MicroFTX
MicroFTX - Micro-USB serial port breakout board.
back to microcontrollers page.
Links
Web page: jim.sh/ftx/
History
2021-11-07: I re-created this page on my self-hosted web server.
2016-04-10: I soldered pins to the other MicroFTX adapter. RTS, V, RX, TX, GND. I connected leads to it: brown - RTS, red - V, white - RX, green - TX, black - GND. I connect it to my FreeBSD workstation via a usb-microusb cable:
tingo@kg-core1$ uname -a FreeBSD kg-core1.kg4.no 9.3-STABLE FreeBSD 9.3-STABLE #2 r296426: Sun Mar 6 14:16:23 CET 2016 root@kg-core1.kg4.no:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC amd64
and it shows up as
Apr 10 21:42:09 kg-core1 kernel: ugen3.5: <FTDI> at usbus3 Apr 10 21:42:09 kg-core1 kernel: uftdi1: <FT230X Basic UART> on usbus3
in /var/log/messages. Find the port
root@kg-core1# sysctl dev.uftdi.1.ttyname dev.uftdi.1.ttyname: U1
list it:
root@kg-core1# ls -l /dev/*U1* crw-rw---- 1 uucp operator 0xc8 Apr 10 21:42 /dev/cuaU1 crw-rw---- 1 uucp operator 0xc9 Apr 10 21:42 /dev/cuaU1.init crw-rw---- 1 uucp operator 0xca Apr 10 21:42 /dev/cuaU1.lock crw-rw---- 1 root operator 0xc5 Apr 10 21:42 /dev/ttyU1 crw-rw---- 1 root operator 0xc6 Apr 10 21:42 /dev/ttyU1.init crw-rw---- 1 root operator 0xc7 Apr 10 21:42 /dev/ttyU1.lock
nice.
2014-05-04: under Linux, the MicroFTX shows up as /dev/ttyUSB0: from /var/log/messages:
May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc kernel: [489975.089760] usb 2-1.3: new full-speed USB device number 5 using ehci_hcd May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc mtp-probe: checking bus 2, device 5: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.3" May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc mtp-probe: bus: 2, device: 5 was not an MTP device May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc kernel: [489975.195001] ftdi_sio 2-1.3:1.0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter detected May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc kernel: [489975.195041] usb 2-1.3: Detected FT-X May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc kernel: [489975.195044] usb 2-1.3: Number of endpoints 2 May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc kernel: [489975.195046] usb 2-1.3: Endpoint 1 MaxPacketSize 64 May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc kernel: [489975.195048] usb 2-1.3: Endpoint 2 MaxPacketSize 64 May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc kernel: [489975.195050] usb 2-1.3: Setting MaxPacketSize 64 May 4 12:02:40 kg-u35jc kernel: [489975.195825] usb 2-1.3: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0
good to know. Details of linux:
tingo@kg-u35jc:~$ lsb_release -a LSB Version: core-2.0-amd64:core-2.0-noarch:core-3.0-amd64:core-3.0-noarch:core-3.1-amd64:core-3.1-noarch:core-3.2-amd64:core-3.2-noarch:core-4.0-amd64:core-4.0-noarch:cxx-3.0-amd64:cxx-3.0-noarch:cxx-3.1-amd64:cxx-3.1-noarch:cxx-3.2-amd64:cxx-3.2-noarch:cxx-4.0-amd64:cxx-4.0-noarch:desktop-3.1-amd64:desktop-3.1-noarch:desktop-3.2-amd64:desktop-3.2-noarch:desktop-4.0-amd64:desktop-4.0-noarch:graphics-2.0-amd64:graphics-2.0-noarch:graphics-3.0-amd64:graphics-3.0-noarch:graphics-3.1-amd64:graphics-3.1-noarch:graphics-3.2-amd64:graphics-3.2-noarch:graphics-4.0-amd64:graphics-4.0-noarch:printing-3.2-amd64:printing-3.2-noarch:printing-4.0-amd64:printing-4.0-noarch:qt4-3.1-amd64:qt4-3.1-noarch Distributor ID: Ubuntu Description: Ubuntu 12.04.4 LTS Release: 12.04 Codename: precise tingo@kg-u35jc:~$ uname -a Linux kg-u35jc 3.2.0-61-generic #92-Ubuntu SMP Mon Mar 31 23:47:59 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
done.
2014-05-04: I soldered pins on the bottom row of one MicroFTX. Seen from the top (same side as the micro-USB connector, the pins are: GND, TX, RX, +V. I connected wires like this: GND - black, TX - red, RX - green.
2014-04-30: when I connect a MicroFTX to my FreeBSD workstation I get this in /var/log/messages:
tingo@kg-core1$ uname -a FreeBSD kg-core1.kg4.no 8.4-STABLE FreeBSD 8.4-STABLE #0 r253646: Thu Jul 25 10:12:31 UTC 2013 root@kg-core1.kg4.no:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC amd64
from /var/log/messages:
Apr 30 12:44:22 kg-core1 root: Unknown USB device: vendor 0x0403 product 0x6015 bus uhub8 Apr 30 12:44:22 kg-core1 kernel: ugen2.4: <FTDI> at usbus2
hmm, it doesn't look like uftdi in FreeBSD 8.4 supports this chip. Trying on a FreeBSD 10.0-release machine:
root@kg-v7# uname -a FreeBSD kg-v7.kg4.no 10.0-RELEASE FreeBSD 10.0-RELEASE #0 r260789: Thu Jan 16 22:34:59 UTC 2014 root@snap.freebsd.org:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC amd64
from /var/log/messages:
Apr 30 12:50:01 kg-v7 kernel: ugen0.3: <FTDI> at usbus0 Apr 30 12:50:01 kg-v7 devd: Executing 'kldload -n uftdi' Apr 30 12:50:01 kg-v7 kernel: uftdi0: <FT230X Basic UART> on usbus0
which looks much better.
root@kg-v7# ls -l /dev/cuaU* /dev/ttyU* crw-rw---- 1 uucp dialer 0xd5 Apr 30 12:50 /dev/cuaU0 crw-rw---- 1 uucp dialer 0xd6 Apr 30 12:50 /dev/cuaU0.init crw-rw---- 1 uucp dialer 0xd7 Apr 30 12:50 /dev/cuaU0.lock crw------- 1 root wheel 0xd2 Apr 30 12:50 /dev/ttyU0 crw------- 1 root wheel 0xd3 Apr 30 12:50 /dev/ttyU0.init crw------- 1 root wheel 0xd4 Apr 30 12:50 /dev/ttyU0.lock
Much, much better.
2013-12-06: the package dumped into my mailbox today.
2013-11-29: I ordered two MicroFTX boards from Tindie. USD 9.75 each, USD 4.88 discount, shipping was USD 6.99, a total of USD 21.61.