Gadget Master

FDTI's Vinculo USB 2.0 platform is built around its Vinculum II VNC2-64 dual-channel host/slave controller with the capability of interfacing to the growing range of I/O application boards (shields) developed by the Arduino open-source community.

The VNC2 combines a 16-bit/48MHz CPU core, 256kbyte of flash memory and 16kbyte of SRAM memory and provides support for external UART, FIFO, PWM, GPIO and SPI slave/master interfaces.

The Vinculo programming language utilises a subset of standard ANSII 'C' with FTDI supported, free of charge software development tools, libraries and reference designs.

The firm now offers a development environment based on the company's Vinculum-II (VNC2) dual channel USB Host/Device controller.

Called VNCLO-START1, the kit is made up of a Vinco motherboard and a VNC2 debug/programming module.

The kit is supported by a set of free to download libraries that include USB host/device drivers and an easy to use software development tool chain (consisting of a 'C' compiler, assembler, and debugger) for generating firmware.

The Vinco motherboard integrates an 8-channel, 10-bit ADC, simplifying connection to sensors, actuators and other analogue devices.

It supports 38 general-purpose input/output connections. The Vinculum-II controller chip at the heart of the board integrates a 16/32-bit (instruction/data) microcontroller core, 16kbyte of RAM and 256kbyte of flash memory, along with a range of interfaces (UART, SPI, GPIO, FIFO and PWM).

There is also an option for a prototyping board accompanied by a set of interconnect, optoelectronic and passive components for the development of a complete I/O application board based around the open-source Arduino concept.

The VNCLO-START1 kit is priced at $44.44 for one off purchases.