>> Robert
>>
>> Who has been burned so many times by crap USB drivers/devices that
>> he has sworn off USB. (Must have been designed by Microsloth).
>> P&P stands for Plug and PRAY, remember?
>
>        I used to be like you, I think you should give USB a try again,
today's
> devices and drivers are approaching flawless. TTYL

I have to agree with you on this Herbert.  With devices such as the
FTDI232BM chip, USB has become really easy.  You don't need a USB PIC, and
from what I have seen, the USB PICs have a pretty lame USB implementation
anyway.  Hook one of these babies up to any PIC with a USART, with a handful
of discrete components, and Bob's your Aunty.  The PIC just sees a serial
port, and the PC just needs a simple USB/Serial driver readily available
from FTDI's Web site.  The PC then sees it as a USB serial port.  Could not
be easier.  I have had numerous successes in converting RS232 serial
connections on PIC boards over to using the USB chip.

Well ... it could be a little easier for prototyping.  FTDI *could* have
released a DIP or PLCC version of their chip, instead of only releasing it
in QFP packaging.  I have said this before ... this chip is ideal for
prototyping, FTDI should have foreseen this and released a DIP and/or PLCC
version.  Who cares about footprint when prototyping ...

Rgs
Ian

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