USB to RS485 Circuit

Designing RS-485 Circuits

RS-485 in Brief
Jan Axelson
But first, a quick look at RS-485. The interface popularly known
as RS-485 is an electrical specification for multipoint systems that
use balanced lines. RS-485 is similar to RS-422, but RS-422 allows
just one driver with multiple receivers, while RS-485 supports
multiple drivers and receivers.
The specification document, TIA-485-A, defines the electrical
characteristics of the line and its drivers and receivers. There
are brief suggestions relating to terminations and wiring, but
unlike RS-232, there's no discussion of connector pinouts or
software protocols. An RS-485 network can have as many as
32 unit loads, with one unit load equivalent to an input impedance
of 12k. By using high-impedance receivers, you can have as
many as 256 nodes.
An RS-485 link can extend as far as 4000 ft., and can transfer
data at up to 10 Mbps, but not both at the same time. At 90 kbps
the maximum cable length is 4000 ft; at 1Mbps, it drops to 400 ft,
and at 10Mbps, to 50 ft. For more nodes or very long distances,
you can use repeaters that regenerate the signals and begin a
new RS-485 line

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USB to RS485 Circuit

Figure 7.2 Application Example Showing USB to RS485 Converter
An example of using the FT232R as a USB to RS485 converter is
shown in Figure 7.2. In this application, a TTL to RS485 level
converter IC is used on the serial UART interface of the FT232R
to convert the TTL levels of the FT232R to RS485 levels.

This example uses the Sipex SP481 device. Equivalent devices
are available from Maxim and Analogue Devices. The SP481 is
a RS485 device in a compact 8 pin SOP package. It has separate
enables on both the transmitter and receiver. With RS485, the
transmitter is only enabled when a character is being transmitted
from the UART. The TXDEN# signal CBUS pin option on the
FT232R is provided for exactly this purpose and so the transmitter
enable is wired to CBUS2 which has been configured as TXDEN#.
Similarly, CBUS3 has been configured as PWREN#. This signal
is used to control the SP481’s receiver enable. The receiver enable
is active low, so it is wired to the PWREN# pin to disable the
receiver when in USB suspend mode. CBUS2 = TXDEN# and
CBUS3 = PWREN# are the default device configurations of the
FT232R pins.

RS485 is a multi-drop network; so many devices can communicate
with each other over a two wire cable interface. The RS485 cable
requires to be terminated at each end of the cable. A link (which
provides the 120X termination) allows the cable to be terminated if
the SP481 is physically positioned at either end of the cable.

FT232R Datasheet pdf

Intercom circuit

2-Line Intercom-Cum-Telephone Line Changeover
Circuit
The circuit presented here can be used for connecting two
telephones in parallel and also as a 2-line intercom.
Usually a single telephone is connected to a telephone line.
If another telephone is required at some distance, a parallel
line is taken for connecting the other telephone. In this
simple parallel line operation, the main problem is loss of
privacy besides interference from the other phone. This
problem is obviated in the circuit presented here.

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Doorphone Intercom
A simple 2 way Intercom based on the LM386386 using 8 ohm
speakers.

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High Quality Intercom
This circuit consists of two identical intercom units. Each
unit contains a power supply, microphone preamplifier, audio
amplifier and a Push To Talk (PTT) relay circuit. Only 2 wires
are required to connect the units together. Due to the low
output impedance of the mic preamp, screened cable is not
necessary and ordinary 2 core speaker cable, or bell wire may
be used.

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Low-cost Transistorised Intercom
The circuit comprises a 3-stage resistor-capacitor coupled
amplifier. When ring button S2 is pressed, the amplifier circuit
formed around transistors T1 and T2 gets converted into
an asymmetrical astable multivib-rator generating ring
signals. These ring signals are amplified by transistor T3 to
drive the speaker of earpiece.

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Multi-station intercom uses CB microphones
This intercom unit can connect any number of units together,
rather than the limit of two, as with most designs. In practice,
the number of stations required would normally number less
then 10.

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Simple Intercom
Very simple and useful circuit for communication between two
person. The Q1 is used to amplify the weak output signal
of speaker when one push his (her) side push-button to speak.

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TWO-WIRE INTERCOM

This is a very interesting circuit using 2 transistors in each
station to drive a high impedance speaker. 8R speakers will
work quite well and this is an ideal project to connect between
your work-room and the kitchen so you can be told when dinner
is ready!

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STAGE INTERCOM SYSTEM
The intercoms were designed so that they can be added at will to
any part of the link line. The Link is a 2 core 14 strand speaker
cable of pretty standard quality but it provides almost a noise free
connection.

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The Ferris Intercom
The movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is a high school comedy
from 1986. It was a rather popular movie at the time and
for years afterward. Anyway, in the movie, there was a scene
where Ferris's high school principle (Mr. Rooney) comes to
Ferris's home and pushes the intercom button. Ferris should
be at home sick, but of course he is out for a day, living it up.

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