Serial data to USB

[cooksydesign]

I have good working code to transmit serial data to and from a PIC 16F628A and a VB6 application. Now the request for a USB connection has come up. Has anyone played with a serial to USB converter? The board with the PIC has been made, I'm stuck with serial in, serial out, and ground for data transfer. The data is transfered at a blistering 4800bps, but for the small amount of data it's just fine.
Two bytes are first sent from the VB application to the PIC. The PIC acknowledges with a byte, then transfers less than 50 bytes and it's over.
Soooo, anyway, has anyone played with a serial to USB converter? I have seen one or two that are built into a cable, which would be sweet if that worked out.
Thanks to all.

Brad

[mackrackit]

I have good working code to transmit serial data to and from a PIC 16F628A and a VB6 application. Now the request for a USB connection has come up. Has anyone played with a serial to USB converter? The board with the PIC has been made, I'm stuck with serial in, serial out, and ground for data transfer. The data is transfered at a blistering 4800bps, but for the small amount of data it's just fine.
Two bytes are first sent from the VB application to the PIC. The PIC acknowledges with a byte, then transfers less than 50 bytes and it's over.
Soooo, anyway, has anyone played with a serial to USB converter? I have seen one or two that are built into a cable, which would be sweet if that worked out.
Thanks to all.

Brad

I have good luck with a Belkin F5U409.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProdu...duct_Id=459431

[mister_e]

I'd never ever had any kind of problem 'till now. BUUUUUUUUT, most USB-2-serial may access COM up to 255/255. VB6 original component is usually able to work within COM1:COM15 range. With VB6, So the only kind of limitation is if you can't modify the COM port that your converter use.

You could find some info over the net to modify the VB6 control, or, i'll suggest you to move on newer .Net version (express work great).

In .NET you also could build a list of available COM port in 2-3 code lines.

Now, i use PIC with USB.

[cooksydesign]

Mackrackit, what kind of handshaking is required with the Belkin cable?

My '628A PIC is surface mount, the boards have been made. I think the boards were done before the PIC came out with USB, yep, a few years and I still have some stock.

Many thanks.

Brad

[mister_e]

I'm not Mackrackit, but handshaking is really up to you. You could have DTR line connected to the MCLR and play with it in VB, so your PIC fall in a SerialCom Test or Bootloading procedure for XYZ delay.

I usually use USART interrupt without MCLR.

[mackrackit]

What he said and..

When the serial/usb converter is installed on XP/Vista, you will have a virtual com port number ?? in device manager.

This virtual com port will have all of the settings of a regular com port.

[arniepj]

This demo was created for the serial to usb port selection problem.
http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=7372

[dhouston]

The simplest solution is to keep your PIC application as RS232 and tell those who need USB to buy this http://www.byterunner.com/byterunner...ct_match=exact. It's inexpensive, it works and it eliminates the need for you to rewrite your PIC application, learning to use USB, .NET, etc.

[serkanc]

I'm using 18f2550, PBP and Visual Basic Express 2008 without any problem... With the usage of bootloader you can also programm your pic in a few seconds on your circuit over USB...