USB Serial Converters
Most microcontrollers use the serial protocol to communicate with other device and/or get flashed.
If you want to use a computer in order to communicate with a microcontroller, you will need a USB-Serial adapter. While these are often available on the board already (in case you use the development boards), you might have the need to use one of the specific USB-Serial Converters.
PL2303
| ToolInfoBox PL2303 USB Serial Converter | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type: | PL2303 |
| Used with: | computer, microcontroller |
| Location: | E-Bench |
| Access Requirements: | upon reading |
The PL2303 is a cheap chip which is the base for many USB-Serial Converters. We have some available in the CoMakingSpace which you can use for temporary projects.
The ones we have are based on the PL-2303 XA/HXA chip. Unfortunately, the latest official drivers do not support Windows 10 anymore (see here).
However, somebody uploaded an old driver version to a wordpress blog, which makes the chips work on Windows 10. Of course, use this at your own risk.
CH340
| ToolInfoBox CH340 USB Serial Converter | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type: | CH340 |
| Used with: | computer, microcontroller |
Windows
The cheap USB serial module CH340 is not supported by default in Windows. You need to install the drivers manually.
Mac
brew cask install homebrew/cask-drivers/wch-ch34x-usb-serial-driver
Linux
Works out of the box.
