SPI evaluation

We have to evaluate the SPI bus implementation and drivers on one of
our devices. For that we are looking for the possibility to connect
the device with a PC, e.g. via a SPI to USB converter.
Can any one tell where to find these comverters and if there are other
types of converters available

thanks in advance
Frans

> We have to evaluate the SPI bus implementation and drivers on one of
> our devices. For that we are looking for the possibility to connect
> the device with a PC, e.g. via a SPI to USB converter.
> Can any one tell where to find these comverters and if there are other
> types of converters available

Total Phase (www.totalphase.com) make  the Aardvark I2C/SPI USB based host
adapter that can operate as a master or a slave.

    Andrew

"reverse.tdroovapednav.f" <reverse.tdroovapednav.f@chello.nl> wrote in 
message news:ngosv05r8krihe80e5r114vkdhf4hj7gnf@4ax.com...
> We have to evaluate the SPI bus implementation and drivers on one of
> our devices. For that we are looking for the possibility to connect
> the device with a PC, e.g. via a SPI to USB converter.
> Can any one tell where to find these comverters and if there are other
> types of converters available


I once used a PC printer port with a simple C program to test SPI on a 
microcontroller.

Leon
-- 
Leon Heller, G1HSM
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller 

reverse.tdroovapednav.f wrote:
> We have to evaluate the SPI bus implementation and drivers on one of
> our devices. For that we are looking for the possibility to connect
> the device with a PC, e.g. via a SPI to USB converter.
> Can any one tell where to find these comverters and if there are other
> types of converters available
>
> thanks in advance
> Frans

When I needed to do the same, I built an SPI sniffer out of a processor eval 
board I had in the lab.  A small amount of C code captured the SPI data and 
repackaged it to a RS-232 stream and sent it to a PC.  A couple of short 
test clips let me look at either side (MISO/MOSI) of the data.  The ability 
of RS-232 to handle the data depends on the speed of the SPI data in bytes 
per second.  Even though the SPI speed was a couple of megabits per second, 
our byte xfer speed was low enough for 115K to work for the serial port.  A 
utility we wrote on the PC decoded and displayed the data for us.

The biggest problem with the approach is that SPI is extremely noise 
sensitive.  Our connections were very short and done with twisted pair to 
improve noise immunity.

If I thought there was any interest I'd package it up and offer it for sale.

scott

Not Really Me wrote:
> reverse.tdroovapednav.f wrote:
> 
>>We have to evaluate the SPI bus implementation and drivers on one of
>>our devices. For that we are looking for the possibility to connect
>>the device with a PC, e.g. via a SPI to USB converter.
>>Can any one tell where to find these comverters and if there are other
>>types of converters available
>>
>>thanks in advance
>>Frans
> 
> 
> When I needed to do the same, I built an SPI sniffer out of a processor eval 
> board I had in the lab.  A small amount of C code captured the SPI data and 
> repackaged it to a RS-232 stream and sent it to a PC.  A couple of short 
> test clips let me look at either side (MISO/MOSI) of the data.  The ability 
> of RS-232 to handle the data depends on the speed of the SPI data in bytes 
> per second.  Even though the SPI speed was a couple of megabits per second, 
> our byte xfer speed was low enough for 115K to work for the serial port.  A 
> utility we wrote on the PC decoded and displayed the data for us.
> 
> The biggest problem with the approach is that SPI is extremely noise 
> sensitive.  Our connections were very short and done with twisted pair to 
> improve noise immunity.
> 
> If I thought there was any interest I'd package it up and offer it for sale.
> 
> scott
> 
> 
Scott,

You may be on to a business opportunity.  Most 
microcontroller peripheral chips today are either SPI or 
I2C, so it seems like the need for tools like these will 
only grow.

Dave,

In article <ngosv05r8krihe80e5r114vkdhf4hj7gnf@4ax.com>, reverse.tdroovapednav.f@chello.nl 
says...
> We have to evaluate the SPI bus implementation and drivers on one of
> our devices. For that we are looking for the possibility to connect
> the device with a PC, e.g. via a SPI to USB converter.
> Can any one tell where to find these comverters and if there are other
> types of converters available
> 
> thanks in advance
> Frans

One possibility for you is the U4x1 device at www.usbmicro.com.

reverse.tdroovapednav.f <reverse.tdroovapednav.f@chello.nl> wrote:
> We have to evaluate the SPI bus implementation and drivers on one of
> our devices. For that we are looking for the possibility to connect
> the device with a PC, e.g. via a SPI to USB converter.
> Can any one tell where to find these comverters and if there are other
> types of converters available

I am doing this with a FT2232 in MPSSE Mode right now.

SPI is meant for board interconnect. If you think about using ribbon cable
for the bus, you have to care for reflections. Resistors (100-200Ohm) at the
driver sources help me with that.

Bye

-- 
Uwe Bonnes                bon@elektron.ikp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de

Institut fuer Kernphysik  Schlossgartenstrasse 9  64289 Darmstadt
--------- Tel. 06151 162516 -------- Fax. 06151 164321 ----------