USB->serial cable

Sophi · Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 64

Has anyone had any luck with a USB->serial cable for programming PICs and eeproms?
My cable from BestBuy doesn't work at all.
I hear that Axiom www.axman.com sells one for $19USD that works well for Motorola uPs.
Has anyone has used this cable for PICs or know if there is a similar one one the market meant for PICs?
Sophi

Guest · Guest

you can make one using a FT232BM ...it works really nice.

Sophi · Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 64

I looked at FT232BM - only comes in surface mount?
How hard is it to make-ur-own cable? What does it involve?
I found this for $30 but it could be the same as BestBuy's cable.
http://www.easysync-ltd.com

Sophi

kender · Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 768 Location: Silicon Valley

Actually, FTDI sells USB-to-serial cables based on FT232BM or their other chips. So, you don't necessarily have to make it yourself.

Sophi · Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 64

Thanks Kender- Have you used the cable to program PICs?
Sophi

kender · Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 768 Location: Silicon Valley

No, I used ICD-U40 (which, by the way, has an FTDI UDB chip itself). I gather, you are using a bootloader and planning to progarm the PIC through a serial cable.

sonicdeejay · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 112

My laptop(A) only has USB(no serial) and I tried to connect my PIC via microchip ICD2,,,,using USB-->serial cable but I can seem to able to make it works....

My laptop(B) has serial...it has no probem..connection....

laptop(A) is light and good to carry ard..compare to B...how can I make it works in laptop(A)...

Thanks

sonic

Smile

Sophi · Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 64

Hi-
Kender- I'm programming the PIC with ICSP. Serial from computer to ICSP adaptor to development board. The programmer is here:
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9&osCsid=6b31798c51d82c864f1ce13a25132047

My computer with the serial port is dying and I want to be able to program chips with my laptop USB. There are lots of adaptors on the market but the one that I bought doesn't work. So I'm cautious about buying more since they are all around $30.
There's some pretty good discussion of how this all works here:
http://pfranc.com/usb/usb.mhtml
But really I just want to buy an adaptor and have it work.

I think this must be getting to be a common problem since none of the laptops come with RS232. I'm still looking for working sugestions, thanks.
Sophi