Despite the fact that USB is live for more than 10 years – electronic amateurs move towards it relatively slowly. Probably main reasons are that many electronics work with relatively old computers where RS232 port is actively used. Even me when buying new PC I was looking that motherboard was equipped with at least one COM port. But situation is more complicated with Laptops where COM or LPT ports are not used anymore due to limited space and other reasons. The only way is to adapt to USB in one way or another.
One of temporary solutions may be using USB to RS232 adapters. But again this is only emulation of COM port and not all programs may understand it correctly like PonyProg doesn’t work with virtual COM ports.
Today companies producing electronics components have been pushing lots of types of USB chips to market. In order not to get lost there is some classification made. So USB chips may be classified as follows:
- Microcontrollers with build in USB interface;
- Microcontrollers with USB emulated program;
- USB converters or USB bridges;
- Hub controllers;
- Host controllers;
- Dual role controllers, OTG (On-The-Go);
- USB transceivers, USB switches
