USB to SPI protocol converter

Microchip Technology Inc.'s MCP2210 is a USB to SPI protocol convertor that allows connectivity to machines with SPI connectivity using a USB cable. It is compatible with Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Apple Macintosh operating systems.

January 28, 2012

Microchip Technology Inc. announced the HID-class MCP2210 USB to SPI protocol converter—the simplest, smallest-footprint and most cost-effective option for adding USB-Certified connectivity to SPI-based systems. Microchip also provides free downloads of supporting software drivers, DLLs and a PC configuration tool, in addition to an evaluation board, to make it fast and simple for designers without USB expertise to add USB connectivity. The converter comes in small, 20-pin SSOP and 5×5 mm QFN packages, for space-constrained applications. Additionally, the MCP2210 has nine flexible, general-purpose I/O that can be configured via a PC as standard digital I/O pins or in alternate configurations, providing additional system I/O that simplify designs and support a wide range of applications.

While most PCs have standardized on USB as the primary protocol for connecting to other devices, many of those devices still utilize the SPI protocol. In combination with the above features, software and tools, the MCP2210 converter utilizes the USB HID class, which is supported by the Microsoft Windows, Linux and Apple Macintosh OS operating systems, and is a 100% plug-and-play solution, making it even simpler to add USB to existing designs for data collection, transfer and analysis, along with many other USB functions.

Microchip Technology Inc.

www.microchip.com

– Edited by Chris Vavra, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com