actually, there are not kvm chips in existence, kvms are different than eachother.  many barely have a latch/counter chip (hundreds of ways if you're not using a micorcontroller, if you are then millions of ways).  the cheap ones just use a bunch of small field effect transistors. some(like mine, gritting teeth) don't connect the datalines that let the computer know what monitor it is and hence limits the resolution i can set on it.  better kvm units not only connect the data lines on the monitor (i2c is the protocol, electrically at least) but remember and tell any machine that ask what the monitor specs are.  doubtless many use "analog switch" chips to switch things around.  likely any chip in a kvm is a microcontroller with custom code or a full custom chip, and it will likely still need additional chips to function.  then there are the dongles that let you control the computer and see what would be on a display if one were there, they use ip protocols to run all the video etc. over ethernet, usually a seperate network with it's own switch.  if it's cheap, it will be cheaply and poorly made, and likely will come with monitor cables that don't have all the wires they should, and hence don't play well with others (very bad in a kvm).   there is at least one company making very, very expensive KVMs that can work with other types of computers, i.e. the machines used for animation in movies, i.e. not vga, not dvi, not usb, not like on a pc, more like workstations, and some of those are fairly unique in terms of the cables, connectors, and sofware interfaces.

--
The Power Of the People Is Stronger Than The People In Charge.


16. Sep 2017 08:35 by stroller@stellar.eclipse.co.uk:


>> On 16 Sep 2017, at 15:19, Peter Humphrey <>> peter@prh.myzen.co.uk>> > wrote:
>>
>> As always, as soon as I'd sent that I found an answer: someone who'd 
>> replaced "flaky" Belkin with Aten.
>
> I think they're probably all based on the same OEM chipsets, anyway. 
>
> I was quite into the KVM-over-IP versions a few years ago, and they certainly all were. I'd find a near identical product (you could especially tell by the web interface) from half a dozen or more manufacturers.
>
> Stroller.