FTDI Commits to Supporting Android Open Accessories Initiative


Bringing a new era of inventiveness to its Vinco platform

Future Technology Devices International Limited (FTDI) will be exhibiting at this year's Maker Faire - Bay Area (21st & 22nd May, San Mateo Events Center, California). The event, which celebrates innovation at all levels, from the hobbyist through to multinational corporations, is now in its sixth year, and to coincide with this FTDI has announced its commitment to supporting the Android Open Accessories initiative, thus allowing engineers to realize exciting new system designs that are compatible with tablets and smartphones utilizing the highly popular Android operating system.

"FTDI is very excited about the new Android Open Accessories initiative and in response has decided to provide support for it in both the Vinculum II dual USB host/device controller IC and the low cost Vinco development board product offerings" states the company's CEO and founder Fred Dart. "We expect this to have a major impact on the way engineers carry out future development projects, giving them access to a far greater breadth of device connectivity."

This move will prove to be of great benefit to engineers using the company's Arduino-inspired Vinco platform (which was released in November 2010) to create USB 2.0 connected embedded systems. The major advantage that Vinco has over other development platforms of this kind is that the host controller capability is already integrated into the board itself. This means that design engineers do not need to budget for an extra USB host controller card/IC to implement Android Open Accessories.

"As Vinco incorporates USB host controller functionality, it totally eliminates the need for any secondary host controller hardware to be added, thereby dramatically shortening the development process and reducing the bill of materials" Dart adds. "As a result more ambitious, imaginative and cost-effective designs will be possible."

Those visiting the FTDI booth at Marker Faire will also have the opportunity to learn about the company's "Instant USB" active assemblies, which include the DB9-USB-RS232 retrofit module (which can be used to upgrade a legacy RS232 DB9 port to an active USB port without the need to redesign the system) as well as other members of its expanding line of Instant USB cables.

To attend this year's Maker Faire - Bay Area go to: makerfaire.com

About FTDI

Future Technology Devices International (FTDI) specializes in the design and supply of silicon and software solutions for the Universal Serial Bus (USB). FTDI offers a simple route to USB migration by combining easy-to-implement IC devices with proven, ready-to-use, royalty-free USB firmware and driver software. The company's single and multi-channel USB peripheral devices come with an easy-to-use UART or FIFO interface. These popular devices can be used in legacy USB-to-RS232/RS422 converter applications or to quickly interface an MCU, PLD, or FPGA to USB. A wide range of evaluation kits and modules are available to evaluate FTDI's silicon prior to design-in. Vinculum is FTDI's brand name for a range of USB Host/Slave controller ICs that provide easy implementation of USB Host controller functionality within products and use FTDI's tried and tested firmware to significantly reduce development costs and time to market. FTDI is a fab-less semiconductor company headquartered in Glasgow, UK with R&D centers in Glasgow and Singapore and has regional sales offices in Oregon, USA, Shanghai, China and Taipei, Taiwan.

More information is available at www.ftdichip.com

Regional sales offices and distributor lists are available www.ftdichip.com/FTSalesNetwork.htm

For further information and reader enquiries:

Future Technology Devices International Limited

Unit 1, 2 Seaward Place, Centurion Business Park, Glasgow, G41 1HH, UK

Tel: +44 (0) 141 429 2777 Fax: +44 (0) 141 429 2758

All Topics