Sooner or later you will probably want to connect the discovery board to a PC in order to control it. Listed below are all the ways I can think of that this can be achieved. Via the UART | Max Speed
| Notes | Rs232 Level Converter , Max232/Max3232 connected to PC's com port or via USB com port adaptor.
| 1 mb/s (limited by stm8)
| The Standard way and probably the Best way.
| Discreet Level Shifter
| 1 mb/s
| Minimal number of discreet components needed see .. http://chaokhun.kmitl.ac.th/~kswichit/ap275/ap275.htm
| Cmos Inverter Level Shifter
| 400 kb/s | | Irda , connected to laptop IRDA port or USB Irda adaptor.
| IrDA-1.0: 115.2 kbs IrDA-1.1: 115.2 kbs / 0.567mbs / 1.152mbs / 4mbs ( limited to 1mbs by stm8)
| Unable to achieve higher speeds due to stm8's 1mb/s limit on the uart.
| TTL level USB interface (also older usb nokia data cables)
| 1 mb/s | No other components needed connect straight to board. For nokia data cable see .. http://jethomson.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/diy-usb-to-serial-cable-for-3usd/
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Via SPI interface chips | Max Speed
| Notes | SPI Ethernet Chip such as ENC28J60
| 8mb/s max spi speed of stm8
| | SPI USB interface
| | |
Via RF | Max Speed
| Notes | Rf adaptor
| | | Bluetooth
| | | WiFi | | | RFID | 125 kb/s | This Person built an RFID Transmitter with nothing more than a AtTiny85 and a RF choke and only powered from the choke coil. You can pick up USB RfID readers for about £15 on ebay.
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Other | Max Speed
| Notes | Using ST-LINK with the SDK
| | Windows only , ST provide an SDK to talk to ST-LINK which can read write memory on the stm8 part. Software only solution not hardware required.
| Software USB
| | | Software UART
| | Add Additional Uart Channel.
| Via PC Sound Card and PC based software solution.
| 24 kbsp ( some sound cards can go higher up 96kbs)
| Can use both channels to double speed
| Via PC Printer Port
| | Most new PC's don't have printer ports, USB Printer port adaptor is of no use.
| Sound card via Game/Midi port.
| | PCI Cards with Game/Midi port are still available.
| Sound Card via spdiff interface
| 48khz @ 24 bits , 1.152 mb/s x 2 channels
| | Using the stm8's beCAN interface
| 1 mb/s
| CAN Usb Adaptors for PC are expensive.
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