Adafruit
USB to Multi-Protocol Serial Adapter: RS-232 / TTL UART / RS-485
· MPN: ADA5995
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DescriptionWhether you need to interface with various serial protocols, this USB to Multi-Protocol Serial adapter has you covered. It supports RS232, TTL UA...
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Description
Whether you need to interface with various serial protocols, this USB to Multi-Protocol Serial adapter has you covered. It supports RS232, TTL UART, RS485, and RS422, all with quick-connect screw terminals, eliminating the need for soldering or special cables.
Whether you need to interface with various serial protocols, this USB to Multi-Protocol Serial adapter has you covered. It supports RS232, TTL UART, RS485, and RS422, all with quick-connect screw terminals, eliminating the need for soldering or special cables.
Simply plug the adapter into a USB A port on your computer, then use a Phillips screwdriver to open the terminal and insert solid or stranded-core wires. The USB A connector is reversible, ensuring that labels and LEDs are always facing you.
At its core, the adapter features an FTDI FT231 USB to serial converter that operates on 5V logic and converts UART serial signals into various formats. It supports baud rates ranging from 300 to 3 Mbaud. FTDI drivers are typically built into most operating systems, but free Virtual COM Port (VCP) drivers are available if needed.
For RS-232 signals, a UM213 signal level converter is used, handling ±8V logic level I/O with all eight RS-232 signals exposed. The RS-232 converter can manage speeds of up to 250 kbps.
The UART side connects directly to the FT231, exposing RX/TX and 5V/3V/GND lines, with a 5V logic level. For RS-485/RS-422, the UART RX/TX lines connect to MAX485 chips.
Additionally, you’ll find 5V and 3V power supplies (with a matching ground) to power small projects—the 5V supply is derived from USB (up to 500mA, though you may draw up to 1A) and the 3.3V supply comes from the FT231X with a 50mA output.
LED indicators include a red 'Power Good' light and a green 'Data Transmission' light.
Please Note: Only one USB-serial chip is included, so you can use one protocol at a time!
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 the way many computers present a USB-connected serial device to software. It matters because it lets you configure or read the board from a computer using serial terminal tools or navigation software.
- LED
- A light-emitting diode is a small electronic component that lights up when current flows through it in the correct direction. In this kit, LEDs create the flashing effect, so polarity and correct soldering matter for the project to work.
- RS-232
- An older serial communication standard that uses higher signal voltages than modern microcontroller logic pins. If you are connecting this breakout to a microcontroller, you may need an RS-232 interface or level converter rather than wiring it directly.
- RS485
- RS485 is a robust wired serial communication standard often used in factories, farms, and buildings where cables may be long or electrically noisy. It matters because it lets this controller connect to industrial sensors, meters, and control equipment over longer distances than typical hobby serial wiring.
- UART
- UART is a simple serial connection that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, often labelled TX and RX. It matters because this module is designed to replace a wired UART cable with a wireless link while keeping the same serial data format.
- USB to serial converter
- A chip that turns the USB connection from your computer into serial data that the microcontroller can understand. It matters because this board uses it for programming and debugging instead of appearing as a direct native USB device such as a keyboard or mouse.
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