SparkFun USB-C Host Shield

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

CS

CS stands for chip select, a control pin used by SPI devices to tell which connected device should listen. It matters when you connect more than one SPI module to the same microcontroller, because each device usually needs its own CS pin.

Headers

Rows of connector contacts on a fixed pitch (commonly 2.54 mm) used to link a board to a breadboard, jumper wires, or another board. They come as male pin headers and female socket headers; when a module ships with pre-soldered headers it can be used straight away, whereas bare pads require soldering the pins yourself.

MAX3421E

The MAX3421E is a chip that adds USB host controller hardware to a microcontroller project. It matters because it handles much of the low-level USB communication, but it also limits the board to the speeds and device support that this controller and its software libraries can provide.

RST

RST (reset) is a control pin used to restart or reinitialise a device to a known state. Connecting an RST pin to a microcontroller lets the host reset the device, which can help with reliable start-up or recovery.

Shield

An add-on board that plugs into a main controller board to give it extra features such as sensing, motor control or communication. Knowing a product supports shields helps you judge whether it can connect neatly into an existing maker-board setup.

SPI

A fast serial communication bus often used for displays, memory cards, and sensors. It matters because SPI devices need specific pins for clock and data, plus a separate chip-select line for each device.

UPS

An uninterruptible power supply is a battery-backed power system that keeps a device running when external power is unplugged or fails. For an embedded computer, it helps prevent sudden shutdowns that can corrupt files or interrupt a project.

USB 2.0

USB 2.0 is a widely used wired standard for carrying both data and power between a device and a computer or other compatible host, with data rates up to 480 Mbps. It indicates the kind of port a device uses and that it should work with most modern and many older computers.

USB host

A USB host is the side of a USB connection that controls attached devices, like a computer talking to a keyboard or flash drive. This matters because most microcontroller boards are normally USB devices, so adding USB host support lets them use common USB peripherals.

USB-C

USB-C is a small, reversible USB connector that can carry power, data and, on some devices, video over a single cable. The same connector can range from charging only to high-speed data, so the functions a given port actually supports vary.