DIY Electronics

USB-Serial converter module

This article introduces a prototype of an USB-Serial module, which BeatCraft, Inc. has created. This prototype is capable of providing a connection between USB and RS-232C (9-pin) Serial devices. Its converter chip is FTDI Ltd.'s FT232. As Windows 7 initially supports this chip, its driver is automatically installed as the USB cable is connected to a Windows PC. To use with Windows XP and other OSes, a specific driver is required for its targeted OS, and the drivers are available at the support page of FTDI Ltd.

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COM Port number highly vary and is depending on user's working environment. In this example, COMport is recognized as “COM18”.

This USB-Serial converter module can be used for not only an USB-serial (USB and RS-232) converter, but also a converter for TTL level (3.3V and 1.8V) serial communication.

How to Use the converter module

For a case that RS232-C terminal is connected to a serial communication device

For a case that connect to a TTL level serial communication device

At J1 terminal, from pin#1 to pin#9, these pins are used for TTL level serial communication, which can be used for connecting to a one-board microcomputer. From pin#13 to pin#16, these pins are reserved for setting jumper pins, which are used for the selection of voltage level. pin#11 and pin#12 remain void.

From pin#1 to pin#9, the allocation of these pins is identical to RS-232C (EIA-574) of 9-pin. The voltage level of serial signal are should be the same as targeted device such as one-board microcomputer. To use Jumper pins, the voltage level can be selected at either 3.3V or 1.8V. (Therefore, this convertor cannot be connected with Arduino and other devices, which require 5V line.) For the selection of voltage level, if a jumper is put between 13 and 14, the voltage will be at 3.3V or if it is placed between 15 and 16, it will be at 1.8V.

Pin Allocation of J1

1CDC
2RXD
3TXD
4DTR
5GND
6DSR
7RTS
8CTS
9RI
10GND
11NC
12NC
133.3V Out Put
14IO Power Supply
151.8V out put
16IO power Supply

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