USB Cables

Summary: USB Cables

ProAV cabling built for commercial environments
Windy City Wire manufactures SmartWire low-voltage cabling to meet the demands of professional audio, video, control, and data distribution. For integrators, AV contractors, and systems designers, our ProAV portfolio centers on robust signal integrity, plenum compliance, and installation efficiency—helping projects stay on schedule and within budget.

What SmartWire delivers for ProAV

• Signal performance for modern AV: Options that support high-bandwidth media transport, including fiber optic cable for long-distance runs and device extensions.
• Plenum safety and code compliance: Plenum-rated constructions help you meet stringent commercial building requirements.
• Faster, easier pulls: SmartWire Glide Technology is our name for the cable lubrication applied to SmartWire cables; it reduces friction during installs by up to 70% and comes standard at no additional cost.
• Standardization and identification: A wide range of jacket and stripe colors helps teams identify pathways, simplify service, and maintain consistency across sites.
• Built for the field: Durable jackets and reinforcement elements support tight bends, longer pathways, and challenging conduit runs common in ProAV deployments.

Key product characteristics for this sub-category

• MOFO (Media Over Fiber Optic) cable architecture for high-capacity AV transport.
• USB 3.0 M-to-F extension support for in-room devices, cameras, and interactive peripherals.
• Plenum rated for return-air spaces and commercial ceilings.
• Multimode core that supports today’s needs with an upgrade path for future formats.
• All items in this category are supplied in 1000 FT lengths.

How it fits into your ProAV system

• Backbone and long runs: Use bulk fiber optic cable to bridge distance between racks, floors, or buildings while preserving signal quality for 4K/8K video and high-speed data.
• Device connectivity: USB 3.0 M-to-F over fiber helps place cameras, DSP endpoints, and touch interfaces where they’re needed—without compromising performance.
• At the rack and endpoint: While your endpoints may use a short patch cable or patch cables, the backbone is best served by a purpose-built pro av cable to minimize latency and crosstalk.

Where you gain value with Windy City Wire

• Confidence in performance: Consistent manufacturing and materials engineered for professional AV environments reduce troubleshooting and callbacks.
• Installation efficiency: SmartWire Glide lubrication streamlines pulls in conduit, trays, and crowded pathways, helping crews finish faster.
• Lifecycle flexibility: A multimode core and ProAV-focused constructions support today’s installs and future refreshes, protecting your investment.
• Standardization at scale: Color and stripe options help large organizations and multi-site integrators maintain clear, repeatable wiring practices.

Why USB over fiber for ProAV?

• Extended reach without signal loss: Fiber transports USB data over long runs between rooms or floors while maintaining performance for cameras, codecs, capture devices, and interactive peripherals.
• EMI/RFI immunity: Fiber optic cable is inherently resistant to electrical noise, making it ideal in buildings with heavy RF activity, industrial motors, or dense IT/AV equipment racks.
• Plenum-rated for code compliance: Suitable for air-handling spaces often encountered in enterprise, education, healthcare, and public facilities.
• Multimode core for future upgrade: The fiber backbone offers a straightforward path to higher-performance endpoints in the future, protecting infrastructure investments and simplifying refresh cycles.
• USB 3.0 performance: Supports bandwidth-intensive devices such as 4K/HD PTZ cameras, high-speed storage, document cameras, and conferencing peripherals.

