Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
Outside the box: Can we do ANYTHING other than a PC with the USB connection? — Parallax Forums

Outside the box: Can we do ANYTHING other than a PC with the USB connection?

Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
edited 2011-04-29 22:24 in Propeller 1
I've been around the block enough to know the quick answer.... but

Is there any 'outside of the box' thinking we could employ to hook a peripheral device to the USB programming port of a Propeller protoboard, C3, or Platform board?

Ideas?

OBC

Comments

  • trodosstrodoss Posts: 577
    edited 2011-04-28 12:45
    I think there was a project to use the Android Debug Bridge
    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?130380-Android-Debug-Bridge-on-a-prop
    (OBEX) http://obex.parallax.com/objects/731/
  • Bill HenningBill Henning Posts: 6,445
    edited 2011-04-28 13:27
    Only USB-serial to host - limit of the FTDI chip and USB protocol.

    Unfortunately we must stay inside the box on this one.
    Oldbitcollector (Jeff) wrote: »
    I've been around the block enough to know the quick answer.... but

    Is there any 'outside of the box' thinking we could employ to hook a peripheral device to the USB programming port of a Propeller protoboard, C3, or Platform board?

    Ideas?

    OBC
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2011-04-28 13:58
    I don't even know why we have USB. Seems to make normal life harder than it should be.
  • Bill HenningBill Henning Posts: 6,445
    edited 2011-04-28 14:17
    I actually prefer having a serial port on board; USB/serial cables are dirt cheap on Ebay, and work well.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-04-28 14:33
    Bill Henning wrote:
    I actually prefer having a serial port on board; USB/serial cables are dirt cheap on Ebay, and work well.
    But DB9s are so big, though, compared to a compact USB conector.

    -Phil
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2011-04-28 14:38
    Some days, four pins and a prop-plug look really sweet!

    The problem is that you want USB host capabilities once you take it off the tether or you want a mini-b to do your programming and seriol IO back to the host and then a USB-A connector so your Prop can be a host.

    USB is a blessing and a curse and thinking outside the box is always fun!
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2011-04-28 14:40
    It also works for a LiPo battery charger source :)
  • UnsoundcodeUnsoundcode Posts: 1,532
    edited 2011-04-28 14:51
    Hi Jeff, if you have an FTDI USB to serial then you most likely have at least two 5v data pins available as I/O capable of driving an LED. If you connect to a device such as the DLP-USB245M ( I believe this is FTDI too ) then you have at least 8 data pins available as I/O with a claimed transmit receive rate of 8 M bits per sec, controllable individually or as a byte.

    Jeff T.
  • smbakersmbaker Posts: 164
    edited 2011-04-28 14:57
    Oldbitcollector (Jeff) wrote: »
    Is there any 'outside of the box' thinking we could employ to hook a peripheral device to the USB programming port of a Propeller protoboard, C3, or Platform board?

    Well, I currently have a prop connected to a Chumby via USB. Chumby listens on /dev/ttyUSB0 for characters from the prop. Since the prop is telling the Chumby what to do, I'm going to label the Chumby a 'peripheral' and the prop is the controller.

    Scott
  • Toby SeckshundToby Seckshund Posts: 2,027
    edited 2011-04-28 15:14
    I recently found that a broadcastable data link used "teletext" style comms. Then I found that the intefaces for this system used usb AVRs, and instantly started to dream up either another AVR interface, or preferably a Prop one. This was so that I could have a beleivable test system , and have some form of control over its results.

    Anybody that can show me the way to decode a 6.9375MHz NRZ, to relay closures & usb reporting ??
  • Toby SeckshundToby Seckshund Posts: 2,027
    edited 2011-04-28 15:21
    guess what freq this resonates at.
    PICT0049.jpg
    1024 x 768 - 33K
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2011-04-28 22:24
    Unsoundcode wrote: »
    Hi Jeff, if you have an FTDI USB to serial then you most likely have at least two 5v data pins available as I/O capable of driving an LED. If you connect to a device such as the DLP-USB245M ( I believe this is FTDI too ) then you have at least 8 data pins available as I/O with a claimed transmit receive rate of 8 M bits per sec, controllable individually or as a byte.

    Jeff T.

    Ah, this is the kind of answer I was fishing for.. Thanks for giving me a lead to follow up on.

    OBC
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2011-04-29 08:12
    Re: DB-9 size.

    Yep. It's big. I use the USB most of the time for programming. It's really easy and quite portable. Anyone care to link a nice, known to work, USB to SERIAL cable, just for reference? I've been very slow to adopt serial, just because it's not been necessary and I do most propping on the go.

    That said, why can't we just utilize a smaller connector for serial? Seems to me, Parallax could stock a cable, with the only decision being the connector.
  • Peter KG6LSEPeter KG6LSE Posts: 1,383
    edited 2011-04-29 08:35
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    But DB9s are so big, though, compared to a compact USB conector.

    -Phil

    .01 headers. problem solved :)

    If I use them do it 2 ways POWER , TX .GND. RX. POWER

    or data only its TX. GND . RX

    if you flop the cable over you wont toast your devece AND the data pins are in a team so tat data only can work too .

    Mind the BS2 needs that reset . d so then we do RESET POWER TX GND RX POWER BLANK

    Peter......
  • davidsaundersdavidsaunders Posts: 1,559
    edited 2011-04-29 11:53
    I know that FTDI makes USB host controllers that use serial/parallel data interfaces, ading one of these with a way to select who has access to the port is one solution.
  • Bill HenningBill Henning Posts: 6,445
    edited 2011-04-29 13:45
    I like the big DB-9's...

    TONS of equipment in plants still has serial ports, usually with DB-9 connectors.
  • ColeyColey Posts: 1,112
    edited 2011-04-29 13:56
    DB9 all the way for me, means you really can get some use out of i/o that is normally not used.....
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2011-04-29 21:10
    Cool, I like them too. I like the big form factor most. Once well mounted, the connectors are not a problem, unlike those flimsy little stamped metal ones...

    Have had more of those break than I have the entire time I've used DB-9. Plus, they fit Atari controllers!
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2011-04-29 21:52
    OBC: You should read the FTDI232R datasheet. There are 5 GPIO pins (CBus0..4) which can be configured. The datasheet points to app notes. This chip can also do RS422 and RS485 with circuitry. Also, there is a pre-programmed unique serial number in each chip for copy protection schemes.
  • M. K. BorriM. K. Borri Posts: 279
    edited 2011-04-29 22:24
    Yep the do fit atari-amiga-sega controllers.... sadly the pinout is too different to use. Even the amiga mice and pc serial mice were incompatible :(
Sign In or Register to comment.