We just tested the Apple Configurator tool with three Datamation Systems carts (DS-mini-IPCS-32). We visited a school that had three of these sync charge carts, each of which was holding 25 iPads. We connected all three carts to a small Belkin USB hub so we had 75 iPads connected with a USB cable to a host MacBook on which Configurator was installed.
Configurator established a connection with all 75 iPads and moved from prepared mode to supervised mode, suggesting that the 30 device limit that has been discussed is not a limitation of Configurator, but just what may have been tested using a syncing cart that is only limited to supporting 30 devices. It appeared that all 75 iPads would have been able to be controlled simultaneously in supervised mode.
If we used this arrangement to do IOS updates, we understand that Configurator would only permit updates to ten iPads at a time, but it would pick up new connected devices as old ones are completed (in batches of ten) without additional intervention.
Based on this, we assume that our 49-port professional USB hub (DS-IP-SC-49) would permit a user to update 49 iPads at a time using Configurator and a MacBook. More than one of these 49-port hubs could be connected as well.
While we have not tested the limits of these configurations, we would guess that the limit associated with a USB controller (127 devices) may apply.
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