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Vinculum to PDA - Doable? — Parallax Forums

Vinculum to PDA - Doable?

simonlsimonl Posts: 866
edited 2007-02-19 09:56 in Propeller 1
Anyone know if the Vinculum chip will allow me to do the following?:

I'd like to attach a PChip to a PDA via it's USB sync cable. I'm hoping to be able to create a WinCE / .NET app' on the PDA that displays data passed to it via the PChip.

Just a thought I had whilst driving home from work, so if anyone knows if this is doable (or even sensible!), I'd be glad to hear from you [noparse]:)[/noparse]

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Cheers,

Simon

BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style smile.gif
www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-)

Comments

  • paulmacpaulmac Posts: 51
    edited 2007-02-16 20:21
    Just off the top of mine and Google's heads:
    Most PDAs appear to be USB slave devices, my HP Jornada certainly is. The Vinculum chips appear to be host devices. So, short answer yes.
    I know that my Jornada also has connections for a serial port in the docking connector as well as USB, that may be an easier/cheaper route.

    I have also considered the possibilities of hooking up a Prop to a PDA. I don't think it would be difficult, hardware or software wise. As for sensible? Whoever let that stop them? smile.gif

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    I stand on the shoulders of giants
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-02-16 21:12
    In theory yes, however in practical terms I don't think so. You are sortof looking for the host version of the USB to serial chips of thiers. To my knowledge the only firmware they have created is storage class and·HID class, so while the chip would be capable of doing what you want, the firmware to do it doesn't exist.

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2007-02-16 21:17
    I'd second on that. They do support connecting to their own USB to serial converters, but noone else's. I believe they now support a generic serial printer, but that doesn't include the printer control sequences (different for each manufacturer's printer). Some PDAs can appear to be a mass storage device (like some of the newer Palms), but that's not the same (the PDA is completely involved in the connection - no other application is running).

    If your PDA has Bluetooth, you might have an easier time plugging a Bluetooth serial adapter into the Propeller and linking that way.
  • simonlsimonl Posts: 866
    edited 2007-02-17 14:15
    Thanks for the feedback folks. I'd not thought about the Vinculum's firmware [noparse]:([/noparse]

    paulmac: My Jornada's so old (it's a 568 I think) that I've been unable to find a supplier of sync cables for it, which is why I was thinking of using the USB cable I've already got. Maybe it's time to get a Dell Axim!

    Thanks again.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Cheers,

    Simon

    BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style smile.gif
    www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
    You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-)
  • hinvhinv Posts: 1,255
    edited 2007-02-17 20:11
    Hi Simon,

    If you get an Axim, get the X50 or better, and the attached pinouts should work. I have the X51v, with the 640x480 screen, so I was hoping to modify the propeller OS to display to that instead.
    I thaught about doing this myself, and using eTCL for the programming language on the Axim. Since there are some serial examples allready.
    I was hoping to somehow get an eTCL console on the serial port. Then I could just send tcl commands to it.
    Eventually, I would like to be able to do spin and assembly on the Axim and boot the prop off of it.

    Thanks,
    Doug
    AXIM-PINOUT4.png
    716 x 1051 - 52K
  • hinvhinv Posts: 1,255
    edited 2007-02-17 20:13
    P.S. I take no credit for the pinout chart below. I got it somewhere off of http://www.aximsite.com
  • hinvhinv Posts: 1,255
    edited 2007-02-17 21:39
    I forgot to mention, that on the Axim X5?(v) the serial port is ttl 3.3v. Which is a big plus
  • paulmacpaulmac Posts: 51
    edited 2007-02-18 07:31
    simonl said...

    paulmac: My Jornada's so old (it's a 568 I think) that I've been unable to find a supplier of sync cables for it, which is why I was thinking of using the USB cable I've already got. Maybe it's time to get a Dell Axim!

    I've got a 568 too. There are pinouts for the connector on the 'net and you can get cables (USB and/or serial) off ebay (I just checked).

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    I stand on the shoulders of giants
  • simonlsimonl Posts: 866
    edited 2007-02-19 09:56
    Hey, nice one paulmac! I'll have to go lookin' [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    hinv, I've not used eTCL -- shall have to google that too. Getting the Axim to download code to the Prop would be real nice. Let me know how you get on [noparse];)[/noparse]

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    Cheers,

    Simon

    BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style smile.gif
    www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
    You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-)
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