hex65000 Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 Well, it's been complete for a while really, and it didn't get as far as I wanted it to, but the concept has been proven... Link to mind numbingly long powepoint presentation... http://members.nuvox.net/~on.hex/design/ And before someone states the obvious, this was the proof of concept part... If I wasn't busy getting screwed over at work and trying to find another job, I'd like to grow this project a bit more... Anyone have any experience dorking with USB interfaces? Hex. [ And all this time you thought I was slackin' off... didn't you? ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerosquare Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 (edited) Interesting project Anyone have any experience dorking with USB interfaces? I have some. If you want to replace your RS-232 connection, the easiest way is to use an USB "glue" chip, such as FTDI's. They basically convert back and forth between high-speed RS-232 (up to 3 Mbauds) and USB. On the PC side, you can use them either as virtual COM ports (just like those ready-made USB-serial cables), or have finer control through a proprietary interface (which is LabVIEW compatible, by the way). The necessary software and drivers are provided free of charge for Win9x/2000/XP, Linux and MacOS. On the hardware side, you have a TTL-level standard serial interface (i.e. no MAX232 or equivalent needed), plus the usual flow control lines. You can also choose a microcontroller with an embedded USB interface (I know that Microchip and Atmel make thoses), but be warned that unless the manufacturer provides you with solid firmware, software, and Windows driver, it's not going to much fun -- I had to write these 3 parts from scratch once, and it isn't something I'd be willing to do again. If you're thinking about USB "input" (for those X-box controllers), be warned that you need an USB host chip, which is less common, plus firmware to implement the USB protocol (usually the hardware only implements the lower layers), plus class drivers (HID class, in this case) to communicate with the controllers. Doable, but not a one-day project. Edited June 24, 2006 by Zerosquare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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