USB High-Speed Serial/Hub Module

The FT4232H-based USB high-speed serial/hub module is a USB-interface expansion module targeted at connecting to the FTDI V2DIPx modules to expand the number of interfaces. However, it is not limited to this application. It can also be used as a hub device or an FT4232H evaluation module. The module has a USB 2.0 high-speed hub chip which supports up to three external downstream USB ports: 2 via a dual USB connector and 1 via the DIL connector pins. Additionally, by utilizing the FT4232H USB high-speed four-port bridge chip which handles all the USB signaling and protocols, the module can easily support up to 4 flexible interfacing ports. It is ideal for development purposes to quickly prove functionality of adding USB to a target design.

The module utilizes the GL850G USB 2.0 hub controller which provides a low-cost and widely-used USB 2.0 hub solution, to provide up to 4 downstream USB ports. The GL850G is a single USB hub solution. The GL850G is a full function solution which supports both Individual/Gang power-management modes and two-color (green/amber) status LED. GL850G can be used with an external EEPROM (on the module) which can be used to customize PID/VID and other more complicated settings.

The FT4232H used on the module is FTDI’s 5th generation of USB devices. The FT4232H is a USB 2.0 high-speed (480 Mb/s) to UART/MPSSE IC. The device features four interfaces that can be configured for asynchronous or synchronous serial communications. Two of these interfaces have an option to be independently configured via an MPSSE engine. This allows the FT4232H to operate as two UART/bit-bang ports plus two MPSSE engines, which can be used to emulate JTAG, SPI, I²C, bit-bang, or other synchronous serial modes.