KR200377353Y1 - Data communication device having switching function - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is connected to the communication port of the communication device, the first connector having a USB terminal and a UART terminal; A second connector connected to a USB port of the host computer and having a USB terminal; A cable for transmitting and receiving data between the first connector and the second connector; A switching unit for selectively connecting the USB terminal of the second connector to the USB terminal or the UART terminal of the first connector; It provides a data communication device including a USB to UART conversion unit for performing a signal conversion between the switching unit and the UART terminal.

According to the present invention, both UART-to-USB communication and USB-to-USB communication between the mobile communication terminal and the computer are possible with only one data communication cable, thereby contributing to the user's convenience.

Description

Data communication device having switching function

The present invention relates to a data communication cable for transmitting and receiving data between a communication device such as a mobile communication terminal and a host computer, and more particularly to a data communication cable capable of selectively switching USB to USB communication or USB to UART communication. It is about.

Recently, as the spread of mobile communication terminals such as mobile phones has been expanded and the range of functions that can be performed through them has increased, the necessity of transmitting and receiving data between a mobile communication terminal and a computer is increasing.

In general, serial communication is mainly used for data communication between a mobile terminal and a computer. The communication standards used here include Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), which is a universal asynchronous transmission and reception protocol, and Universal Serial Bus (USB), which is a universal serial bus. Can be divided into

UART is for handling asynchronous serial communication. It mainly transmits and receives data to and from external devices through RS-232C interface, and since it is the most commonly used data communication standard until the USB specification described below is widely used, most of them are still Computer or communication device supports the UART interface.

USB is a new peripheral connection interface standard jointly proposed by seven companies including Intel, Microsoft, Compaq, etc., and aims to share the interface for connecting computers with peripheral devices such as printers, scanners, modems, and speakers with different specifications. I am doing it.

Conventionally, for data communication between a mobile communication terminal and a computer, a UART port of a mobile communication terminal and a COM port of a computer providing an RS-232C interface are connected by using an RS-232C cable. A conceptual diagram of the is shown.

That is, the RS-232C transceiver 31 is disposed in the cable 30 connecting the UART port 10 of the mobile communication terminal and the COM port 20 of the computer to configure the transmission and reception of data through the communication line 32. In this case, the RS-232C transceiver 31 is driven by the battery power of the mobile communication terminal supplied through the power line 34, and low voltage drop (LDO, Low) in the middle of the power line 34 for stable power supply. Drop Out) regulator 33 was also installed.

However, such a data communication method has a problem in that the configuration is complicated because not only the battery power of the mobile communication terminal consumes power but also an additional component such as an LDO during communication.

In particular, when the battery of the mobile communication terminal is used during data communication, when the large data is handled, even when the battery power is consumed during communication, the communication may be interrupted. It can be said to be unsuitable for use in a communication device that handles a large amount of data.

This problem and the serial communication standard between the computer and the peripheral device has been inclined toward the USB to reflect the increasing trend of computers that no longer provide the RS-232C interface, as shown in Figure 2 USB port of the mobile communication terminal ( 40) and a USB data communication cable 60 for connecting data to the USB port 50 of the computer and the UART port 70 of the mobile communication terminal and the USB port 80 of the computer as shown in FIG. USB to UART data communication cable (90) to connect.

The USB data communication cable 60 of FIG. 2 is a communication line 63 for connecting the first connector 61 on the terminal side, the second connector 62 on the computer side, and the 1.2 connectors 61 and 62, and a power supply. It is composed of a line 64, usually the communication line 63 is represented by D +, D-, and the power line 64 is represented by V _USB , GND.

In particular, since the USB data communication cable 60 can transmit the + 5V constant voltage power supplied from the USB port 50 of the computer to the mobile communication terminal 40, the battery of the mobile communication terminal is charged even during data communication. As a result, communication can be prevented from being disconnected due to battery power consumption.

In the USB-to-UART data communication cable 90 of FIG. 3, a USB-to-UART conversion unit 91a is installed in the first connector 91 on the terminal side in order to convert an applied USB or UART signal into a UART or USB signal. The converting unit 91a and the second connector 92 on the computer side are connected to the communication line 93 and the power supply line 94 like a normal USB cable.

However, the data communication method is not completely unified to any one yet, and the USB and UART methods are mixed, and communication devices do not provide an interface for all communication methods.

