Arduino USB host shield

posted Aug 21st 2009 9:57am by Phil Burgess
filed under: arduino hacks, peripherals hacks

UsbHostShield

Circuits@Home has been journaling their development of a USB host mode shield for Arduino, which could bring the platform a veritable explosion of mass storage, keyboard input and countless other peripheral options (and a corresponding raft of new hacks). Currently at the prototype stage, a ready-made shield and library are forthcoming, so keep checking back. Meanwhile, for embedded developers wanting to learn the ropes of USB, the in-progress articles will likely provide some valuable insights.

[thanks Kersny]

Comments [16]

tagged: arduino, circuits@home, shield, usb, usb host

Reader Comments

trolling the hackaday leets with an arduino article? must be a slow friday.

Posted at 10:32 am on Aug 21st, 2009 by furst

What, arduinos are “too easy” for hack-a-day regulars? I don’t think you understand this site.

This is a fantastic looking project, I’m glad to hear about it.

Posted at 10:49 am on Aug 21st, 2009 by Matt

@matt

you must be new here.

Posted at 11:07 am on Aug 21st, 2009 by furst

@furst
please go away.

Posted at 11:17 am on Aug 21st, 2009 by addictronics

USB bus pirate. That’s what I see here. I can take data moving through the USB bus and analyze it. I’m quite excited because I’d love a bus pirate (was too late to order one) for a USB project. I’d love to capture data between my computer and a VX-8R so that I can create my own apps to transfer data. Maybe even make it a dual band digipeater….

Posted at 11:37 am on Aug 21st, 2009 by Everett

@furst

Ok, maybe you are too good for using arduino, or maybe not.

People use the arduino environment because they don’t need to care with lower level stuff. Likewise people develop on Visual Studio and use high level languages (like .NET) because they don’t need to care or don’t know lower level stuff.
Just don’t tell me you do your regular programming with IDEs like Visual Studio because *THAT* will make you look like a real asshole.

And yes, I do all my programming in vim. I don’t use overkill IDEs. I have an arduino diecimilia and I don’t use the arduino environment. does that make me a l33t freak? no, just happy to use whatever the tools I’m more comfortable and happy with.

go away lamer

Posted at 11:40 am on Aug 21st, 2009 by MrX

Hey

I like the look of this, would i be right in thinking this can be used to attach usb devices to an arduino? Maybe even bluetooth/wifi adapters?

Cheers & good work

Posted at 11:50 am on Aug 21st, 2009 by Ash

@ash: precisely, though available program memory may prove to be a constraint. My hunch at this point is that standard Arduinos might be limited mostly (but not entirely) to HID devices, while the Mega will have considerably more breadth. But this is entirely speculation on my part.

Posted at 11:58 am on Aug 21st, 2009 by Phil Burgess

i think its great. its more of a comment directed at the many others who frequent HaD and deride arduino users.

Sorry if it was misinterpreted. It was not meant to be a derogatory comment towards the person’s work!

I’ll leave that to the others.

Posted at 1:14 pm on Aug 21st, 2009 by furst

this is a great find and i’m thrilled to see the author of the post is in the comments posting too – nice work phil!

Posted at 1:23 pm on Aug 21st, 2009 by pt

Cheers for the reply Phil, now where can i buy one =)

Despite the all too common anti arduino comments, great things are happening around it and people like Phil are kind enough to support it

Thanks again

Posted at 3:53 pm on Aug 21st, 2009 by Ash

The arduino should be celebrated, just as PIC has been, they allow for a lot of experimentation with electronics and sensors at a relatively low cost for a dev board.

As long as it does what the user intended then its a valid hack in my book, arduino or not.

Posted at 4:23 pm on Aug 21st, 2009 by Reggie

i’ve always wondered why they call it a shield rather than a daughterboard or something.

Posted at 5:10 pm on Aug 21st, 2009 by spacecoyote

@ash: There’s a “store” link in the left column on the Circuits@Home site. When the shield is ready to roll I’d expect it to pop up there.

@spacecoyote: I suspect for the same reason they call it a “sketch” instead of a “program.” Less jargon in an effort to make the technology more approachable to the layperson.

Posted at 7:27 pm on Aug 21st, 2009 by Phil Burgess

phil – you mean more jargon in an effort to make it more user-friendly? I don’t agree with coining new terms when we already have words that everyone else agrees on.

Posted at 1:47 am on Aug 24th, 2009 by draeath

The shield is released and is available in the store. There is also a code example demonstrating how to poll USB keyboard. Enjoy!

http://www.circuitsathome.com/mcu/programming/usb-host-shield-in-the-store

Posted at 9:17 pm on Sep 25th, 2009 by Oleg Mazurov