[SOLVED] Will one day the PC in-out data be made simple?

[KerimF]

Hi All,

It is known already that adding a new feature to a new laptop generation (or to any other universal product) should be approved first by a certain world’s authority. This prerequisite is important to achieve a better standardization in the world. So, even if the addition of a profitable new feature/function could be implemented in a laptop, the project may have to be cancelled by the direction of its company due to some actual world’s regulations.

My humble proposed protocol here is related to the USB port. As we all know, it has 2 supply pins and 2 data pins.

To use the actual USB port properly, a programmer has to be aware first of many procedures/headers of the USB protocol.

So I wonder if it is possible to let the same 2 data pins of a USB receptacle have also their own interface (in parallel with the USB one) so that they can be directly controlled by a PC program; much like the case of the MCU I/O pins for example. Such simple protocol interface will help even a novice in programming in creating, rather quickly (short learning time), projects which needs in/out data transfer at a rather low speed (if compared to the very high one of USB.3).

If someday a laptop will have this feature, its user will have the choice to create his own optimum protocol (in term of simplicity and/or speed) for his project; mainly if the data transfer is between the laptop and an external controller board, he built.

But, truth be said, I, being 70 years old, doubt that adding a feature which lets a PC user be freer could be approved by any world’s authority

Anyway, I hope that dreaming is not a crime

Regards,
Kerim

 

[Eximo]

Not really sure where you are coming from on this. Industry standards are set by the industry and economic pressure. Various councils with important member companies control most of the standards, and there is always input from IEEE, etc. Even institutions started by a single entity tend to grow on their own once adoption grows large enough.

As for letting a PC control a port, I guess I don't understand the goal? If your only concern is I/O the standard exists. USB implementation is fully documented and shouldn't be that difficult. You are also referencing an older USB standard which is what tends to get used in custom applications. USB 3.0 and up has many more data pins.

Regardless, if you want to manipulate a port on a computer, you can write your own driver and send anything you want up the line. Though you will be limited by its physical capabilities. Nothing says you can't hook those wires up to anything. (Again limited by the switching capabilites of the hardware in a system)

 

[ss202sl]

"If someday a laptop will have this feature, its user will have the choice to create his own optimum protocol (in term of simplicity and/or speed) for his project; mainly if the data transfer is between the laptop and an external controller board, he built. "

If they are this technical, then why would they not just create their own port ? Or design their controller board to use the existing standards?

 

[KerimF]

Thank you for replying.
So far, I got the impression that writing a USB driver (or doing a data transfer via USB port) is as easy as doing it for the past/previous serial (COM) and parallel (Printer) ports.

I am 70 (a DOS time programmer). I did a lot with COM and parallel ports but you may not believe me that, till now, it is impossible for me to use the USB port as you do
So I understand now why I surprised you.

 

[Ralston18]

Ah...

I remember BASIC, RS-232, and doing such things.

Atari 800 (and Commodore I think).

We ran a simple radio controlled car, recorded its movements, and played it back.

Per @ss202sl you can write code for USB ports/applications.

Here is an opening link:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/usbcon/usb-driver-development-guide

You can find more if you wish to do so.

(Sigh....)

Scratch 2.0 and Sphereos are fun.

Or Raspberry Pi's if you want to tinker again.

 

[Eximo]

Plenty of off the shelf COM and Parallel port to USB adapter chips that you could use for interfaces if it came to that. Or even engineer one onto a board for your own purposes.

Not big into board development myself, but there are countless implementions off the shelf for FPGA, DSP, and Microcontrollers for learning how to do that stuff. (Some got listed above while I was typing)

I would rather see Type-C ports made universal rather than yet another standard introduced. Video/Audio (DP), Power, Data, Ethernet, USB3/4, Thunderbolt. Not much it can't do, but it is going to be a confusing mess until everyone catches up.

 

[KerimF]

Thank you again for your interesting guidance.