good way to add USB functionality to MOD5270

[mmk_tsm]

Hello,
can anyone recommend a good way to add USB (master) functionality to a netburner module, which doesnt have built in USB, e.g. a MOD5270.
We currently use FTDI's VNC1L chip in SPI mode but have been very disappointed by it.
TiA,
Mike.

[Chris Ruff]

The usual way is to first decide what you want your USB host to support (thumb drives, ethernet dongles, hubs, etc.), choose a stack that supports all of that, design in one of the USB host chips that your chosen stack supports (using I2C or parallel interface), and pay the stack people 5-20 thousand dollars for their stack (price depending on what you want your host to support and the licensing deal).

To get thumb drives, hubs, ethernet dongles, WAP, WPA, Ethernet stack, File system and all other necessary subcomponents will require a base stack and many add-on seperately priced software modules.

I have received a quote of around 25k for unlimited commercial product production to get all of what I listed.

I wish it was easier. but it doesn't seem to be.

Other processor manufacturers offer free host stacks, but they are typically very limited in their capability to accept USB devices and don't support hubs

Chris

[bbracken]

There are vendors that provide a USB chips with embedded stacks. you typically interface to them via standard serial interfaces. Don't remember exactly who the vendors were, but several months ago I did some research. The stacks are expensive and are "cafeteria" style. Host support, device support, HID, serial, file systems... etc are typically sold seperatly. Sometimes there is even a charge for the lower level hardware interface for the particular processor's USB. And don't forget the licensing fees. Single processor, single product family, processor family, royalty based, unlimited.... The only good thing is that with the economy being what it is, they are all willing to barter.

bb

[mmk-tsm]

We only want to add two possible UsB functionsd:
1. Interface to a USB drive or stick (for storing or reading data)
2. Interface to a USB printer.

And realistically the interface would have to be SPI or serial.

[Chris Ruff]

The thumb drive is not so hard - especially if you don't need hub support. NB already buys the file system from

HCC-Embedded
444 East 82nd Street
New York, NY 10028 USA

Tel +1-212-734-1345 / Mobile +1-646-418-7017 / Fax +1-203-738-4124

so all you would have to do is buy the root stack (main stack) and the thumb drive add-on.

The printer is far more thorny.

While there is a "printer class" USB construct, you will need to qualify each and every printer you wish to support in your design (MAYBE if all you need is black and white text only lots of printers will 'just work'). It is extremely unlikely that (in an embedded environment) any of us can build in "plug and play" USB printer support.


Chris