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NEW PRODUCT NEWS—edited by Rick Prescott

USB UART Solution

FT8U232AM is a single chip USB UART solution for transferring serial data over the USB. The exciting thing about FT8U232AM is that it can be used to upgrade old RS-232 designs to USB with minimal development and cost.

Converting RS-232-based peripherals used to be a challenge. The traditional approach was to redesign the product using a dedicated USB microcontroller. That meant extensive firmware development, as well as having to source or develop specific USB drivers for Windows98/NT/2000 and iMAC. Using free drivers, the FT8U232AM replaces the RS-232-level converter inside a product, and the conversion job is done.

With data transfer rates of up to 920 kbps (RS-232) and 2000 kbps (RS-422/RS-485), the 32-pin QFP FT8U232AM combines high performance with USBęs ease of use. A flexible architecture allows this IC to be used in a variety of applications, such as USB modems, legacy RS-232-to-USB converter cables, USB interface cables for PDAs, RS-422 data links, and instrumentation.

FT8U232AM will be available soon starting at $3 in production quantities.

Saelig Company
(716) 425-3753
Fax: (716) 425-3835
www.saelig.com

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