3

I'm pretty new to microcontrollers and Arduino and since I can't find any satisfying information on my problem, I hope that you might answer them:

My project is actually quite simple: I just want to write out data over a serial connection via USB, the problem: My Arduino Nano has to run as USB Host. That's because the other device is a vacuum cleaner: Neato XV-25 with a mini usb jack. I was already able to 'talk' to it using a Raspberry Pi.

Since I don't have much knowledge about USB communication, I would like to know the following, before I start digging deeper:

  1. I found out, that I would not be able to use the 'usual' usb port of the nano. But I've read a few things about that 'V-USB' library, but did not understand very much. Would it be possible to create a USB Host with this library, that can communicate via a virtual serial connection?

  2. I stumbled across the USBHost for Android Nano. It's a shield, but I'm not sure if it would fit my needs. Is it able to handle serial communication? And is there somewhere a store where I can get it cheap? I think more than 20$ for a shield is a bit too much...

2
  • I'm sorry, I just saw another post and realized, that hardware questions are not tolerated, but i still think, that at least my first question counts as a software-based question...
    – Timo K
    Aug 13, 2014 at 20:11
  • 2
    Realistically, by the time you put a USB host shield on an Arduino you might as well just get a raspberry pi model A. Or you can look at various other embedded boards with USB host capability - STM32F4 discovery - but you may have to learn more to write the software for it. It would also be useful to check what driver is being used on the pi, as if it is one for a stand alone chip, that suggests you could modify the target to get at a logic-level UART behind the USB-serial chip. Conversely something like CDC/ACM suggests you may be talking to a USB-device port on the main micro. Sep 5, 2014 at 14:55

1 Answer 1

3
  1. V-USB is a software-only implementation of a low-speed USB device for Atmel’s AVR® microcontrollers

    No host support here, sorry.

  2. The USB host shield handles the hardware bit and simplifies the software bit. It is up to the firmware to support the various USB profiles. Version 2.0 of the library supports CDC with a few devices; check to see if they would be correct for your purpose.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.