Reading a usb device through microcontroller

[Baksh]

Hi everyone,

I have been trying to find out if it is possible to connect a usb device to a microcontroller and read the signals from the usb pins. I know it is possible with the ps2 connection pins but I'm sure that using a usb would be much more tricky. So far I haven't found anything on the net.

I wish to connect an optical mouse with a usb connection to a microcontroller. I know the connections are 5V, ground, D+ and D- but don't know how to deal with these. I am familiar with using the BasicAtomPro microcontroller. The aim is that i want to be able to read the position signals from the mouse using the atompro and display the x, y co-ordinates as a counter on the screen.

If anybody knows how to do this please let me know.

Thanks

Baksh

 

[dknguyen]

Dealing with any real USB thing is very tricky. I don't think I've heard of a single successful project that uses it (and it seems most people dead set using the USB for anything other than a virtual COM/RS232 port seem to be people that don't know enough to even start the project). What if you used a PS/2 adapter on the USB mouse?

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Stick with PS/2. You require a micro with a USB host otherwise.

 

[Sceadwian]

And programming that host is not particularly easy either. It however has been done.

**broken link removed**

It's a project that uses AVR micro controllers to directly interface with a USB HID devices in low speed mode (all USB devices are backwards compatible to low speed mode) The source code and examples are free to download. It depends on the specific device you're using as to if it'll work or not, but if you're knowledgeable enough to try the code out it it's worth a shot.

 

[shingadaddy]

VNCL1A Vinculum from FTDI.

Works pretty darn good for what it does