Dedicated USB-to-UART Bridge Chip Optimized for Android-Based Systems

Complementing the well-received FT311D device that was released last year, the FT312D is specifically targeted at UART interfacing. It has the ability to bridge the USB port to a UART interface via the Android Open Accessory protocol.

Running off a 3.3V supply, the FT312D’s host bridge has been optimized for performance and targeted specifically for a UART interface. The chip’s internal buffering mechanism consists of 5512Bytes on the UART receiver side (if the UART application on the Android platform is not accepting data) and 256Bytes on the UART transmitter side. This enables smooth data streaming between the USB port and the UART port of the IC. The FT312D host solution handles the entire USB protocol itself, without the need for any USB or Android specific firmware programming. The host IC is suitable for use on any Android platform supporting Android Open Accessory Mode (typically for support of version 3.1 onwards).

“After offering the FT311D with 6 interface options, we found that the UART interface was the most popular,” said Dave Sroka, FTDI Chip’s Global Product Director, “so by offering the FT312D, it makes engineers task of implementing Android support that much easier, which is another example of our Design Made Easy philosophy.”

The FT312D is offered in compact, Pb-free, 32-pin LQFP and QFN packages, with 10k unit pricing at $2.55. Its extended operational temperature range of -40°C to 85°C allows it to be applied to even the most demanding of industrial settings.