My computer can’t connect to or detect the 2Touch IWB

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The Problem:  You connect the computer to the usb cable coming from your 2Touch IWB, but touching the surface of the IWB does not move the cursor from your computer.

The most common culprits:

  • Computer USB port does not supply sufficient power;
  • USB cabling or connectivity components between computer and IWB are failing
  • USB cabling or connectivity components between computer and IWB are no longer compliant with your version of Windows or with the USB port you are using.

Let’s step through the process of working out where the problem is:

  1. Ensure that you are using a computer with reliable USB ports.
    • If it’s a laptop, ensure that it is plugged into mains power: some laptops do not supply the required power at the USB ports under all conditions and this then results in downstream components not connecting correctly.
    • Try other ports on the computer, and perhaps a different computer as well to try to eliminate the possibility that the problem is with the computer.
    • If the problem persists, proceed to 2.
  2. Press the calibration button on the IWB.  Does the cursor jump to the top left of the display (first calibration point)
    • Yes – you have a good USB connection.  Complete the calibration (all 4 points), then check that touching the surface accurately moves the computer’s cursor.
    • No – Proceed to 3.
  3. Connect directly to the IWB.  To do this you need to access the USB cable emerging from the rear of the IWB, disconnecting all intermediary cables and components.  Try to do this without removing the IWB from the wall:
    • The USB cable comes out the rear of the 2Touch iwb  300mm from the top left corner (as seen facing the front of the iwb).  Slip a strong wire hook (eg a modified clothes hanger) in behind the board to hook and lift up the usb cable so you can hold it above the top of the iwb.
    • The other end of this cable will be connected either to a USB cable extender, or to a hub.  You need to access that end of the cable.  If you cannot pull it up above the top of the iwb using the hook, you’ll need to remove the iwb from the wall.
  4. Once you have access to the short (about 800mm) USB cable emerging from the rear of the iwb, connect your computer directly to this.  Press the calibration button now.  Does the cursor jump to the top left of the display (first calibration point)?
    • Yes – The IWB is working correctly, and the fault lies in the cabling and connecting components downstream from the IWB.  Before disconnecting though, keep going to complete the calibration (all 4 points), then confirm that touching the surface accurately moves the computer’s cursor.  Then continue to 5.
    • No – This suggests that there might be something wrong with the IWB.  Contact a 2Touch Service Agent.
  5. Check & replace cables, connectors and power injectors:
    • Injecting accessory power into the USB line is great insurance against the future (very high) likelihood that some computers will fail to provide sufficient power out of some of their USB ports, to drive the iwb.  A USB power injector is cheap, easy and very reliable.  (It can also sometimes get around some if not all of the problems with using active extender cables, above).
    • Check that any usb cable extenders are straight-through, ie not “active”. Active USB extenders have “smart” electronics built in to them to boost the USB signal, however this is often at the expense of small voltage drops since they feed from the same USB power supply as the downstream devices (the iwb).  These voltage drops often cause the downstream device to not function correctly.
    • Often, Windows will “refuse” to recognise some of these connecting components (hubs, active cables) and the “conversation” will stop there.  You might want to check for this one step at a time to identify any component which is not being correctly recognised by Windows.
    • Remember to check the wall panel as well.  The connecting sockets on the wall panel typically receives a USB extension cable from one end and the fly lead to the computer on the other end, thus multiplying the number of connection interfaces to go wrong.
  2. If you have thoroughly performed step 5,  and you had a “Yes” to step 4, then you can confidently expect a successful outcome from hooking the iwb back up!