Data-Pump Kit Eases USB Development

Sept. 3, 2001

There's no need to learn the details of the USB protocol or host drivers using Standard Microsystems' U2DP universal data-pump kit. Nor is there a need to become familiar with the functions of SMSC's device controller hardware. By simply...

Roger Allan

There's no need to learn the details of the USB protocol or host drivers using Standard Microsystems' U₂DP universal data-pump kit. Nor is there a need to become familiar with the functions of SMSC's device controller hardware. By simply utilizing the handful of host and firmware APIs provided by the U₂DP software, developers no longer need to become USB experts to implement USB connectivity.

The U₂DP kit can reduce the design ef-fort from many man-months to a matter of just a few man-weeks for most development tasks. In many systems, no firmware development or modification is required at all; minor alterations to the user's existing C++ or Visual Basic host application program are sufficient.

Prospective users can browse the U₂DP software tutorial at www.smsc.com/u2dp/tutorial.html. Field-application engineers (FAEs) at SMSC's distributors (Nu Horizons and Unique Technologies in the U.S. and Insight Electronics in Europe) have been trained to support customers using the U₂DP software. Additionally, SMSC provided these FAEs with their own U₂DP design kits to help their custom-ers easily de-velop USB connectivity for their products.

The U₂DP software for SMSC's general-purpose USB 1.1 peripheral controller, the USB97C100, provides support for Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, and XP (beta), as well as Apple's OS 9.0 and later host systems. Future support for Linux and Windows CE is planned. Updates can be readily obtained from SMSC's Web site.

Available now, the DK-97C100 U₂DP design kit includes a development board, a CD with driver, dynamic link library, firmware source code, object code, debug utilities, tutorial with sample applications, and full documentation. It costs $349.

When a USB design is ready for production and silicon, designers can purchase the USB97C100 peripheral device controller chip for $7.05 each in 10,000-unit lots. Housed in a 128-pin QFP, it's now in full production. SMSC will make the U₂DP available on its USB 2.0 products in the future.

Standard Microsystems Corp., 80 Arkay Dr., P.O. Box 18047, Hauppauge, NY 11788-8847; (631) 435-6000; fax (631) 273-5550; www.smsc.com.

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.