On Thu, Jul 3, 2008 at 8:45 AM, Joseph Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Well it looks like in the pdf presentation above they have a Serial->USB > debugger. It looks like a development board though because there are a > bunch of unnecessary stuff on it. I'm thinking a Serial->USB debugger is > the way to go to keep the costs down, and it gives the terminal PC (serial > end) more flexability. If one wanted to have it USB on both ends they could > always use a USB->Serial adapter for the terminal PC (serial end). Also, > this way there would be no need for any kind of a special driver for > windows/linux, it would just show up as a serial communications device. Any > suggestions, questions, comments?
I think I am still a bit confused about your goal. A Net20DC is ~$90 right now. You aren't going to be able to take some off-the-shelf USB-Serial adapter and make it into a debug device. Those adapters use fixed-function USB-Serial ICs that are cheap and small. You can't re-program the firmware to make them into debug devices. If you buy a development kit with an appropriate IC and allows you to develop the firmware, you will easily be at $90 or above. To make a replacement, you need: Net2272 (or equivalent, Cypress, etc) ~$10 "host side" interface chip ~$5 ($5 for serial, USB would be ~10 instead) Connectors, SEEP, passives, etc $10 PCB $20 So, $50 *cost* (and the above numbers are very best-case). Then you need to assemble and test your board, develop the firmware for the USB debug Device, and possibly the firmware for the host-side interface. (Please don't try and argue less than $20 for a PCB, for your quantities, that is what it will be) Even if you consider all of your time "free", you still are comparing $50 to $90. If you could sell a USB debug cable for $20, it would make sense. If the Net20DC was $200, it would make sense. Otherwise, I am not so sure. Am I missing something? -- coreboot mailing list coreboot@coreboot.org http://www.coreboot.org/mailman/listinfo/coreboot