Using Usart As Rs232

[frenky666]

I know that this is the developer forum, but as an AVR assembly assistant teacher, i'm getting really interested in getting pandora for my "job".

Writing a good ASM code does not require a powerful computer, and i would be happy to write code with Linux ports of AVR tools.

I'm interested did anyone try to make USARTs on Pandora work as as RS232 ports, or as RS422 ports.

If it is possible and tested that would be a great plus for me buying a prototype Pandora.

 

[Exophase]

It has been done with breakout boards distributed to developers who received prototype Pandora boards. The serial transfer hardware on OMAP3, called McBSP (multi-channel buffered serial port, standard hardware for a lot of TI DSPs and applications processors), can be pretty easily configured as UARTs and are probably still tied to ttys on the production Pandora Linux image.

Connecting the pins to RS232, RS422, or USB to serial transceivers should be fairly trivial for someone with the proper EE skills (not a lowly software engineer like me though). OP may be selling the BoBs as well, which can connect to the EXT ports. Currently they have no official plans for this, though.

Just a note, if you plan on writing direct to the metal code interfacing OMAP3's peripherals (like McBSP) then your work is probably cut out for you, because it's a really complex chip and Linux gets in the way a lot for this sort of thing.

 

[atomicthumbs]

pretty sure that it's already working as an RS-232 port, you just need to put a level converter between the EXT pins and whatever you're interfacing.

 

[Exophase]

pretty sure that it's already working as an RS-232 port, you just need to put a level converter between the EXT pins and whatever you're interfacing.

RS232 is defined by the electrical interface. It's the transceiver that makes it RS232, not the UART protocol.

 

[atomicthumbs]

then it's a UART port that just needs conversion to RS-232 signaling, and already is working as a serial port in Linux.

 

[torpor]

Just wire up a MAXR232 and you're good to go ..