Installing Driver. Before starting using UART, you need to install driver for PL2303. For using this USB to UART Converter you need a software tool.

Update Several good, inexpensive, purpose-built USB to serial modules are now available on eBay for around five to six dollars. Just search for PL2303 or CP2102. Introduction The Arduino board is a great way for beginners to start learning about developing software for microcontrollers; however it’s cost, while a steal when compared to the initial investment required in the past, can be a little too steep for a do-it-yourselfer who wants to do things cheaply. To be fair there are arduino clones that do lower the price a good bit, but the real cheapskates that don’t mind doing a little extra work can’t help but think they could do it for less. Raven arms mp 25 manual pdf 2016. For these penny pinching DIYers setting up an ATmega on a breadboard seems like the way to go until they discover the FTDI USB cable is $20. What a heart breaker!

There are slightly cheaper alternatives, but a real scrooge googles on. Well look no further because this article has just what you’ve been looking for. The trick is to use a Nokia cell phone data cable based on Prolific’s PL-2303. These cables have a USB to Serial TTL converter built right in. They’re available on eBay and DealExtreme and very inexpensive.

I got mine for just $2.69 shipped. Data cables DKU-5 or CA-42 will work. This article will focus on the CA-42 containing a PL2303HX rev. The methods described here should work in general for cables using different chips. Preparation Tools: Wire Stripper Multimeter Anti-static wrist strap Driver: Recent versions of Linux have the driver pre-installed. Users of other operating systems may find drivers.

Install the driver. So you don’t waste time with a dud cable or bad drivers, you should first check that it’s recognized and assigned a COM port. To do this in Linux, use the command ‘ls /dev/ttyUSB*’ before and after you plug in the cable. You should notice a new ttyUSB is added after you connect the cable.

In Windows, plug in the cable then open up the Device Manager by clicking Start–>Run and typing ‘devmgmt.msc’ followed by Enter. Now find the section named “Ports (COM & LPT)” and click it to expand. There should be a port named something like “Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM#)” or perhaps “NOKIA (COM#)”. Unplug the cable; the cable’s entry in Device Manager should disappear.

Precautions Never work on a live circuit! Always power off the breadboard and always unplug the cable before making adjustments to either; I’ve tried to remind you of this throughout the article but I may have missed a couple of places. There is a possibility you could damage your computer, some other property, injure or even kill yourself! I’ve tried to be very thorough in my instructions, this however is not an excuse for you to turn off your brain.