Engadget Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7

Typical embedded applications are rather restricted in how they can present data to a user. Limited amounts of data can be displayed on an LCD or a graphical display, but large amounts of data are more problematical. Often, data is transferred via an electrical interface or via electronic storage media, such as a thumb drive, for further examination, but it can be handy to obtain an immediate snapshot of the data. The USB Printer Class driver and host software stack, used on one of Microchip’s microcontrollers with the USB OTG peripheral, allows an embedded application to utilize a USB printer to provide hardcopy output for quick review and possible archival.

Typical embedded applications are rather restricted in how they can present data to a user. Limited amounts of data can be displayed on an LCD or a graphical display, but large amounts of data are more problematical. Often, data is transferred via an electrical interface or via electronic storage media, such as a thumb drive, for further examination, but it can be handy to obtain an immediate snapshot of the data. The USB Printer Class driver and host software stack, used on one of Microchip’s microcontrollers with the USB OTG peripheral, allows an embedded application to utilize a USB printer to provide hardcopy output for quick review and possible archival.

Learn more at http://www.microchip.com/usbprinter

AN1142 describes the Mass Storage Class driver for the Microchip USB Embedded Host firmware stack. It explains the basic operations of a Mass Storage Device (MSD) that uses the Bulk Only Transport (BOT), commonly used by USB Flash drives. It also explains the usage of the USB Configuration tool to change the parameters of the Microchip MSD-host driver for the customer?s specific needs.

www.microchip.com/usb

USB has become the standard method for devices to communicate with a PC. From general purpose devices, such as Flash drives and mice, to special purpose devices for specific applications, this popular
standard has almost totally replaced other serial communication protocols.

Under the USB standard, USB devices may not communicate directly with each other. They may only communicate with a USB host which controls the bus on which one or more devices communicate. The most common USB host is a PC. With the introduction of Microchip’s microcontrollers with the USB On-The-Go (OTG) module, it is now possible for embedded
applications to utilize the wide range of USB devices as a USB embedded host.