Quick and cheap EQDIRECT Bluetooth

[freiform]

A while back, Pete posted a budget solution for a wired EQDirect adapter [1]. As I have unresolved issues with DIY USB-to-UART based Adapters, I decided to build one of the wireless variety, i.e. using a Bluetooth connection [2]. The adapter uses a HC-06 Bluetooth module, a 7805 voltage regulator to get 5 V supply voltage for the Bluetooth module from the mount's 12 V and an old Eternet cable for its RJ45 connector.

Shown below is the prototype on a breadboard and the finished adapter, with the 7805 biggyback on the HC-06 module. Note that I did not use any capacitors for decoupling or smoothing as I assume the mount to supply well behaved current (although my failed attempts using a USB-UART converters may hint that this is not the case..).

 

All the best

Sven

 

[1]

[2] http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/eqdirect2.htm

 

 

[Johnwick83]

The TTL-232R cables are a family of USB to TTL serial UART converter cables incorporating FTDI’s FT232RQ USB to Serial UART interface IC device which handles all the USB signaling and protocols. The cables provide a fast, simple way to connect devices with a TTL level serial interface to USB.  Each TTL-232R cable contains a small internal electronic circuit board, utilizing the FT232R, which is encapsulated into the USB connector end of the cable.

The other end of the cable comes with a selection of different connectors supporting various applications – FCC, CE, RoHS compliant and are available at TTL levels of +5V and +3.3V.  Cables are available with either a 6-way SIL,0.1” pitch connector, a 3.5mm Audio Jack, an 8 way, keyed 2mm pitch connector (intended for use with VMUSIC2 or VDRIVE2) or bare, tinned wire ended connections. The USB side of the cable is USB powered and USB 2.0 full speed compatible. Each cable is 1.8m long and supports a data transfer rate up to 3 Mbaud. Each cable supports the FTDIChip-ID, with a unique USB serial number programmed into the FT232R.

This feature can be used to create a security or password protected file transfer access using the cable. The TTL-232R cables require USB drivers, which are used to make the FT232R in the cable appear as a virtual COM port (VCP). This then allows communicating with the USB interface via a standard PC serial emulation port (for example TTY). Another FTDI USB driver, the D2XX driver, can also be used with application software to directly access the FT232R on the cable through a DLL.