MultiSerial Shield
From Hackstrich
Revision as of 01:29, 11 December 2009 by SarahEmm (talk | contribs) (Arduino MultiSerial Shield moved to MultiSerial Shield: Shouldn't be calling things Arduino...)
The Arduino MultiSerial shield will let the Arduino access two RS232 serial ports via I2C. It will have switchable 3.3v or RS232 levels. This project exists mainly as a debugging tool for networks of BlinkieBits, as (at least during BlinkieNet design/prototyping) it would be extremely useful to be able to receive debugging information from a whole network of BlinkieBits, rather than just one at a time.
- The NXP SC16IS752 chip is used, which gives 2 channels for ~$7. It needs 3.3v I/O and talks 3.3v RS232, so level shifters are needed. The I2C level shifter is a PCA9306 ($0.95 qty. 1), and the RS232 level shifter is a second-sourced TI MAX3232 in a SOT16 package ($1.70 qty. 1).
