USB Host

Anyone know of a device that makes implementing USB Host mode as painless as 
something like the FTDI chips?  I need to hang a couple of USB Host ports on 
a V2P.

No, I don't want to implement the USB functionality within the FPGA, those 
logic resources are far too valuable.  Ideally, I'd like a simple 
single-chip solution that requires almost zero work to get up and going.

I do control what devices will plug into this, so it doesn't need to be as 
intelligent (and/or complex?) as a full-blown USB framework on a PC.

Thanks

-Martin

Martin <0_0_0_0_@pacbell.net> wrote:
> Anyone know of a device that makes implementing USB Host mode as painless 
>  as something like the FTDI chips?  I need to hang a couple of USB Host on 
>  ports a V2P.

> No, I don't want to implement the USB functionality within the FPGA, those 
> logic resources are far too valuable.  Ideally, I'd like a simple 
> single-chip solution that requires almost zero work to get up and going.

> I do control what devices will plug into this, so it doesn't need to be as 
> intelligent (and/or complex?) as a full-blown USB framework on a PC.

The cypress SL811HS can play the host or guest role on an USB bus, but for a
USB bus, a lot of other software layers needed. 

Bye
-- 
Uwe Bonnes                bon@elektron.ikp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de

Institut fuer Kernphysik  Schlossgartenstrasse 9  64289 Darmstadt
--------- Tel. 06151 162516 -------- Fax. 06151 164321 ----------

Martin wrote:

> Anyone know of a device that makes implementing USB Host mode as painless as 
> something like the FTDI chips?  I need to hang a couple of USB Host ports on 
> a V2P.
> 
> No, I don't want to implement the USB functionality within the FPGA, those 
> logic resources are far too valuable.  Ideally, I'd like a simple 
> single-chip solution that requires almost zero work to get up and going.
> 
> I do control what devices will plug into this, so it doesn't need to be as 
> intelligent (and/or complex?) as a full-blown USB framework on a PC.
> 

Yes, I heard Atmel has something under development/sale.
Intended for a limited functionality, they are intending
to deliver you some binaries according to your microprocessor
and interface.

Rene
-- 
Ing.Buero R.Tschaggelar - http://www.ibrtses.com
& commercial newsgroups - http://www.talkto.net

> Anyone know of a device that makes implementing USB Host mode as painless
as
> something like the FTDI chips?  I need to hang a couple of USB Host ports
on
> a V2P.
>
> No, I don't want to implement the USB functionality within the FPGA, those
> logic resources are far too valuable.  Ideally, I'd like a simple
> single-chip solution that requires almost zero work to get up and going.
>
> I do control what devices will plug into this, so it doesn't need to be as
> intelligent (and/or complex?) as a full-blown USB framework on a PC.
>


Atmel has the AT43USB380 OTG controller.
This runs the USB host stack on an embedded micrcontroller
and presents an API to the main processor
which runs a library with the device classes.
The library is delivered in object code only, so you will
have to use a known architecture, or convince the Atmel USB
group to support your choosen architecture.
The AT91M40800 or the AT91R40008 are good chips to run the
device classes on.
Another limitation is the supported device classes.
I think the most populoar classes are Mass Storage, HID and printer
which are supported. CDC has been discussed some time ago,
but I have no updated status.

--
Best Regards,
Ulf Samuelsson.
Ulf at atmel dot com
These comments are intended to be my own opinion and they
may, or may not be shared by my employer, Atmel Nordic AB.

> Atmel has the AT43USB380 OTG controller.

Just had a look at this.  It is very interesting.  Now, the question is, can 
they be driven by a high-speed (100 MIPS) 8051 derivative?

Of course, there's always the option to hook it into an unused PowerPC 
processor in the V2P.

An extension to that is...one could also look into running Embedded Linux 
off the PPC on V2P and dispense with the pain an aggravation.

-Martin

Speaking of Embedded Linux...there's also the Freescale(Motorola) MPC885. 
An interesting option in that, it can provide external intelligence for a 
design as well as run Linux, get you USB Host/Peripheral support, 10/100 
Ethernet, serial, etc.

What resources are available with regards to running Embedded Linux off a 
PPC on a V2P?

