-speed probes (e.g., those measuring engine combustion) and USB for auxiliary ones (e.g., ambient temperature sensors). Just isolate the USB hub on its own power supply to avoid interference.

Common mistake: Using a consumer-grade Ethernet switch for industrial tests. Spend $50–$100 on a ruggedized model (IP30 rating) to resist dust and vibration.

What’s your setup size? Tell us, and we’ll help pick the connection.