RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Testing the waters...

All,


The May 2001 issue of Nuts & Volts (pp 60) describes a chip for USB that is
as easy to use as a serial port.
Here is the URL for a US distibutor.

http://www.saelig.com/FT8U232AM.htm

This is an excerpt from the disributor's literature...

"The exciting thing about FT8U232AM is that can be used to upgrade old RS232
designs to USB with absolutely minimal development and cost. Many
manufacturers have RS232-based peripherals and wish there was a way to
convert those products as painlessly as possible to USB. The traditional
approach was to re-design the product using a dedicated USB microcontroller.
...
Contrast this with FT8U232AM - it's easy! How easy? Just replace the RS232
level converter i.c. inside the product with our FT8U232AM and use our free
drivers - and the job is done!"


This just recently caught my eye, and I thought that it may be the ideal
interface for future designs. I
haven't aquired any chips so I can't verify any claims, but thought I might
share this information.

If this really works as described then a serial version of a controller
should be easy to implement today, with a simple upgrade path to USB in the
future. (Software wouldn't even have to change when using the FT8U232
driver!)

Just my $0.02,
Paul F.



-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Keller [mailto:eek105@...]
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 8:01 PM
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Testing the waters...


I am thinking about buying some motherboards now to save our investment
in ISA data acquisition cards. I just bought 2 new computers, neither
of which have ISA. Current Intel chipsets do not support ISA as far
as I can tell. I think that the firewire, pci, and maybe the parallel
port are the only safe future paths. USB is a little too scary for me.
Eric

-----Original Message-----

From: Jon Elson [mailto:jmelson@...]

Tom Kulaga wrote:

>
> Some other thoughts:
>
> Would there be any value to adding either 16 bit bus support (full
> length ISA) or interrupt signals, assuming the I/O chip has interrupt
> outputs? Should I wire a special E-stop disable input to trigger an
> interrupt?

Oh, certainly DON'T go with ISA, as it is rapidly becoming obsolete!

Jon



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