Electroknit Serial Connections - Revision history

Sconklin: /* Building the Interface */

2012-03-18T18:21:19Z

Building the Interface

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:21, 18 March 2012
Line 123:		Line 123:
	[[http://www.adafruit.com/products/266 These jumpers from adafruit are perfect for this]]		[[http://www.adafruit.com/products/266 These jumpers from adafruit are perfect for this]]

-	~~'''NOTE: This should be correct, but I have not yet double checked it. I'll update this page soon when I do'''~~

	{\| border="1"		{\| border="1"

Sconklin at 17:22, 1 March 2012

2012-03-01T17:22:39Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:22, 1 March 2012
Line 109:		Line 109:
	Basically, you should use 5V logic levels to connect to the knitting machine and disk drive, and it'll work fine.		Basically, you should use 5V logic levels to connect to the knitting machine and disk drive, and it'll work fine.

-	== ~~Interfacing to~~ the ~~knitting machine~~ ==	+	== Building the Interface ==

	The easiest and perhaps least expensive way to connect a computer to the knitting machine is to use the [[http://www.adafruit.com/products/284 FTDI Friend from Adafruit]]		The easiest and perhaps least expensive way to connect a computer to the knitting machine is to use the [[http://www.adafruit.com/products/284 FTDI Friend from Adafruit]]

Sconklin at 16:59, 1 March 2012

2012-03-01T16:59:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:59, 1 March 2012
Line 122:		Line 122:

	[[http://www.adafruit.com/products/266 These jumpers from adafruit are perfect for this]]		[[http://www.adafruit.com/products/266 These jumpers from adafruit are perfect for this]]
		+
		+	'''NOTE: This should be correct, but I have not yet double checked it. I'll update this page soon when I do'''

	{\| border="1"		{\| border="1"

Sconklin at 16:58, 1 March 2012

2012-03-01T16:58:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:58, 1 March 2012
Line 114:		Line 114:

	In order to do that, you need to reprogram the device and make one jumper change on it. Unfortunately, the [[http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm FT_PROG tool for programming it]] only runs on windows.		In order to do that, you need to reprogram the device and make one jumper change on it. Unfortunately, the [[http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm FT_PROG tool for programming it]] only runs on windows.
		+
		+	Use the FT_PROG tool to invert all signals on the device.
		+
		+	Then you need to change the signal logic level to +5 Volts. To do this, cut the default jumper on the bottom of the FTDI Friend and solder the jumper for +5V.
		+
		+	Connect the knitting machine and the FTDI friend pins like this:
		+
		+	[[http://www.adafruit.com/products/266 These jumpers from adafruit are perfect for this]]
		+
		+	{\| border="1"
		+	\|-
		+	\| colspan="4" align="center"\| FTDI Friend to Knitting Machine Connections
		+	\|-
		+	! KM Pin
		+	! FTDIF Pin
		+	\|-
		+	\| 1
		+	\| GND
		+	\|-
		+	\| 2
		+	\| CTS
		+	\|-
		+	\| 3
		+	\| RTS
		+	\|-
		+	\| 4
		+	\|
		+	\|-
		+	\| 5
		+	\|
		+	\|-
		+	\| 6
		+	\| TXD
		+	\|-
		+	\| 7
		+	\| RXD
		+	\|-
		+	\| 8
		+	\|
		+	\|}

Sconklin at 16:25, 1 March 2012

2012-03-01T16:25:31Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:25, 1 March 2012
Line 111:		Line 111:
	== Interfacing to the knitting machine ==		== Interfacing to the knitting machine ==

-	The easiest and perhaps least expensive way to connect a computer to the knitting machine is to use the [[http://www.adafruit.com/products/284\|FTDI Friend from Adafruit]]	+	The easiest and perhaps least expensive way to connect a computer to the knitting machine is to use the [[http://www.adafruit.com/products/284 FTDI Friend from Adafruit]]

-	In order to do that, you need to reprogram the device and make one jumper change on it. Unfortunately, the [[http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm\|FT_PROG tool for programming it]] only runs on windows.	+	In order to do that, you need to reprogram the device and make one jumper change on it. Unfortunately, the [[http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm FT_PROG tool for programming it]] only runs on windows.

Sconklin at 15:21, 1 March 2012

2012-03-01T15:21:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:21, 1 March 2012
Line 50:		Line 50:
	\|		\|
	\|		\|
-	\|	+	\| Ground
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
Line 92:		Line 92:
	\| Out -->		\| Out -->
	\| --> In		\| --> In
-	\|	+	\| RXD
		+	\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| 8		\| 8
Line 101:		Line 102:
	\| In KM Follows state of Pin 3 (buffered)		\| In KM Follows state of Pin 3 (buffered)
	\|}		\|}
		+
		+	== Signal Voltages ==
		+
		+	Signals are (essentially) all 5V logic level. The signals from the knitting machine are slightly higher, since they are generated by CMOS logic, but the external disk drive has resistor padding which can handle this. The disk drive outputs 5V TTL logoc levels. Inputs on the disk drive will accept standard TTL logic output levels, but will not accept the entire normal TTL input specified range, due to the input padding.
		+
		+	Basically, you should use 5V logic levels to connect to the knitting machine and disk drive, and it'll work fine.
		+
		+	== Interfacing to the knitting machine ==
		+
		+	The easiest and perhaps least expensive way to connect a computer to the knitting machine is to use the [[http://www.adafruit.com/products/284\|FTDI Friend from Adafruit]]
		+
		+	In order to do that, you need to reprogram the device and make one jumper change on it. Unfortunately, the [[http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm\|FT_PROG tool for programming it]] only runs on windows.

