Pololu
CP2102N USB-to-Serial Adapter Carrier
This compact USB-to-serial adapter lets you easily connect TTL serial devices to a computer, where it appears as a virtual COM port. The board is a Micro-USB...
Get notified when back in stock
This compact USB-to-serial adapter lets you easily connect TTL serial devices to a computer, where it appears as a virtual COM port. The board is a Micro-USB carrier for the Silicon Labs CP2102N USB-to-UART bridge, providing access to all control signal pins and GPIO pins.
It serves as a convenient replacement for FTDI-based cables and adapters in many applications, including programming microcontrollers, debugging embedded systems, and communicating with serial peripherals.
Key Features
- CP2102N Bridge IC – Silicon Labs USB-to-UART bridge with reliable driver support
- Virtual COM Port – Appears as a standard serial port on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Full Signal Access – TX, RX, RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR, DCD, RI pins broken out
- GPIO Pins – Additional user-configurable GPIO pins available
- Micro-USB Connector – Standard Micro-USB for connection to host computer
- Baud Rate Support – Supports standard baud rates up to 2 Mbps
- Breadboard Friendly – Header pins for easy prototyping
Ideal For
- Programming and debugging microcontrollers via serial
- Connecting TTL serial devices to a PC
- Replacing FTDI cables in embedded projects
- Serial communication prototyping and testing
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- baud
- Baud is the signalling rate of a serial connection, often used as the speed setting for UART communication. Matching the baud rate matters because both connected devices must use the same setting for readable data.
- COM port
- A COM port is how a computer (chiefly under Windows) presents a serial port to software, whether a physical RS-232 port or a virtual port created when a USB-to-serial device is plugged in. Software can then communicate with the connected device over serial using a terminal or configuration program.
- CTS
- CTS stands for Clear To Send, a serial flow-control signal that tells the other device it may transmit. It matters for reliable high-speed serial communication where buffers could otherwise overflow.
- GPIO
- General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.
- RTS
- RTS stands for Request To Send, a serial flow-control signal used to manage when a device is ready to receive data. It matters when moving fast serial streams because flow control can help prevent lost data.
- RX
- RX means receive, usually showing data being received by the board. An RX indicator LED can help with troubleshooting USB or serial communication.
- TTL serial
- A simple serial data connection that uses microcontroller logic-level voltages (typically 3.3 V or 5 V) rather than the higher, inverted voltages of computer RS-232. When a device lists TTL serial, it can usually wire straight to a microcontroller's UART pins or to a USB-to-TTL serial adapter, but it needs a level converter before connecting to a true RS-232 port.
- TX
- TX means transmit, usually showing data being sent from the board. A TX indicator LED can help you see when the board is communicating or uploading code.
- UART
- UART is a simple asynchronous serial interface that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, usually labelled TX and RX, with both ends set to the same baud rate. It is a common way for microcontrollers and other serial devices to exchange data.
Find this product in
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
