USB/Serial vs USB
Cats_Cats_Cats
Posts: 7
USB/Serial http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microcontrollers/BASICStampProgrammingKits/tabid/136/ProductID/320/List/1/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName
USB http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microcontrollers/BASICStampProgrammingKits/tabid/136/ProductID/297/List/1/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName
USB/Serial vs USB
Why two separate kits?
Where on the pic in this image does the USB connection go?·
Is it those "black boxes" on the upper right of the board?
Is there a possibility for more devices to be connected there in a series fashion, as in
Are those black boxes USB-B s, on the right?
The connector cable in the image looks like a USB-A; where does it plug in on that pic of the board?
It looks to me like I have 3 USBs on my computer, one which I want to leave connected to my webcam. It also looks like I have room for an RS232, as well as something else rather large (don't know the connector type). I also have a couple of FireWires, not that it matters.
Thank you. I'm sure I will come up with more questions. I'm trying to decide just·what to buy.·
USB http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microcontrollers/BASICStampProgrammingKits/tabid/136/ProductID/297/List/1/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName
USB/Serial vs USB
Why two separate kits?
Where on the pic in this image does the USB connection go?·
Is it those "black boxes" on the upper right of the board?
Is there a possibility for more devices to be connected there in a series fashion, as in
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Overviewwikipedia said...
USB devices are linked in series through hubs. There always exists one hub known as the root hub, which is built into the host controller. So-called sharing hubs, which allow multiple computers to access the same peripheral device(s), also exist and work by switching access between PCs, either automatically or manually. They are popular in small-office environments. In network terms, they converge rather than diverge branches.
Are those black boxes USB-B s, on the right?
The connector cable in the image looks like a USB-A; where does it plug in on that pic of the board?
It looks to me like I have 3 USBs on my computer, one which I want to leave connected to my webcam. It also looks like I have room for an RS232, as well as something else rather large (don't know the connector type). I also have a couple of FireWires, not that it matters.
Thank you. I'm sure I will come up with more questions. I'm trying to decide just·what to buy.·
Comments
If you have an RS232 connector on your computer, you can use that with the USB/Serial version of the kit. You just need a matching cable. If you get the Serial version of the kit, it will come with the cable that goes into your RS232 connector.
The "black" areas on the board are connectors for servo motors, one of which comes with the kit. These connectors can be used for other things as well, but are normally used for servo motors. They supply power, ground, and a control signal straight from one of the Stamp I/O pins.
The picture is of a USB kit and the mini-USB-A socket is around the middle of the left-hand side of the board. There is no connecting of USB devices in "series". You need a hub to do that. The hub provides power for the USB device and buffers the signal. Hubs can seem to be connected in series although there's always buffering involved, so it's not a direct series connection. Devices can have a built-in hub so they seem to allow connection in series, but it's the built-in hub that's actually doing the work.
Post Edited (Mike Green) : 11/17/2009 7:34:33 PM GMT
Since I'm trying to decide which is the best buy, and since USB huhs don't cost much (my brief investigation revealed some as low as $6 new) , and since I have only one RS232 port, perhaps the USB kit would be the·best choice of the two.
I still have to decide on whether or not to go even cheaper, although I am very tempted to go straight for the plain·USB kit.
Probably I will be back with more questions after a while. Thank you Mike!
RS232 cable?
It looks like it to me.
2) Yes, the cable in the picture you showed is the RS232 serial cable I mentioned earlier.
I think I've decided on the USB kit then. It may take me a while. It doesn't look like payment is very easy. I've got the wrong kind of credit card, and it doesn't look like Paypal is an option.
Does anybody have any suggestions for quick payment?
Guess that's it for now. I'll probably have more questions later . . .
Thank you Mike!