Even in the case of mobile communication, it is largely divided into synchronous CDMA and asynchronous GSM. In the case of CDMA mobile phones, since the USB interface module is included, USB communication as well as UART communication is possible, whereas GSM mobile phones Since it does not provide a USB interface, only UART communication is possible, so it is not possible to use a USB data communication cable yet.

Therefore, for data communication between the GSM mobile phone and the USB port of the computer, a USB to UART data communication cable 90 converting the USB signal of the computer and the UART signal of the mobile phone should be used as shown in FIG. 3.

In addition, in the case of a CDMA mobile phone, the UART interface is often used due to software upgrades or downloads or A / S needs. In this case, a USB-to-UART data communication cable 90 is often used in a CDMA mobile phone.

Therefore, in the situation where both USB-to-UART communication and USB-to-USB communication are used for data communication between the mobile terminal and the computer, the user must always have two types of data communication cables to prepare for both communication methods. There is this.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, to provide a data communication cable that can maximize the user's convenience by selectively performing USB to UART communication or USB to USB communication with one data communication cable The purpose is.

The present invention is a first connector connected to the communication port of the communication device, and having a USB terminal and a UART terminal to achieve this object; A second connector connected to a USB port of the host computer and having a USB terminal; A cable for transmitting and receiving data between the first connector and the second connector; A switching unit for selectively connecting the USB terminal of the second connector to the USB terminal or the UART terminal of the first connector; It provides a data communication device including a USB to UART conversion unit for performing a signal conversion between the switching unit and the UART terminal.

In this case, the first connector may further include a mode identification signal terminal to which the communication mode identification signal transmitted from the communication device is applied, and the switching unit is automatically operated by the communication mode identification signal transmitted through the mode identification signal terminal. It may be a switching IC. In addition, any one of the first connector and the second connector may include a DC-DC converter for converting the power supplied from the host computer into a power suitable for a communication device.

In addition, the present invention is connected to the communication port of the communication device, the first connector having a UART terminal; A second connector connected to a USB port of the host computer and having a USB terminal; A cable for transmitting and receiving data between the first connector and the second connector; A USB-to-UART conversion unit installed at any one of the first connector and the second connector to perform signal conversion; It is provided between the USB to UART conversion unit and the UART terminal of the first connector, and provides a data communication device including a debugger switching unit for selecting any one of a general transmission and reception UART terminal and a debugger UART terminal.

The first connector may further include a terminal for debug identification signal to which a debug identification signal transmitted from the communication device is applied, and the debugger switching unit automatically operates by a debug identification signal transmitted through the terminal for debugger identification signal. The debugger switching unit may be a slide switch.

In addition, the present invention, one side is provided with a first connection port having a UART terminal and a USB terminal connected to the communication port of the communication device, the second side having a USB terminal connected to the connector of the USB cable or a USB port of the computer A housing having a connection port; A switching unit located inside the housing and selectively connecting a USB terminal of the second connection port to a UART terminal or a USB terminal of the first connection port; It provides a data communication device comprising a USB to UART conversion unit for performing a signal conversion between the switching unit and the UART terminal of the first connection port.

In this case, the first connection port further includes a terminal for mode identification signal to which a communication mode identification signal transmitted from the communication device is applied, and the switching unit is automatically operated by a communication mode identification signal transmitted through the mode identification signal terminal. It may be a switching IC.

The first connection port may further include a terminal for debug identification signal to which a debug identification signal transmitted from the communication device is applied, and the debugger switching unit is automatically operated by a debug identification signal transmitted through the terminal for debugger identification signal. It may be a switching IC.

In addition, a DC-DC converter may be included between the switching unit and the terminal of the first connection port to convert power supplied from a host computer into a power suitable for a communication device.

Meanwhile, the data communication device of the present invention may include a debugger switching unit for selecting and connecting a general transmission / reception UART terminal or a debugger UART terminal between the USB-to-UART conversion unit and the UART terminal, wherein the switching unit is a slide switch. It may be.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings will be described a preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail.

First, as used herein, the term host computer refers to any type of computer capable of performing computational operations using a program and supporting data communication with an external device. The term communication device uses a data communication cable with the host computer. Means all devices capable of performing data communication.

Therefore, the communication device used in the present specification is not limited to a mobile communication terminal, but a small computer or other host incorporating functions of a mobile communication terminal such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), palm PC, HPC (Handheld PC), etc. It is to be clear that the meaning encompasses measurement equipment that can perform data communication with a computer.

