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USB BOE now shipping — Parallax Forums

USB BOE now shipping

AllanL5AllanL5 Posts: 12
edited 2004-09-25 03:18 in BASIC Stamp
OK,·Parallax now makes a BOE with a USB connector built-in.

New buyers should be aware that one of the nice things about the original BOE is that the BS2 can pretty easily 'talk' and 'listen' to any RS-232 port over the BOE's built-in DB-9 RS232 connector -- including other BOE boards, PIC processors, Modems, RS232 printers, and RS232 RF Modems.

USB requires two ends to it -- a 'Master' and a 'Slave'. Your Windows PC (Win98 SE and later) can act as a
USB 'Master'.· It turns out, it's difficult to act as a USB 'Master'.· The USB BOE acts only as a 'Slave', it cannot connect to other USB 'Slave' devices and do anything useful.

So, if you buy the USB BOE, you are losing the really useful DB-9 RS-232 connector that could talk to lots
of RS-232 powered devices.· You are replacing it with a USB 'Slave'-only connector, that can only talk to your
PC.

Note also, for $25.00 or so, you can easily buy a 'Slave' USB to RS-232 adapter which takes up very little room, and can be removed from the BOE when you want to run without the PC.

I don't mean to be negative about the USB BOE board.· I just wanted people to be aware that they weren't getting a 'Master' USB device that they could connect to their 'Slave' USB joysticks, mice, TV-adapters, or even other USB to 232 adapters.· Other posts have indicated that a nice, cheap, portable 'Master' USB device is wanted by many people.·The USB BOE is NOT it.
·

Comments

  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2004-09-23 15:50
    but what's so hard in using one of the other pins on the stamp for your rs232?

    It's only the programming port that they've changed....just so happens that it could be used to send data out that port to other rs232 devices!!

    Parallax has just moved a bit with the industry...where they are slow wittling away rs232 ports on laptops and using mostly usb (I have 1rs232 port and 6USB ports on mine).

    You can still serout to your other stamp pins and your PC (and most other devices) will be fine with that....you MIGHT have to add a MAX232 type chip to get the proper levels to other devices...but that's only a $1 chip and some time to become familiar with (of which you'll be glad cuz there will always be something that you need to add this to!).

    anyhow, somewhat of a pain yes...but it is just the programming port!

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    ·

    Steve
    http://members.rogers.com/steve.brady
    http://www.geocities.com/paulsopenstage

    "Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
  • Jon WilliamsJon Williams Posts: 6,491
    edited 2004-09-23 17:35
    So far as I can tell, the only thing anyone is connecting the BOE programming port is a computer -- either the programming software or a terminal (or specialty) program. We use FTDI chips and drivers, and the FTDI VCP (virtual comm port) driver makes the board behave just as if it was plugged into a DB-9. For those that want to connect to modems and mice and other devices, we have an RS-232 AppMod that can be plugged into the USB-BOE.

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    Jon Williams
    Applications Engineer, Parallax
    Dallas Office
  • Dave PatonDave Paton Posts: 285
    edited 2004-09-23 22:01
    Jon-

    I haven't received mine yet, but does the FTDI chipset hold any of the BS2 lines high? I'm debating piggybacking the old serial hardware on the board, and it'd be great if I didn't have to logically switch them with outboard chips. I mostly used my old BoE for programming, and I pulled the BS2 to go in circuit, but the new one will be for more relaxed applications, prototyped mainly 'on board' wink.gif, and I'd like to have the flexability.

    Thanks

    -dave

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    This is not a sig. This is a duck. Quack.
  • Jon WilliamsJon Williams Posts: 6,491
    edited 2004-09-23 22:22
    I don't know, you'll have to check with the Tech Support group (support@parallax.com).

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    Jon Williams
    Applications Engineer, Parallax
    Dallas Office
  • AllanL5AllanL5 Posts: 12
    edited 2004-09-24 18:26
    Thanks for the nice reply Jon.

    You are probably correct that most people attach the BOE to a computer, so having the USB built-in to the board would be a convenience for them.· I have no argument with that.

    I just KNOW there's going to be people asking "Can I attach my joystick/USB drive/mouse to the USB port?" questions, and I wanted to try to indicate to those people before they bought the USB BOE with that idea in mind, that the USB BOE board's USB port is NOT suitable for that purpose.
    ·
  • Jon WilliamsJon Williams Posts: 6,491
    edited 2004-09-24 19:13
    We try not to oversell our products or capabilities, hence the text from·the USB-BOE product page: "The new Board of Education USB programming board (Rev. A) allows you to connect with the USB ports on your desktop or laptop."


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    Jon Williams
    Applications Engineer, Parallax
    Dallas Office
  • gwalandgwaland Posts: 1
    edited 2004-09-24 21:03
    Do you happen to know if the FTDI has a linux driver for it's USB->serial conversion?
  • K de JongK de Jong Posts: 154
    edited 2004-09-24 21:09
    Take a look at the FTDI website:

    www.ftdichip.com

    I'm sure you will find the answer there.

    Regards,

    Klaus
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,399
    edited 2004-09-25 03:16
    Allan,

    These are the types of comments we receive from our customers which drove the design:

    (a) My PC has no serial port, only USB
    (b) Macs have no serial ports, so I need to program with USB
    (c) My laptop has no serial port, so I need to program with USB

    And of course all of the serial port access is available with the virtual COM port so they can continue to debug, interface with hyperterminal, StampPlot, etc. Connecting the board to a mouse or something similar was not a design goal. You can do that with any of your other 16 pins. Because nobody has requested that we are safe to believe the number of inconveniences would be very low.

    In fact, most users connect peripheral devices to the Stamp I/O pins so they can keep the COM port open for downloading and debugging. It's a heck of a lot easier to get things working.

    Ken Gracey
    Parallax, Inc.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,399
    edited 2004-09-25 03:18
    Oh, one more thing.

    With the USB port for programming customers don't need a $30 adapter, so we've saved them lots of expense! If the "cost" is that the USB-BOE is a slave device only, so be it! The customer's problem (a, b and c above) is solved elegantly and for a lower cost than connecting all the adapters to their serial port - and then wondering why it doesn't work!

    Ken Gracey
    Parallax, Inc.
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