Serial/parallel Port For Multipurpose Programming

[sinistra]

Hi there,
I wandered if it is possible to connect a port to Pandora, so that I could write a program, just like the ones on computer, and do some simple electronics operations using this port. Just like programming microcontrollers, but here it would have just one port. Maybe on USB?

 

[Kramy]

The Pandora isn't exactly a microcontroller. It's running a full-fledged OS, just like your desktop PC. If anything, you might be able to program microcontrollers from it, but you won't be able to program it using that method.

I seem to recall the ext port having some pins reserved for serial, but I'm too lazy to look it up to make sure.

You might also be able to use USB. Projects like the Arduino may(should) work over USB. I remember someone suggested using an Arduino for sensors, then a Pandora to process/display the data.

 

[Squidge]

Maybe you could try something like the Velleman K8055 USB experiment board: www.velleman.be/ot/en/product/view/?id=351346

Not only will you have fun building the board, but you'll also have fun building the drivers for Linux. They exist for Windows and FreeBSD at a quick glance, so they'll probably exist in some form for Linux too.

Then you can have fun interfacing various stuff to the board, and if something goes bang, hopefully you'll blow the board up instead of the Pandora (and it'll be much easier to replace the components, as they are through hole rather than surface mount).

 

[ledow]

Maybe you could try something like the Velleman K8055 USB experiment board: www.velleman.be/ot/en/product/view/?id=351346

Not only will you have fun building the board, but you'll also have fun building the drivers for Linux. They exist for Windows and FreeBSD at a quick glance, so they'll probably exist in some form for Linux too.

Dunno about the OPs questions, but... they do...

http://libk8055.sourceforge.net/

I use these devices with Linux all the time to do a number of things using that software (don't use some of the other software that claims to support those on Linux, they are naff). Although that's a "library", it comes with a lovely simple test program that not only works perfectly for testing, but it takes only a line or two of C to see how to use it to do whatever you want. You can even use the test program within a shell script and get 99% of most things done.

I buy pre-made ones, though, because there's only about a £5 difference between "build-your-own" and "pre-made-and-tested" if you get them from Maplin's.

 

[emil10001]

Or there's the beagleboard, which has serial and usb connections.