First embodiment

4 is a block diagram of a data communication apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a data communication cable 100 provided in a cable manner.

Referring to this, a first connector 110 connected to a communication device, a second connector 120 connected to a host computer, a cable 130 electrically connecting the first and second connectors 110 and 120, and the first connector A USB to UART converter 114 and a switch 112 located at 110 are included.

However, since the data communication cable 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the USB port of the host computer is selectively connected to the UART port or the USB port of the communication device, the second connector ( 120 includes USB terminals 122, and the first connector 110 connected to the communication device includes both a UART terminal 116a and a USB terminal 116b.

A cable 130 including a communication line 132 represented by D + and D- and a power line 134 represented by V _USB and GND is connected to the switching unit 112 of the first connector 110. The other end is connected to the USB terminal 122 of the second connector 120.

In addition, the switching unit 112 is directly connected to the USB terminal 116b of the first connector 110, while also connected to the UART terminal 116a via the USB-to-UART conversion unit 114, the cable through the switching operation 130 is selectively connected to the UART terminal 116a or the USB terminal 116b.

The line connecting the switching unit 112 and the USB terminal 116b is composed of D +, D-, V _USB and GND, similar to the cable 130, and the switching unit 112 and the USB-to-UART conversion unit 114 The line connecting the is also configured in the same way as the cable 130.

UART terminal 116a is generally composed of RXD and TXD terminals, which are general UART terminals for transmitting and receiving, and RTS, CTS, DSR, DTR, DCD, RI, and GND terminals, which are control signal UART terminals to which various control signals are applied. Terminals are assigned one-to-one to any pin of the first connector 110, which typically consists of 18 or 24 pins.

On the other hand, as described above, since the switching unit 112 serves to simply select a transmission / reception path of a signal, the switch 112 may be configured as a slide switch that allows a user to manually select a mode. You can also use a switching IC that identifies whether the interface is USB or UART and automatically switches.

However, in order to use the switching IC, it is necessary to identify the communication interface of the connected communication device. As shown in FIG. 5, one of several pins of the first connector 110 receives a mode identification signal provided from the communication device. The terminal 116c for mode identification signal should be allocated, and the terminal 116c and the switching IC should be connected using the mode identification signal line 117.

Therefore, if the user only connects the data communication cable 100 according to the present invention to the connection port of the communication device, mode identification transmitted from the communication device without having to determine whether the interface of the communication device is USB or UART The switch is automatically made in response to the signal, making it very convenient for the user.

If you switch to USB communication mode, it plays the same role as a normal USB data communication cable.If you switch to UART communication mode, signals must be transmitted and received between USB port of host computer and UART port of communication device. Since the configuration of the USB-to-UART conversion unit 114 is well known to those skilled in the art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, although the GND line of the cable 130 is also shown to be switched by the switching unit 112, the GND line is common to the first and second connectors 110 and 120 and the cable 130, and the GND line is the switching unit ( It may be configured not to pass via 112).

Second embodiment

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of the data communication apparatus 100 'according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which is also provided in a cable manner, and does not select from among USB communication or UART communication as in the first embodiment. It is characterized in that it comprises a debugger switching unit 140 to select a general communication mode and a debugger (Debug) communication mode on the premise of the UART communication cable.

The debugger switching unit 140 selectively connects the transmission / reception terminal of the USB-to-UART conversion unit 114 to either the debugger UART terminal 116d or the general transmission / reception UART terminal 116a-2.

DEBUG operation that operates or changes the program of communication device including mobile communication terminal has different characteristics from general data transmission / reception, so it is separate from UART terminal 116a-1 for general transmission / reception among UART terminals 116. Since it is preferable to use DEBUB_RXD and DEBUG_TXD, which are UART terminals 116d for debugger, the user can use the general UART terminal 116a-1 for transmitting / receiving the UART terminal 116a-1 and the debugger UART terminal through the USB to UART conversion unit 114. 116d), so that one data communication cable 100 can perform both general data communication and debugger operation.

As described above, the switching unit 112 may be manually switched using a slide switch, may be automatically switched using a switching IC, and in the case of using the switching IC, various pins of the first connector 110 may be used. One of them is allocated to the debugger identification signal terminal 116e for receiving the debugger identification signal provided from the communication device, and the terminal 116e and the switching IC are connected using the debugger identification signal line 118.

