USB and Host computer communication

young · Joined: 24 Jun 2004 Posts: 285

I am develeoping a protype device that could maesure color signal using PIC chips, I already developed measuring part on microchip. what I want to do next to to send the data to my host computer and monitor as well as save the data into an excel data base using visual studio, I have experience developing system visual studio to deveoped other real time system, but I know nothing about communication and saving to the data base, any suggestion, and directions, samples?

Any idea will be much appreciated!

rwyoung · Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 563 Location: Lawrence, KS USA

Easiest way I have found for adding a USB interface to a PIC is to use the FTDI chips (FT232BM for example). On the PC side you have the choice of either treating the USB stream as a serial port (Virtual Communications Port or VCP drivers) or using FTDI's "native mode" DLL. Both are well supported in the Visual Studio environment. I have converted several older projects from RS232 to USB this way.

I am still using Visual Studio 6 so I can't speak to how the .NET environment gets along with the VCP or DLL drivers. But Visual Basic 6 and Visual C++ 6 work like a charm. Both support serial communications and the use of external DLLs. Both have good support for database operations. I suggest you visit a good bookstore and do a some reading up on database accessing via Visual Studio. It is pretty easy if you use their pre-built OCX, VBX or DLL libraries.
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Rob Young
The Screw-Up Fairy may just visit you but he has crashed on my couch for the last month!

young · Joined: 24 Jun 2004 Posts: 285

Thank you:
I am currently using a 16f877a with usb built in the system (easyPic2 borad).and I am using it to power up my whole system.
I heard it that I need to download some microsoft comminuication control drivers. could you suggest me where and which one should I use and download?

rwyoung · Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 563 Location: Lawrence, KS USA

I suggest you contact Mikroelektronica for assistance. The pictures on their web site are not clear enough for me to tell what is running the USB port.
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Rob Young
The Screw-Up Fairy may just visit you but he has crashed on my couch for the last month!

rwyoung · Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 563 Location: Lawrence, KS USA

I did a little checking and it looks like the chip they are using for USB communications is the USBN9603 (or a derivative) from National Semiconductor.

You should be able to go to the National Semiconductor web pages and get the data sheets and application notes for that chip to develop your own hardware and software.
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Rob Young
The Screw-Up Fairy may just visit you but he has crashed on my couch for the last month!

Guest · Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:58 am

Thank you:

COuld you tell me how the USBN9603 is connected to the microcintroller. from the reading I know that there is SPI, FTDI method etc. ( I have blank knolwledge about these), maybe from here (since the hardwire is already built in the system) what I need is to deal with programming if you can give a hint about the connection on this special board.

rwyoung · Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 563 Location: Lawrence, KS USA

Goggle sez to look here...

http://www.national.com/appinfo/usb/0,1808,126,00.html

Also, with many development kits, they provide you with a full schematic. Did Mikroelektronica provide a schematic?
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Rob Young
The Screw-Up Fairy may just visit you but he has crashed on my couch for the last month!