CGCOLORMAX2 has support for interface circuits by just adding DIP sockets and chips.
The RS232 circuit of the CGCOLORMAX2. The driver chip is not populated on the CGCOLORMAX2. The chip is through-hole and can be added by soldering it in place.
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J23 – RS232 (CGCOLORMAX2 connection side) |
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Pin |
Use |
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1 |
TX (CGCOLORMAX2 microcontroller side) |
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2 |
CTS (CGCOLORMAX2 microcontroller side) |
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3 |
RX (CGCOLORMAX2 microcontroller side) |
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4 |
RTS (CGCOLORMAX2 microcontroller side) |
Note that in the picture the silkscreen printed on the circuit board is a little bit off. This was fixed in Rev 2b. The labels have been printed offset by .1”.
You can select one of the CGCOLORMAX2’s two serial ports for connection to this circuit.
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J24 – RS232 (line/cable side) |
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Pin |
Use |
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1 |
RS232 RTS |
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2 |
RS232 CTS |
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3 |
RS232 RX |
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4 |
RS232 TX |
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5 |
Ground |
The RS485 circuit of the CGCOLORMAX2. The driver chip is not populated on the CGCOLORMAX2. The chip is through-hole and can be added by soldering it in place.
J11 – A jumper here will enable RS485 line termination.
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J12 – RS485 (line/cable side) |
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Pin |
Use |
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1 |
+Vin (Connected to J6) |
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2 |
RS485 B |
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3 |
RS485 B |
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4 |
Ground |
The CAN circuit of the CGCOLORMAX2. The driver chip is not populated on the CGCOLORMAX2. The chip is through-hole and can be added by soldering it in place.
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J22 – CAN (line/cable side) |
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Pin |
Use |
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1 |
CANL |
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2 |
CANH |
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3 |
Ground |
How do you actually select the serial ports that use the RS232 port? I’m unclear on how to tap the serial lines on the PIC to install something like an ESP8266 for networking.
Ideally, I’d love to have an RS-232 chip on the back, to connect to my Altair, plus an ESP8266 to use as a WiFi modem.
The RS232 circuit that is “boxed in” by white silkscreen is an independent circuit. That is the first schematic on this page. It is a level converter, from the PIC 3.3V levels to the +/-12V levels of RS232. Your Altair (hey that’s pretty cool!) would want to be on the RS232 level side of this. The Altair would connect to pins on J24.
In order to make use of this circuit, the RS232 level converter needs to be installed. This is part of the chip cit that can be purchased. The pins on J23 would connect to “somewhere” on the PIC.
The ESP8266 doesn’t need the RS232 +/-12V level conversion and can connect again to the pins appropriate for serial on the PIC.
The serial port interfacing is described here:
https://circuitgizmos.com/documentation/mmbasic-language/input-and-output/serial-communications/
Thanks, Robert. It looks like 12 and 14 are used on the CGCOLORMAX2, with 12 being receive and 14 being transmit. with a USB UART plugged in there, I can do keyboard to keyboard chat and use COM1 as the console.
I’m still having trouble finding COM2 (I’d like to use one port for a wired connection and the second for the ESP8266), but I’ll keep at it.
Thanks for the link, that definitely sent me in the right direction.
Pin 21 is on the Arduino shield pin DO. It is serial #2 receive.
Pin 22 is on the Arduino shield pin D1. It is serial #2 transmit.