Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USB device (flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, so I can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ???? Thanks in advance.
USB device without computer
Started by ●June 16, 2009
Reply by ●June 16, 20092009-06-16
On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:23:07 -0500, USB wcam wrote:> Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USB device > (flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, so I > can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ???? > > Thanks in advance.You are confused. A USB device will only work when it is talking to a USB host, which pretty much has to be a computer. But I suspect that when you say "computer" you mean "PC or MAC". There is no _fundamental_ reason that you couldn't implement a USB host on a sufficiently large FPGA. The easiest way would be to use an FPGA with an embedded PowerPC or ARM processor and run an embedded Linux system on it that is big enough to support a USB host. Regardless of how you do it you'll find that implementing a USB host is not the world's lightest- weight systems programming task, in any way, shape or form. -- www.wescottdesign.com
Reply by ●June 16, 20092009-06-16
On Jun 16, 11:23=A0am, "USB wcam" <wjimen...@hotmail.com> wrote:> Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USB device > (flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, so I > can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ????Theoretically it is possible to do USB in state-machine-logic, but in practice it is not wise to attempt to handle the higher protocol layers that way. What you end up doing is using a micro controller (small, embedded computer) either as a discrete chip, in the form of a specialized USB- to-SPI or whatever adapter, or constructed within the fabric of the FPGA itself.
Reply by ●June 16, 20092009-06-16
On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:14:07 -0700, cs_posting wrote:> On Jun 16, 11:23 am, "USB wcam" <wjimen...@hotmail.com> wrote: >> Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USB device >> (flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, so >> I can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ???? > > Theoretically it is possible to do USB in state-machine-logic, but in > practice it is not wise to attempt to handle the higher protocol layers > that way. > > What you end up doing is using a micro controller (small, embedded > computer) either as a discrete chip, in the form of a specialized USB- > to-SPI or whatever adapter, or constructed within the fabric of the FPGA > itself.Keeping in mind that you're implementing a USB _host_ stack, which is a heck of a lot more work than implementing a USB _client_ stack. -- www.wescottdesign.com
Reply by ●June 16, 20092009-06-16
USB wcam wrote:> Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USB device > (flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, so I > can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ????http://www.vinculum.com Vladimir Vassilevsky DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant http://www.abvolt.com
Reply by ●June 16, 20092009-06-16
On Jun 16, 12:35=A0pm, Tim Wescott <t...@seemywebsite.com> wrote:> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:14:07 -0700, cs_posting wrote: > > On Jun 16, 11:23=A0am, "USB wcam" <wjimen...@hotmail.com> wrote: > >> Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USB devic=e> >> (flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, so > >> I can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ???? > > > Theoretically it is possible to do USB in state-machine-logic, but in > > practice it is not wise to attempt to handle the higher protocol layers > > that way. > > > What you end up doing is using a micro controller (small, embedded > > computer) either as a discrete chip, in the form of a specialized USB- > > to-SPI or whatever adapter, or constructed within the fabric of the FPG=A> > itself. > > Keeping in mind that you're implementing a USB _host_ stack, which is a > heck of a lot more work than implementing a USB _client_ stack.Yes. And even most of the device/client stacks are practically going to use a micro controller type of architecture. I see the link to the usb-to-spi device has been posted in the thread already. This is of course a microcontrollor with the necessary firmware built in.
Reply by ●June 16, 20092009-06-16
On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:41:36 -0500, Vladimir Vassilevsky <antispam_bogus@hotmail.com> wrote:> > >USB wcam wrote: > >> Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USB device >> (flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, so I >> can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ???? > >http://www.vinculum.com >For those devices supported by the Vinculum chip, it is a very easy way to do it. There is a new chip in the works which will support iscochronous transfers, and there will be a development environment to allow users to develop custom apps. Due end of the year-ish. Failing that, find a microcontroller with a USB host port, or look at the USB host chips available from NXP or Maxim. NXP have a free host stack for their USB host parts like the LPC2478.
Reply by ●June 16, 20092009-06-16
Mike Harrison wrote:> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:41:36 -0500, Vladimir Vassilevsky <antispam_bogus@hotmail.com> wrote: > >>USB wcam wrote: >> >> >>>Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USB device >>>(flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, so I >>>can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ???? >> >>http://www.vinculum.com >> > > > For those devices supported by the Vinculum chip, it is a very easy way to do it.Unfortunately, this otherwise good chip has one disadvantage: it is very slow. The transfer rates with the flash drive are below 300KB/s. That makes it practically useless for the bulk data transfers. Vladimir Vassilevsky DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant http://www.abvolt.com
Reply by ●June 16, 20092009-06-16
I just the this chip (exmple: Vinculum VNC1L USB Host Controller) to work with a USB webcam using only frames, I means one data sample (not realtime video) every 30 seconds or 1 minutes, so possibly the transfer rate below 300KB/s is not an issue.> > >Mike Harrison wrote: > >> On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:41:36 -0500, Vladimir Vassilevsky<antispam_bogus@hotmail.com> wrote:>> >>>USB wcam wrote: >>> >>> >>>>Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USBdevice>>>>(flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, soI>>>>can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ???? >>> >>>http://www.vinculum.com >>> >> >> >> For those devices supported by the Vinculum chip, it is a very easyway to do it.> >Unfortunately, this otherwise good chip has one disadvantage: it is very>slow. The transfer rates with the flash drive are below 300KB/s. That >makes it practically useless for the bulk data transfers. > > >Vladimir Vassilevsky >DSP and Mixed Signal Design Consultant >http://www.abvolt.com > > >
Reply by ●June 17, 20092009-06-17
On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:11:40 -0500, Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote:>On Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:23:07 -0500, USB wcam wrote: > >> Hi there, I just need to known if there is possible to use a USB device >> (flash drive, webcam, keyboard, etc.) with no computer interaction, so I >> can use it in a specific application with a FPGA ???? >> >> Thanks in advance. > >You are confused. A USB device will only work when it is talking to a >USB host, which pretty much has to be a computer. > >But I suspect that when you say "computer" you mean "PC or MAC". There >is no _fundamental_ reason that you couldn't implement a USB host on a >sufficiently large FPGA. The easiest way would be to use an FPGA with an >embedded PowerPC or ARM processor and run an embedded Linux system on itWhy the heck embedded linux ? There are embedded USB host stacks (e.g. from HCC Embedded) which run even without an (RT)OS. -- 42Bastian Do not email to bastian42@yahoo.com, it's a spam-only account :-) Use <same-name>@monlynx.de instead !
