(home)

Learning About Arduino and AVR-USB

( Current status : Research—consider electrical details unverified)

See also: ProjectLogArduinoUSB

Target

AVR-USB

Potential Software Issues

/* ----------------------- Optional MCU Description ------------------------ */

/* The following configurations have working defaults in usbdrv.h. You
 * usually don't need to set them explicitly. Only if you want to run
 * the driver on a device which is not yet supported or with a compiler
 * which is not fully supported (such as IAR C) or if you use a differnt
 * interrupt than INT0, you may have to define some of these.
 */
/* #define USB_INTR_CFG            MCUCR */
/* #define USB_INTR_CFG_SET        ((1 << ISC00) | (1 << ISC01)) */
/* #define USB_INTR_CFG_CLR        0 */
/* #define USB_INTR_ENABLE         GIMSK */
/* #define USB_INTR_ENABLE_BIT     INT0 */
/* #define USB_INTR_PENDING        GIFR */
/* #define USB_INTR_PENDING_BIT    INTF0 */

Hardware Prerequisites:
=======================
USB lines D+ and D- MUST be wired to the same I/O port. D+ must (also) be
connected to INT0.

also:

Interrupt latency:
The application must ensure that the USB interrupt is not disabled for more
than 20 cycles. This implies that all interrupt routines must either be
declared as "INTERRUPT" instead of "SIGNAL" (see "avr/signal.h") or that they
are written in assembler with "sei" as the first instruction.

Note: SIGNAL(SIG_OVERFLOW0) is used in 'wiring.c' linked above.

Maximum interrupt duration / CPU cycle consumption:
The driver handles all USB communication during the interrupt service
routine. The routine will not return before an entire USB message is received
and the reply is sent. This may be up to ca. 1200 cycles = 100us if the host
conforms to the standard. The driver will consume CPU cycles for all USB
messages, even if they address another (low-speed) device on the same bus.

USB and 5V (5 volt)

According to various sources the USB specification requires D+ and D- to be 3.3V lines. If the circuit supply is 5V this will not be the case without additional components. The standard way of ensuring the correct voltage on the data lines seems to be to use ~250mW (?) 3.6V Zener diodes on the lines.

While some systems appear to cope with 5V data lines it is out of specification. The reason for using 3.6V diodes rather than 3.3V diodes is apparently to do with the current/voltage curve characteristics of the device—for the current present on the data lines 3.6V diodes deliver the 3.3V required.

@@TODO: Add links.

USB and External Power

My current supposition is that to connect an externally powered USB device to the USB connector requires leaving V+ (Vbus) unconnected while having connections to D+, D- and GND. I could be wrong about this. (Please email me if I am wrong.) (And/or you at least need a diode on Vbus for a dual-power system?)

My assumption is the Arduino is considered externally powered when it's powered by USB via the serial USB adapter and is using its digital I/O lines as data lines.

Here are some circuits or descriptions that have led me to this conclusion:

Links

code@rancidbacon.com