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How to Extend Serial Connections for Vitals Monitors

Best Practices for Extending Serial Connections

Henrik Joreteg avatar
Written by Henrik Joreteg
Updated over a week ago

Note: If you’re using an Xlink adapter, please reference this article instead: How to Cover Large Distances with Xlink Adapter.

This guide applies only when extending end-to-end serial connections where the port on the back of the vitals monitor is a serial port (for example, with Criticare monitors).

Instead of relying on an extra-long serial cable—which can be unreliable over distance—you’ll get better results with one of the following approaches:


Options for Extending Serial Connections

1. Wireless with a Bluetooth Adapter (Contact Us)

  • Recommended Distance: Across a single room.

  • Pros: Simple, no cables to manage.

  • Cons: Most expensive of the available options. Not recommended for long-range use beyond maybe ~20 ft. Adds some complexity (requires pairing, etc). No support for Mac OS X.


2. USB Extension Cable

  • Recommended Distance: Up to ~15 ft.

  • Pros: Easiest and cleanest option for short extensions.

  • Cons: Limited to relatively short runs.


3. Range Extender with Ethernet Cable

  • Recommended Distance: Up to ~50 ft (hard-wired).

  • Pros: Reliable, recommended for longer wired runs.

  • Cons: Requires an extender adapter plus an Ethernet cable in between.

This approach supports an arbitrary length cord and should work reliably up to about 50 feet.


Contact us: [email protected] to get help or to order any of these products.

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