Break Off a Piece of USB-C, UART, or RS232 with Anders Nielsen’s Common Serial Adapter

Fed up with closed-off-the-shelf molded serial adapters, Anders Nielsen created a flexible serial software that may adapt to numerous wants. The open sourced Common Serial Adapter helps USB-C, UART, and RS232. Nielsen invitations potential collaborators to increase its performance and, fairly actually, hack the modular design.

Nielsen’s Common Serial Adapter ingeniously combines three circuits right into a compact and environment friendly printed circuit board (PCB). A USB-C connector connects fashionable computer systems to a CH340G USB-to-Serial built-in circuit (IC). That chip gives UART-style connections to a 2.54mm header and a MaxLinear SP3243E RS-232 transceiver. The takeaway of this design is that serial hackers can use every circuit independently, including to the software’s comfort and flexibility.

The USB-C PCB gives a USB-C connector breakout when separated from the opposite boards. The center circuit incorporates the CH340G USB-to-Serial chip, with one aspect going to breadboard-friendly FTDI-style headers. Technically, you possibly can plug your complete Common Serial Adapter in, however the third (and largest) circuit covers a number of house in case you are not utilizing it.

A MaxLinear SP3243E IC within the third circuit makes the Common Serial Adapter signal-compatible with classic computer systems. A built-in cost pump allows the transceiver IC to deal with RS-232‘s bodily layer specs, resembling unfavorable polarity and slew charges, whereas operating from a single 5-volt provide. Nielsen prolonged the versatile chip with a lesson realized from different retro pc tasks.

Interfacing with RS-232 on classic {hardware} has a number of annoying points. For instance, you can’t immediately join two units or Information Circuit-terminating Tools (DCE). As a substitute, RS-232 requires a null modem adapter to cross a number of indicators. Nielsen’s Common Serial Adapter eliminates the necessity for a further adaptor, or dongle, to make the crossover. Nielsen realized from CommodoreZ’s Cactus 6502 Toggle-Change Homebrew Pc, who realized from TechAV a intelligent trick for dealing with RS-232 indicators. A collection of headers permits customers to rapidly reverse units of indicators by positioning pairs of jumpers in both a horizontal or vertical course.

At the beginning of a video introducing the challenge, Nielsen discusses the origin of the phrase “hacker,” primarily associated to {hardware} hacking. He gives examples the place “hacking” means utilizing a hacksaw to chop or modify circuit boards. To display the Common Serial Adapter is a hacker-friendly software, Nielsen cuts the modules aside with a hacksaw! Should you do not need a hacksaw, then a collection of vias between every circuit gives a satisfying snap to interrupt the modules aside.