gnupic: FTDI chips (was: DIY USB programmer ?)
Subject:
Re: FTDI chips (was: DIY USB programmer ?)
From:
Byron A Jeff ####@####.####
Date:
6 Jan 2005 15:04:06 +0000
Message-Id: <20050106150402.GA23965@cleon.cc.gatech.edu>
On Wed, Jan 05, 2005 at 11:30:23PM +0000, Laurence Withers wrote:
> On Wednesday 05 January 2005 20:51, Byron A Jeff wrote:
> > BTW the FTDI parts fail all of the above as a complete module using
> > the chip isn't easily available and is expensive.
>
> Just a quick note (and not addressing any of the issues raised in the
> post), the FTDI chips can be bought in the UK from Alpha Micro
> Components ( http://www.alphamicro.net/ ) for a little under UKP5. This
> actually makes them cheaper than an RS232 level converter (MAX232 or
> what have you). If you can drive down to Basingstoke, you can also save
> on the delivery.
>
> I've used the chips successfully in a few PIC projects and I'm very
> happy with them. They work just fine under Linux and you can also get
> udev to associate each device with a special name. And as far as the
> PIC is concerned, it's just talking a standard serial protocol.
I know the cost of the raw chip. However you have to add the associated
circuitry, and you need a way to mount it to prototype it. As useful as
surface mount is as a packaging format, there is simply no way to use it
as easily as plugging a DIP into a breadboard.
Finally if you are paying UKP5 for a Max232 then you are probably being
robbed. In the US MAX232's run about $1 USD which is a tenth of the cost
you've quoted.
BAJ
