[GPS_Standard] USB to TTL Serial Cable

[Bert, VE2ZAZ]

Hi Steve,

Yes, the FT232 is a classic in RS-232 to USB conversion. There is no reason
to beleive it would not work. But I find it is not necessarily the easiest
way to accomplish what you want. First, this is a very fine pitch leaded
device (TSSOP) and is VERY DIFFICULT to deal with unless you own a super
fine soldering tool and a stereoscope. Also, you will likely need another
converter for the GPS board. This makes the FT232 chip much less attractive.
Note that the MAX232 chip is a dual converter, so one chip does both
channels. It is also much easier to handle...

IMHO, for half of that price, you are better off buying two Serial-to-USB
converter pigtails on Ebay and use a MAX232 to interface both the GPS
Standard board and the GPS board.

Examples of such converter on Ebay are:

Item 270183993193
Item 160175708730
Item 220167895123

Guess what chip they most likely use in these converters?...

Thanks,

Bert, VE2ZAZ

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Vineyard" <kj5rv at earthlink.net>
To: "gps_standard" <gps_standard at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2007 8:36 PM
Subject: [GPS_Standard] USB to TTL Serial Cable


Found the following information on a USB to TTL serial converter in a
cable. Seems with it you can connect directly to the computer and the
VE2ZAZ GPS Standard Control Board without any extra power supply for the
serial interface and no other devices. Since I am new to this and am
just building my frequency standard and have no formal electronics
education any comments would the greatly appreciated. This looks simple,
and for $20 from Mouser I am in if no one has a reason it may not work.

Steve
KJ5RV

The TTL-232R-3V3 is a USB to TTL serial converter cable incorporating
FTDI’s FT232RQ USB - Serial UART
interface IC device, the latest device to be added to FTDI’s range of
USB UART interface Integrated Circuit Devices. It
is designed to allow for a fast, simple way to connect devices with a
TTL level serial interface to USB.
The FT232RQ chip used by the TTL-232R-3V3 is housed within the USB ‘A’
connector. A 1.8 meter (6 foot) cable is
terminated with a 6 way 0.1” pitch header socket which provides access
to the transmit (Tx), receive (Rx), RTS#, and
CTS#, as well as VCC (5V out) and GND.
The FT232R is a USB to serial UART interface with optional clock
generator output, and the new FTDIChip-ID™
security dongle feature. In addition, asynchronous and synchronous bit
bang interface modes are available. USB to
serial interface designs using the FT232R have been further simplified
by fully integrating the external EEPROM, clock
circuit and USB resistors onto the device.



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