Hello All,
Has anyone messed about with a USB>I2C converter that uses the FTDI FT200XD chip? I was pondering using it on Arduino.
Couldn’t be too hard…or could it?
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Hi Gerard,
So I take it you were planning on having the Arduino act as an I2C slave, and writing software on a PC to send commands to it over I2C via that chip? Or did you have something else in mind?
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Hi James,
What I want to do is use a USB keyboard to enter commands, etc.
Adafruit have this Mini Bluetooth Keyboard – Black : ID 3601 : $12.95 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits which looks really neat.
Of course, I could be demanding too much from my little Arduino!!
Cheers,
Gerard
Edit: I need to shoehorn some kind of display in there too!!
It seems like you have an interesting project in mind! Using the FTDI FT200XD to create a USB to I2C interface between a USB keyboard and an Arduino is feasible, but there are a few things to consider.
First, you’ll need to make sure that your Arduino has the necessary I2C interface to communicate with the FT200XD chip. Most Arduino boards do include this interface, but it’s worth double-checking your specific model.
Next, you’ll need to write some code for the Arduino to interpret the I2C signals it receives from the FT200XD. This code would convert the received signals into usable information that corresponds to the keystrokes from the USB keyboard. There are libraries available for Arduino that can help with this, such as the Wire library for I2C communication.
As for your idea of adding a display, that’s definitely possible with Arduino. There are many types of displays compatible with Arduino, like LCD or OLED screens. You can even find some that use I2C for communication, which could simplify your wiring. However, keep in mind that adding a display will add complexity to your project, both in terms of the necessary wiring and the code to control the display.
Also, if you plan on using the Arduino to control other devices or perform additional tasks beyond simply receiving keystrokes and displaying information, you’ll need to ensure that it has enough processing power and memory to handle all of these tasks.
Finally, as James mentioned, depending on your specific requirements and constraints, there might be alternative ways to achieve what you’re looking for. For instance, if the goal is to simply send commands to an Arduino from a PC, you might consider using a simple serial communication over USB, which would likely be easier to implement and wouldn’t require a special chip like the FT200XD.
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Thanks for that great post.
The Blackberry keyboard has come back on the market. This version uses I2C (@ 3.3v only), USB port plus a qwiic interface. Small and neat.
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Hi Gerard,
The blackberry option seems a lot better, the USB-to-I2C chip you mentions actually functions in the reverse way that you were wanting, it acts as a USB peripheral not a USB host, which is what would be required to interface with a keyboard. In other words, you’d use it in conjunction with software on a PC to read an I2C sensor, say, not hook a keyboard up to an Arduino.
Glad to hear your project is on a more straightforward path now.
It is on a bit more straightforward now, James.
What I need to get (or would like to get) is a display LCD or OLED that I can do basic textual information to the user. Since my case is about 100mm high x 150mm wide, something about that size would be good. Then I can Solidworks model a nice, foldaway design.
G
