FTDI continues to encourage the progression of the Android Open Accessories initiative, with its FT311D USB Full Speed (12Mbit/s) host IC. This device is targeted at providing Android platforms (tablet PCs, smartphones, etc.), with interconnectivity to external systems through USB. Running off a 3.3V supply, it draws just 25mA in full operation (48MHz) and 128µA in standby mode.
The FT311D can bridge the USB port to six different user selectable interface types (GPIO, UART, PWM, I2C master, SPI slave and SPI master). This is complemented by the J2XX Java driver for USB peripheral implementations. By utilising the J2XX and compiling it with the user’s application, the USB driver is automatically loaded onto the Android platform without any need for user intervention. These new offerings provide system designers with a quick and easy way to enable Android platforms to control their end products.
