That is a great question and one we are asked a lot. There are good ways and better ways to connect your Xencelabs devices to your computer. 


This applies to the Mac, Windows, and Linux setups. 


We are going to tackle the following connection types; 

  • Wired
  • Wireless 

With the following Xenvelabs Devices. 

  • Pen Tablet 
  • Pen Tablet Bundle (with Quick Keys)
  • Quick Keys

What you will need: 

  • USB Cable(s), supplied with your Xencelabs Devices
  • Wireless Dongle, provided with your Xencelabs Devices.
    • If you have a Pen Tablet or a Pen Tablet Bundle, the wireless dongle is located in the Pen Case.
    • If you have the Quick Keys, the wireless dongle is in the Quick Keys Case in the little pouch with the USB-A to USB-C adapter.
  • (Optional) USB-A to USB-C Adapter
  • As a side note: the USB cable for the Pen Tablet and Quick Keys is a standard USB-A to USB-C cable. If it is more covenant for you, you can use a USB-C to USB-C cable. If you are using the included adapter, this will eliminate the need for that.


Pen Tablet: Connecting your Pen Tablet

With all of our Pen Tablets and Quick Keys, you have two ways to connect and use them, Wired or Wirelessly. 


Image One below - 


Wired connection: 

The Pen Tablet comes with a USB cable that you can plug into the Pen Tablet and then into your computer or a powered USB Hub. For a wired connection, this is the best practice for reliable, uninterrupted usage of Pen Tablet. ,


There are three types of external USB connections; 

  • Docking station with USB ports and plugged into a wall socket.
  • Powered USB Hub, getting its power from a wall socket, connected to your computer.
  • Passive USB Hub, getting its power only from the computer.


The first two options are the best for an uninterrupted experience with your Device Xencelabs devices. The Passive USB Hub might work, but if there are other devices plugged into it, the Xencelabs Device might not be getting the full amount of power it needs to operate correctly. 


You would plug your Pen Tablet USB cable into the USB-C port at the top center of the Pen Tablet and connect the other end to your Docking Station or powered USB Hub. 


You will notice that the lights that define the active area crop marks will come on when you do this. This shows that your Pen Tablet is receiving power, and when you open your Settings program, you will see your connected devices in the Device window (lower left portion of the Home selection).

Wireless connection:

You will need to make sure the device you want to connect wirelessly is fully charged. You will connect the USB cable to the device and open the settings program. There will be a battery-charged indicator for the device in the device window. 


A full charge for the Pen Tablet and Quick Keys will take about 2.5 hours or less. 


Once the device is fully charged, you will need to plug the wireless dongle into the computer or USB Hub. Once connected, you can turn the device on, and it will connect. The connection time may take 5 to 20 seconds to connect  Once you are connected, you are good to go.


Pen Tablet Bundle: Connecting your Pen Tablet Bundle


The same rules apply if you have the Pen Tablet Bundle. You will notice that you have two USB cables included with your Pen Tablet Bundle. This is so that you can charge both our Pen Tablet and Quick Keys simultaneously. 


Image Two below - 


You can also have one device connected via the USB cable and the other device connected via the wireless dongle. 


Tip:

I have my Pen Tablet connected via the USB cable at all times, and I connect my Quick Keys using the wireless dongle. When I need to charge my Quick Keys, I unplug my Pen tablet and plug in my Quick Keys.


Quick Keys: Connecting your Quick Keys


The same rule applies to your Quick Keys. First, make sure that it is fully charged, and then you can go wirelessly. 


Image Three below - 


Once your Quick Keys is fully charged, you can expect to get about 16 hours of run time out of it. 


Tip: There is a Sleep Timer for both the Quick Keys and Pen Tablet. By default, it is set to Never. I would suggest that you adjust that to 30 minutes. This will help extend the life of your Xencelabs devices in wireless mode.



Image One:

Show connecting the Pen Tablet to a computer using the supplied USB cable and the optional USB-A to USB-C adapter.

Image Two:

Shows connecting the Pen Tablet and the Quick Keys using the wireless dongle and the optional USB-A to USB-C adapter if needed.

Image three:

Shows connecting the Quick Keys wirelessly and the optional USB-A to USB-C adapter if needed.