Connecting to a BBB or RBBB

This page shows some options for connecting to an Arduino, BBB, RBBB etc. All of the options are solid and easy to use. The tradeoffs are discussed below.

The FTDI USB to TTL serial cable works well for those users who do not have a DB-9 serial port. It can also be used to supply up to 500 mA to a BBB, RBBB, Diecimila or other board. More expensive than the serial cable option though.

The P3 & P4 adapters work well for those users who 1) Have a DB-9 serial port, and 2) Don't mind hooking up a wall wart, batteries or other power supply to their board. More economical than the FTDI cable option.

Some generic serial cables are at the bottom for those who can't find one at the bottom of their closet.

FTDI TTL-232R USB-to-TTL serial cable.

FTDI makes a useful USB-to-TTL cable that most customers use to connect to the Bare Bones Board and Really Bare Bones Board. Drivers are available for Windows, Mac and Linux. The drivers are solid and all of the bugs and glitches that were present two years ago seem to have been worked out.

Connecting to TTL serial protocol is a common need with many microcontrollers and this cable is useful for connecting to many different microcontrollers such as PICAXE, PICS, BASIC STAMP and many more.

Linux users: One of my customers has created a patch for Linux to make the autoreset work with the FTDI cable. LinuxFixArduino.zip

80 in stock

P3 RS232 Serial Programming Adapter Kit

Brian Riley of Wulfden.org and I jointly developed these handy little serial inverters. I can't take credit for the slick way the board goes on to the DB-9, Brian had that all worked out before I got involved. They're physically very solid and work everywhere we've tested them. They solder up in minutes.

Provides a RS232 serial-port connection to a BBB or RBBB or any other microcontroller that is programmed through a serial port. It has no reset line on it, if you need software-reset capability, order the P4 below.

This adapter must be provided with +5 volts and ground from the breadboad. It mates seamlessly with the first four pins on BBB (Rev C) or RBBB boards.

P3 & P4 instructions.pdf

P4 RS232 to TTL Serial Adapter Kits

Provides a RS232 serial-port connection to a BBB or RBBB. It has the reset (RTS) line on it, and supports the BBB rev D, or any other Modern Device Board with the RTS-capacitor hack installed. Also works with Mini, Lilly Pad, Boarduino, Basic Stamp interpreter, Basic Atom, Picaxe, more. You can even connect to an Arduino Diecimila with this adapter if you want to use a Comm port for example and avoid the FTDI chip in the Diecimila.

This adapter must be provided with +5 volts and ground from the breadboard. It mates seamlessly with the first five pins on BBB (Rev D) or RBBB boards. It has two extra rows of pads that can be used to remap the pins to different order for your other applications.

P3 & P4 instructions.pdf