-Martin 

I am also interested in finding a USB2.0 host functionality--my requirements 
also include the need for vxWorks driver. The chosen chip will have to 
interface to PPC405 in V2P30 via some custom IP (I'm assuming). Anyone know 
of an off-the-shelf host controller with vxWorks drivers?

Thanks,

Paul

"Ulf Samuelsson" <ulf@a-t-m-e-l.com> wrote in message 
news:352j7jF4if8qiU1@individual.net...
>> Anyone know of a device that makes implementing USB Host mode as painless
> as
>> something like the FTDI chips?  I need to hang a couple of USB Host ports
> on
>> a V2P.
>>
>> No, I don't want to implement the USB functionality within the FPGA, 
>> those
>> logic resources are far too valuable.  Ideally, I'd like a simple
>> single-chip solution that requires almost zero work to get up and going.
>>
>> I do control what devices will plug into this, so it doesn't need to be 
>> as
>> intelligent (and/or complex?) as a full-blown USB framework on a PC.
>>
>
>
> Atmel has the AT43USB380 OTG controller.
> This runs the USB host stack on an embedded micrcontroller
> and presents an API to the main processor
> which runs a library with the device classes.
> The library is delivered in object code only, so you will
> have to use a known architecture, or convince the Atmel USB
> group to support your choosen architecture.
> The AT91M40800 or the AT91R40008 are good chips to run the
> device classes on.
> Another limitation is the supported device classes.
> I think the most populoar classes are Mass Storage, HID and printer
> which are supported. CDC has been discussed some time ago,
> but I have no updated status.
>
> --
> Best Regards,
> Ulf Samuelsson.
> Ulf at atmel dot com
> These comments are intended to be my own opinion and they
> may, or may not be shared by my employer, Atmel Nordic AB.
>
> 

> > Atmel has the AT43USB380 OTG controller.
> > This runs the USB host stack on an embedded micrcontroller
> > and presents an API to the main processor
> > which runs a library with the device classes.
> > The library is delivered in object code only, so you will
> > have to use a known architecture, or convince the Atmel USB
> > group to support your choosen architecture.
> > The AT91M40800 or the AT91R40008 are good chips to run the
> > device classes on.
> > Another limitation is the supported device classes.
> > I think the most populoar classes are Mass Storage, HID and printer
> > which are supported. CDC has been discussed some time ago,
> > but I have no updated status.
> >
> > --


> I am also interested in finding a USB2.0 host functionality--my
requirements
> also include the need for vxWorks driver. The chosen chip will have to
> interface to PPC405 in V2P30 via some custom IP (I'm assuming). Anyone
know
> of an off-the-shelf host controller with vxWorks drivers?

I think that there is a PowerPC library for the AT43USB380, but I am not
100% sure.
Maybe you could try mailing usb ath atmel doht com.
The library will work with or without an OS so VxWorks should be fine for
this chip
if the PowerPC support is there.

Obviously the compiler chain you use may be another parameter.
I connected the team to Green Hills, so this should be one alternative.

--
Best Regards,
Ulf Samuelsson.
Ulf at atmel dot com
These comments are intended to be my own opinion and they
may, or may not be shared by my employer, Atmel Nordic AB.

Cypress, TI and others have USB microcontrollers that power up with 
enough smarts to connect to a USB driver that would download it's 
application code. The microcontroller then disconnects and reconnects to 
the USB host which then uses another driver to talk to the final 
application code.

These little microcontrollers are only a couple of bucks so I was 
thinking for FPGA applications that are always on a USB bus I could 
forego the serial prom and just use the USB for configuration and to 
talk to the fpga application through the microcontroller. I hope this 
makes some sense.

Martin wrote:
> Anyone know of a device that makes implementing USB Host mode as painless as 
> something like the FTDI chips?  I need to hang a couple of USB Host ports on 
> a V2P.
> 
> No, I don't want to implement the USB functionality within the FPGA, those 
> logic resources are far too valuable.  Ideally, I'd like a simple 
> single-chip solution that requires almost zero work to get up and going.
> 
> I do control what devices will plug into this, so it doesn't need to be as 
> intelligent (and/or complex?) as a full-blown USB framework on a PC.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> -Martin
> 
>