setting output voltage with iow56?

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cyphunk
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Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:31 pm

setting output voltage with iow56?

Post by cyphunk »

Can I use the I/O pins at a lower voltage than 5V, such as 2.8, 3.3?

the iowarrior56 controller can be driven with power from USB while the IO pins can been driven with an external power supply. Does this mean that I can supply the board with +3.3v and all i/o on the pins would be +3.3v? In the spec the external VCC line is rated -0.5V to +6V.
Guido Körber
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Re: setting output voltage with iow56?

Post by Guido Körber »

The IOW56 has no D/A converter to generate arbitrary voltages, the inputs and outputs are digital.

The Vcc rating is the range in which the chip will not be damaged, not the range in which it can be operated. Nominal supply voltage for IOW56 is 5V.
cyphunk
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:31 pm

Re: setting output voltage with iow56?

Post by cyphunk »

thanks. having that cleared up... can you give me some keywords to RFTM to find solutions for driving 50 iolines at a lower voltage. Do I really need to get a step-down voltage convertor and solder it to each line? or even worse, one voltage converter and 5 relays or gates? Is there a simpler way? Or, does someone make a module for this?

thanks
Guido Körber
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Re: setting output voltage with iow56?

Post by Guido Körber »

Depends on what you want to do and what the inputs you want to drive can cope with. The high level of the IO-Warrior is generated by internal pull up resistors to +5V. Some low voltage devices are tolerant to that kind of signal, this would be the easiest situation.

Though depending on the kind of device to talk to you may need level converters, but a level converter can be just a transistor and resistor.
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