Third embodiment

7 is a block diagram of a data communication device 100 ″ according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which a debugger switching unit 140, which is a feature of the second embodiment, is added to the data communication cable according to the first embodiment. It is characterized by.

That is, the first connector 110 connected to one end of the cable 130 includes a UART terminal 116a including a general transmission / reception UART terminal 116a-1 and a control signal UART terminal 116a-2, and a USB terminal. 116b, a mode identification signal terminal 116c, and a debugger UART terminal 116d, and a signal transmitted through the cable 130 is either UART terminal 116a or USB terminal 116b. The switching unit 112 and the USB to UART conversion unit 114, which is located between the UART terminal 116a and the switching unit 112, and the USB to UART conversion unit 114 and the debugger The debug switch 140 is located between the UART terminal 116d and the general transmission / reception terminal 116a-1.

In this case, both the switching unit 112 and the debugger switching unit 140 may be selected from a slide method or a method using a switching IC. In the case of using the switching IC, the terminal for the mode identification signal may be connected to the pin of the first connector 110. 116c and a debugger identification signal terminal 116e should be allocated respectively, and the mode identification signal line 117 and the debugger identification signal line 118 connecting the respective terminals 116c and 116e and the switching units 112 and 140, respectively. Must be provided.

In addition, the data communication cable according to an embodiment of the present invention can be converted into a DC power suitable for a communication device such as a mobile communication terminal by using a DC power supplied from the host computer to any one of the first and second connectors (110, 120). It may include a DC-DC converter, and may further include a charging circuit for charging the battery of the communication device using the power converted through the DC-DC converter.

FIG. 8 illustrates a state in which the first connector 110 includes a DC-DC converter 150 and a charging circuit 160 between the switching unit 112 and the USB terminal 116b.

Meanwhile, in the above description, the switching unit 112, the USB-to-UART conversion unit 114, the debugger switching unit 140, the DC-DC converter 150, the charging circuit 160, and the like are all connected to the first connector 110 on the communication device side. It is described as contained within the), but this is only for convenience of description, at least one of the components may be installed in the second connector 120 of the host computer side, even the first, second It may be installed separately in the middle of the cable 130 between the connectors (110, 120).

For example, FIG. 9 illustrates a state in which the switching unit 112 and the USB-to-UART converter 114 are mounted on the second connector 120 on the host computer side. Since the cable 130 ′ connecting the first and second connectors 110 and 120 includes both a UART cable and a USB cable, since the second connector 120 is located in the second connector 120, the present invention is different from the above-described embodiment.

Fourth embodiment

In the above-described first to third embodiments, the switching unit 112, the USB-to-UART conversion unit 114, and the debugger switching unit are connected to any one of the first and second connectors of the data communication cable 100, 100 ′, 100 ′. There is a feature in that 140 or the like, but the fourth embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it is provided in the form of a switching connector 200, not the form of a cable.

10 is a view illustrating a switching connector 200, a housing 210, a first connection port 220 protruding to one side of the housing, and a second connection port 230 formed concave on the other side of the housing. The first connection port 220 is coupled to the communication port of the mobile communication terminal, the second connection port 230 is coupled to the terminal side connector of the USB cable. Accordingly, the first connection port 220 has a terminal (not shown) connected to the mobile communication terminal, and the second connection port 230 has a terminal 232 connected to the terminal connector of the USB cable.

When the switching connector 200 is used, the USB port of the computer 2 regardless of the type of communication interface supported by the mobile communication terminal 1 even with the conventional USB cable 60 as shown in FIG. 11. Data communication with can be enabled.

The switching method of the switching connector 200 is the same as the switching method of the data communication cables 100, 100 ′ and 100 ″ described above. Thus, as shown in FIG. 12, the first connection port 220 is connected to the UART terminal 116a. And a USB terminal 116b, and the second connection port 230 includes a USB terminal.

The switching unit 112 is positioned between the first and second connection ports 220 and 230, thereby selectively connecting the USB terminal of the second connection port 230 to the UART terminal or the USB terminal of the first connection port 220. Connect it.

The switching unit 112 may be a manual slide switch or an automatic switching IC. In the latter case, the switching unit 112 receives a communication mode identification signal transmitted from a mobile communication terminal and performs mode switching to a corresponding communication mode. Therefore, a terminal for the mode identification signal 116c should be allocated to the terminal of the first connection port 220, and it should be connected to the switching unit 112 using the mode identification signal line 117.