Sconklin at 14:58, 1 March 2012

2012-03-01T14:58:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:58, 1 March 2012
Line 32:		Line 32:
	{\| border="1"		{\| border="1"
	\|-		\|-
-	\| colspan="4" align="center"\| Knitting Machine Connections	+	\| colspan="6" align="center"\| Knitting Machine Connections
	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
Line 48:		Line 48:
	\| 1		\| 1
	\| Ground		\| Ground
		+	\|
		+	\|
	\|		\|
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| 2		\| 2
-	\|	+	\| RTS
-	\| Out	+	\| Out -->
-	\| ~~Tied~~ to 5, Pulled up through 1K resistor	+	\| --> In
		+	\| CTS
		+	\| Inside KM tied to 5(DTR), Pulled up through 1K resistor
	\|-		\|-
	\| 3		\| 3
-	\| CTS?	+	\| CTS
-	\| In	+	\| In <--
-	\| ~~(Tie to pin 2)~~	+	\| <-- Out
		+	\| DTR
		+	\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| 4		\| 4
	\| No Connection		\| No Connection
-	\|	+	\|
		+	\| <-- Out
		+	\| DTR
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| 5		\| 5
-	\|	+	\| DTR
-	\| Out	+	\| Out -->
-	\| ~~Tied~~ to 2~~, Pulled up through 1K resistor~~	+	\| --> In
		+	\| DSR
		+	\| Inside KM tied to 2
	\|-		\|-
	\| 6		\| 6
	\| RXD		\| RXD
-	\| In	+	\| In <--
		+	\| <-- Out
		+	\| TXD
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| 7		\| 7
	\| TXD		\| TXD
-	\| Out	+	\| Out -->
		+	\| --> In
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| 8		\| 8
-	\| RTS?	+	\| RTS
-	\| Out	+	\| Out -->
-	\| Follows state of Pin 3 (buffered)	+	\|
		+	\| No Connection
		+	\| In KM Follows state of Pin 3 (buffered)
	\|}		\|}

Sconklin at 14:13, 1 March 2012

2012-03-01T14:13:24Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:13, 1 March 2012
Line 26:		Line 26:
	\| 8 \| 6 \| 4 \| 2 \|		\| 8 \| 6 \| 4 \| 2 \|
	\|___\|___\|___\|___\|		\|___\|___\|___\|___\|
		+
		+	The pin numbering is shown as they are labeled on the knitting machine PCB,
		+	and does not agree with other documents I found on the web.
		+
		+	{\| border="1"
		+	\|-
		+	\| colspan="4" align="center"\| Knitting Machine Connections
		+	\|-
		+	\|
		+	\| colspan="2" align="center"\| Knitting Machine
		+	\| colspan="2" align="center"\| Floppy Drive
		+	\|
		+	\|-
		+	! Pin
		+	! KM Signal
		+	! KM I/O
		+	! FD I/O
		+	! FD Signal
		+	! Notes
		+	\|-
		+	\| 1
		+	\| Ground
		+	\|
		+	\|
		+	\|-
		+	\| 2
		+	\|
		+	\| Out
		+	\| Tied to 5, Pulled up through 1K resistor
		+	\|-
		+	\| 3
		+	\| CTS?
		+	\| In
		+	\| (Tie to pin 2)
		+	\|-
		+	\| 4
		+	\| No Connection
		+	\|
		+	\|
		+	\|-
		+	\| 5
		+	\|
		+	\| Out
		+	\| Tied to 2, Pulled up through 1K resistor
		+	\|-
		+	\| 6
		+	\| RXD
		+	\| In
		+	\|
		+	\|-
		+	\| 7
		+	\| TXD
		+	\| Out
		+	\|
		+	\|-
		+	\| 8
		+	\| RTS?
		+	\| Out
		+	\| Follows state of Pin 3 (buffered)
		+	\|}

Sconklin at 13:56, 1 March 2012

2012-03-01T13:56:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:56, 1 March 2012
Line 12:		Line 12:
	The knitting machine and external disk drive are connected.		The knitting machine and external disk drive are connected.

-	[[File:~~Example~~.jpg]]	+	[[File:km_connector.jpg]]

	In this photo, there is a dot near pin one.		In this photo, there is a dot near pin one.

Sconklin: How to connect your computer to an electroknit machine

2012-03-01T13:56:09Z

How to connect your computer to an electroknit machine

New page

= Connecting to Brother Knitting Machines =

== The external Disk Drive Connection ==

Some models of knitting machine interface with an external floppy disk drive. By using this interface with the knitting machine, we can save and restore patterns from the machine.

The interface is a serial data connection at 9600 bits per second, with flow control signals, but the signal voltages are not RS-232 standard.

== Connector Pinout for the knitting machine and external floppy drive ==

The connectors on both the knitting machine and external disk are 8-pin keyed 2x8 headers with pins on on 0.1 inch centers
The knitting machine and external disk drive are connected.

[[File:Example.jpg]]

In this photo, there is a dot near pin one.

Here is the pinout of the drive connector on the knitting machine:
_____
| |
______|___|______
| | | | |
| 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
|___|___|___|___|
| | | | |
| 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
|___|___|___|___|