Where USB fiber solutions fit in AV systems and integrations

• Conference rooms and UC spaces: Extend USB from the room PC or codec to PTZ cameras, table hubs, speakerphones, and touch controllers with consistent performance for Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other UC platforms.
• Training rooms and classrooms: Connect front-of-room cameras, document cameras, interactive displays, and instructor devices back to the AV rack without USB extenders or repeaters cluttering the space.
• Lecture capture and hybrid learning: Maintain reliable, high-speed links from capture appliances to multiple USB devices dispersed across large lecture halls.
• Command and control/KVM: Extend keyboards, mice, control surfaces, and specialty USB devices from secure equipment rooms to operator consoles for responsive control in NOCs and SOCs.
• Broadcast, production, and live events: Tether cameras, audio interfaces, and capture devices over longer distances on stages, production floors, and arenas while avoiding signal degradation.
• Digital signage and experiential: Power interactive exhibits and kiosks by delivering robust USB 3.0 links to touchscreens, sensors, and media players in retail and public spaces.
• Houses of worship: Connect remote cameras and streaming gear to the control booth cleanly and reliably across large sanctuaries.
• Healthcare and labs: Achieve stable, noise-immune USB connectivity for telemedicine carts, imaging viewers, and lab instrumentation in sensitive environments.
• Hospitality and convention centers: Support flexible USB device placement in divisible rooms, ballrooms, and breakout spaces, simplifying reconfiguration for events.
• Industrial and manufacturing: Link vision systems, quality-control cameras, and USB sensors back to control rooms in areas with heavy electrical interference.
• Government and public sector: Use the galvanic isolation benefits of fiber for secure and reliable device connectivity in courtrooms, briefing rooms, and hearing spaces.

How integrators can use these cables inside complete ProAV designs

• In-room device extension: Run a dedicated USB 3.0 path from the compute or codec in the rack to a camera at the display wall or back of room—no mid-run boosters, fewer points of failure.
• Mixed signal transport: Pair USB fiber with HDMI, DisplayPort, or network trunks to support AV-over-IP endpoints, interactive displays, and control systems over unified pathways.
• Rack to table flexibility: Place the host computer in a secure rack and extend USB to table boxes and touch controllers, minimizing heat and noise in the meeting space.
• Patch field organization: Inside the rack, short USB patch cables and a labeled patch panel can streamline device changes while the longer USB-over-fiber run handles distance.

When to use USB fiber vs. copper

• Use fiber when distance, electromagnetic noise, or building pathways make copper unreliable. Fiber optic cable ensures stable performance for high-bandwidth peripherals.
• Use copper for short, local connections inside a rack or between adjacent devices. A short USB patch cable is efficient for these runs and keeps serviceability high.

Application benefits for ProAV stakeholders

• AV/IT managers: Improved uptime and serviceability with predictable USB performance across larger spaces.
• Consultants and designers: Plenum-rated, media-over-fiber architecture aligns with life-safety requirements and simplifies long-run design.
• Electrical contractors and integrators: Streamlined installation with direct device-to-rack connectivity and fewer inline components to troubleshoot.
• End users: Consistent camera, audio interface, and control responsiveness during critical meetings, classes, and events.

Key considerations during design and installation

1. Device bandwidth: Match USB 3.0 capability to connected cameras, capture cards, and storage for optimal performance.
2. Pathways and code: Plan routes in plenum spaces where required and leverage the plenum-rated construction for compliance.
3. Connectors and endpoints: The male-to-female configuration is ideal for extending a host to various USB devices while accommodating short device whip leads.
4. Cable management: Use strain relief and proper bend radii to protect fiber. Inside racks, coordinate with short USB patch cables for neat dressing.
5. Future-readiness: The multimode fiber core supports infrastructure longevity, helping accommodate future endpoint upgrades without re-pulling pathways.

Complementary products and workflows
Windy City Wire can support full AV deployments end-to-end. Combine USB media-over-fiber with network cabling for AV-over-IP, and use fiber trunks or pre made fiber cables where project schedules call for rapid deployment. For short local jumpers within equipment racks, standard patch cables complete the build while the long-haul USB run carries bandwidth to the device location. This balanced approach helps ensure that each segment of your system uses the most appropriate pro av cable type.

Partner with Windy City Wire
As a trusted low-voltage manufacturer dedicated to commercial and industrial projects, we help integrators and facility teams design dependable connectivity for conferencing, learning, production, and control environments. Talk with our team about your room sizes, device counts, and pathway requirements. We’ll help you specify the right media-over-fiber USB solution and the supporting cabling—whether copper or fiber optic cable—to deliver reliable results across your ProAV portfolio.

Frequently Asked Questions: USB Cables

• How is your SmartWire ProAV cable sold on spools or in boxes?

  SmartWire ProAV cable is packaged in our patented RackPack carton for maximum labor savings and efficiency. Learn more about our RackPack: https://windycitywire.com/solutions/rackpack-overview

Additional Links:

• Learn more about our SmartWire Cable
• The RackPack - Our patented cable delivery solution
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