Protocol Droid is an interface adapter board designed to help embedded-software developers and enthusiasts test and improve their projects—particularly in situations where they do not yet have appropriate hardware with which to do so. Protocol Droid communicates with the host over USB and with other devices using I²C, CAN Bus, RS485, UART, or SPI. Or all five at the same time! It can be used to transfer data, in either direction, between a host computer and a wide variety of attached devices: when Protocol Droid receives a message from an attached device, it is transferred to the host; when it receives a message from the host, it is forwarded along to the selected device. And there’s no need for you have a deep understanding of the protocols involved, as the board itself does all of the heavy lifting.

Easy-to-Use Configuration & Data Transfer Software

We also provide a Protocol Droid software application that allows you to:

• Send and receive the messages described above
• Configure communication settings, such as the UART baud rate and the I²C clock speed
• Read values from the board's two ADCs
• Control the board's two DACs
• Configure the board's two PWM channels

This application is fully customizable and you are free use it in for your own applications. It is currently available for Windows, and we will have a Linux version ready by the time Protocol Droid ships to backers.

Naturally, you can also write your own code to handle these tasks. In order to help you do so, we will publish a document that fully describes the protocol through which the board communicates with your host computer.

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Features & Specifications

• Core Interfaces:
  • I²C (controller & peripheral modes)
  • SPI (controller & peripheral modes)
  • RS485 (controller & peripheral modes)
  • CANBus
  • UART
  • PWM
  • ADC
  • DAC
• Additional Interfaces: JTAG/SWD
• Power Sources: 3 V & 5 V sources with limited current

Protocol Droid Pinout Diagram

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Comparisons

Tons of Built-in Functionality

The tables below show the various functions that Protocol droid provides with no programming required. They also include a number of sample applications, each of which will be covered in a step-by-step guide that we will publish in our GitHub repository.

I²C

UART

RS485

CAN bus

SPI

2x PWM

2x ADC

2x DAC

Support & Documentation

You can find the Protocol Droid schematics in our GitHub repository. Before the end of the campaign, we will also publish our software and several usage examples. If you have questions or suggestions, you can also find us using the Ask a technical question link on our campaign page.

Manufacturing Plan

As Yeşil Otomasyon, we have carried out the design, production, and testing of embedded systems for more than eight years. Everything we’ve learned during that time will be put to good use on this project. Once crowdfunding has concluded, we will order electronic components and PCBs. All of the parts used in Protocol Droid are readily available and well stocked at suppliers like Mouser Electronics, so we do not expect any component-related delays. PCB fabrication will be handled by a China-based manufacturer with whom we’ve worked many times in the past. Our PCB assembly partner is located here in Turkey. When PCB assembly is finished, we will carefully inspect and test boards at our own facility to ensure the level of quality.

Fulfillment & Logistics

After testing and packaging the first batch of Protocol Droids, we will send them on to Crowd Supply’s fulfillment partner, Mouser Electronics, who will distribute them to backers worldwide. You can learn more about Crowd Supply’s fulfillment service under Ordering, Paying, and Shipping in their guide. And please remember to keep the shipping address listed in your Crowd Supply account up to date!

Risks & Challenges

There are always some risks associated with a project of this nature, but we are confident in our ability to mitigate those risks wherever possible thanks to our experience, to the ready availability of necessary components, and to our history of successful partnership with these manufacturers. In terms of logistics, it is true that the timing of our campaign is such that we could run up against the Chinese New Year, which would delay fabrication by up to two weeks. If possible, we will try to avoid this by submitting our PCB order while the campaign is still running. Finally, it’s worth noting that we’ve been using Protocol Droid, in our own work, for several applications: testing new productions products, developing out pre-PCB project ideas, and controlling other devices (including, most recently, a DC power module).