Inexpensive USB host IC - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Unixon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 04:31:20 pm
content: Are there cheaper alternatives to MAX3421E USB host?

author: Christopher
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 05:34:23 pm
content: You can use a PIC/ARM processor with usb host capabilities.This will allow everything to do with usb to reside in this processor and talk to your main application processor using something like SPI to reduce the amount of stuff your main processor has to do

author: Unixon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 06:02:56 pm
content: Quote from: Christopher on May 31, 2015, 05:34:23 pmCan you suggest a couple of microcontrollers of that kind around or below $5 per piece?

author: Christopher
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 06:07:54 pm
content: PIC24FJ32GB002-I/SS £2.50 in one offsPIC32MX230F064B-I/SS £2.60 in one offsThese were found usinghttps://www.microchip.com/maps/microcontroller.aspxand just 3 clicksThe good thing about the PICs is the ease of the USB stack included,

author: Unixon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 06:21:08 pm
content: OK, considering ARM Cortex-Mx, I think some of STM32F1xx will do the job.But, anyway, how about discrete USB host ICs?Moving to ARM is a good option, but rewriting firmware may take a lot of time.I sill need a cheaper USB host for AVR micro.Actually, after starting this thread I've found a couple of options.a) Microchip USB3300-EZKb) WCH CH375BIf anybody is using them in projects, I'd like to know how they work and if there are any problems.

author: mazurov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 06:57:51 pm
content: The first part is a PHY, the second is proprietary mass storage only solution. I suggest sticking to MAX3421E :-).The upcoming release of my USB Host library will run on PIC32MX - that's about half the price of MAX3421E, plus you can pack all of your code inside it, plus they are available in DIP package. But this release won't happen until at least autumn.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 07:18:17 pm
content: An LPC1754 ARM controller from NXP is cheaper than the chip from Maxim and probably easier to buy for production runs. NXP has an extensive USB device/host/OTG stack which does the heavy lifting for the USB side. I strongly suggest not to look at price but also at errata sheets and ease to integrate the software. I have seen it many times: people pick a cheap part but end up in a world of pain which takes an enormous amount of extra R&D hours to get out of.

author: Unixon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 07:35:51 pm
content: Quote from: mazurov on May 31, 2015, 06:57:51 pmWe're already at this point, but we need to drop the product price as much as possible for next revision.Quote from: mazurov on May 31, 2015, 06:57:51 pmOh, no, DIP is way too big.

author: mazurov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 07:37:08 pm
content: they are available in QFN too.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 07:45:30 pm
content: Quote from: Christopher on May 31, 2015, 06:07:54 pmI've used both of those devices extensively but as USB devices rather than hosts. Just take care that whatever application you're doing has enough flash: the USB stack alone can take up a bit of room especially if you don't have the fully optimising compiler there are larger versions of the same chips. Also consider any room you might need for a bootloader. I don't understand why Microchip have the PIC32MX210 for example, there's not enough room for their USB stack on that chip.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 08:51:17 pm
content: You may also want to consider the pic18f2550 for $5.00 each.It has a max clock of 48MHz, 32kB memory, 5V power supply and comes in a SOIC-28 package.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2015, 09:15:11 pm
content: Quote from: mazurov on May 31, 2015, 07:37:08 pmAnd SSOPAnd SOIC-28And QFP 44 if you need more pins.And there is a version with 256K flash and 64K RAM for about GBP2 in 100x

author: Unixon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2015, 03:51:15 am
content: Quote from: mazurov on May 31, 2015, 06:57:51 pmIs it really true that CH375B is mass storage only? As I can see people widely use it in many unrelated projects.I can't remember seeing a datasheet that says that this host IC is limited to mass storage devices.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2015, 08:21:53 am
content: Quote from: Unixon on May 31, 2015, 06:02:56 pmAVR works, too:http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=arduino+pro+micro

author: MLXXXp
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2015, 08:16:49 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on June 04, 2015, 08:21:53 amThe ATmega32U4 used on the Pro Micro can't do USBhostmode.