TechxArtisan Is Back with a Smaller, Yet More Powerful, Openterface: the Openterface KVM-GO
Keychain-friendly KVM-over-USB gadget comes in a smaller form factor but with upgraded 4k60-capable internals.
Guangzhou-based TechxArtisan has announced a considerably more compact successor to the Openterface mini keyboard, video, mouse (KVM) switcher, dubbed the Openterface KVM-GO — small enough, the company says, to fit on your keychain.
"Following the success of Openterface Mini-KVM, with over 5,000 users in our open source community and many reviews from tech influencers, we're back with an even more compact and refined evolution: Openterface KVM-GO," says TechXArtisan's Billy Wang of the new variant. "Designed to fit on your keychain and save your day in a snap, this next-generation KVM-over-USB gadget is built for rapid operations in data centers, remote server rooms, and headless device troubleshooting. Available with HDMI, DisplayPort, or even VGA connectors, KVM-GO goes anywhere and plugs into nearly anything."
The core concept is effectively identical to the Openterface Mini-KVM the company unveiled back in March last year, which went on to raise nearly $393,000 on crowdfunding site Crowd Supply. The Openterface KVM-GO is hoping to deliver the same success but in a smaller form factor — and now split into three models: the KVM-GO HDMI, for HDMI-compatible devices; the KVM-GO DP, for DisplayPort-compatible devices; and the KVM-GO VGA, a slightly bulkier version for analog VGA devices.
While all three models come in at a much smaller footprint than their predecessors, the company says they also benefit from upgraded internals — including a switch to USB 3.0 and support for 4k60 input and output, a major jump over the original Openterface's 1080p30 limit. There's a microSD Card slot, new to this model, but it comes in place of the original device's switchable USB port.
As with the original, the Openterface KVM-GO will see its production funded via crowdfunding — but will be released as open hardware, likely under the same strongly-reciprocal variant of the CERN Open Hardware License as its predecessor. At the time of writing, however, no public repository was available.
More information is available on the project's Crowd Supply page, where interested parties can sign up to be notified when the crowdfunding campaign goes live.