USB Questions

None, really. USB was designed with the idea that the USB Host at the top of the chain is a powerful PC, not a simplistic embedded device. You can't interface it to a PIC using just a controller/interface circuit.

Nowadays, some embedded devices do manage to play the role of USB master successfully (search this newsgroup to find some mentioned), but something as small as a PIC most probably won't do. About the minimum you need is an upper-class 8051 device (Cygnal) or even a

16-bit controller. Interfacing one of those to a PIC would be a case of the tail wagging the dog.

--
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker@physik.rwth-aachen.de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.

There are embedded host-side solutions for USB. Try Cypress semiconductor at

Look for USB host controllers. Many of their USB chips have a RISC type 8-bit CPU that you could use, or use the host controller as an interface to your PIC. I think Philips also has simmilar solutions, but I'm not as familiar with them.

Implementing a USB host isn't exactly trivial, but a USB memory stick is proabably a really good place to start with it's simple and standard function. I don't know what format the USB stick data is in, but FAT is a good guess since most hosts can use them without any special drivers. Good luck.

-J

Microchip 16C765 or 16C745 with usb built in.