Meanwhile, between the switching unit 112 and the UART terminal 116a, there is a USB-to-UART conversion unit 114 that performs communication conversion. In some cases, for general transmission and reception of the UART terminal to operate in the debugger mode for debugger operation. A debugger switching unit 140 for selectively switching the terminal 116a-1 and the debugger UART terminal 116d may be provided between the USB-to-UART conversion unit 114 and the UART terminal.

The debugger switching unit 140 may also use a slide switch or a switching IC. In the latter case, the debugger switching unit 140 and the debugger are allocated by assigning one of the terminals of the first connection port 220 to the terminal for the debugger identification signal 116e. The identification signal line 118 is used to connect.

In the above, the switching connector 200 is used by coupling the first connection port 220 to the mobile communication terminal and connecting the second connection port 230 to the terminal side connector of the USB cable. It may be modified to couple 230 to the USB port of the computer, and to couple the computer-side connector of the data communication cable to the first connection port 220.

In this case, the shape of each connection port 220 and 230 may be different from that described above, and the data communication cable may also be changed as shown in FIG. 9, but a detailed description thereof will be omitted since this degree of modification is obvious to those skilled in the art.

Meanwhile, since the switching connector 200 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention enables data communication using a conventional USB cable regardless of the type of communication interface provided by the mobile communication terminal, as shown in FIG. 13. In this case, the second connection port 240 may be provided as a switching connector 200 ′ modified to be directly coupled to a computer.

At this time, the second connection port 240 coupled to the computer has a USB terminal 242, which is coupled to the USB port of the computer.

In the above described only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this can be carried out by various modifications or variations by those skilled in the art, the technology that is modified or modified as such If it is based on the technical idea of the present invention described in the claims to be described later will be apparent to belong to the scope of the present invention.

According to the present invention, both UART-to-USB communication and USB-to-USB communication between the mobile communication terminal and the computer are possible with only one data communication cable, thereby contributing to the user's convenience.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a conventional UART serial communication

2 is a block diagram of a conventional USB to USB data communication cable

3 is a block diagram of a conventional USB to UART data communication cable

4 is a block diagram of a data communication cable according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a block diagram of a data communication cable using a switching IC

6 is a block diagram of a data communication cable according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a block diagram of a data communication cable according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

8 is a block diagram of a first connector including a DC-DC converter and a charging circuit.

9 is a block diagram of a data communication cable in which a USB to UART converter and a switch are located in a second connector;

10 to 12 are a perspective view, a state diagram and a block diagram of a switching connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention

13 is a modification of the switching connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

100: data communication cable 110: first connector

112: switching unit 114: USB to UART conversion unit

116a: UART terminal 116a-1: UART terminal for general transmission and reception

116a-2: UART terminal for control signal 116b: USB terminal

116c: Mode identification signal terminal 116d: Debugger UART terminal

116e: Debugger identification signal terminal 117: Mode identification signal line

118: debugger identification signal line 120: second connector

122: USB terminal 130: cable

132 communication line 134 power line

140: debug switching unit 150: DC-DC converter

160: charging circuit 200: switching connector

210: housing 220: first connection port

230, 240: second connection port 232, 242: USB terminal

Claims (12)

A first connector connected to a communication port of the communication device and having a USB terminal and a UART terminal; A second connector connected to a USB port of the host computer and having a USB terminal; A cable for transmitting and receiving data between the first connector and the second connector; A switching unit for selectively connecting the USB terminal of the second connector to the USB terminal or the UART terminal of the first connector; USB-to-UART conversion unit performing signal conversion between the switching unit and the UART terminal  Data communication device including The method of claim 1, The first connector further includes a terminal for a mode identification signal to which a communication mode identification signal transmitted from the communication device is applied, and the switching unit automatically operates by a communication mode identification signal transmitted through the mode identification signal terminal. IC data communication device The method of claim 1, Any one of the first connector and the second connector includes a DC-DC converter for converting the power supplied from the host computer into a power suitable for the communication device A first connector connected to a communication port of the communication device and having a UART terminal; A second connector connected to a USB port of the host computer and having a USB terminal; A cable for transmitting and receiving data between the first connector and the second connector; A USB-to-UART conversion unit installed at any one of the first connector and the second connector to perform signal conversion; Located between the USB-to-UART converter and the UART terminal of the first connector, a debugger switching unit for selecting and connecting any one of a general transmission and reception UART terminal and a debugger UART terminal. Data communication device including The method of claim 4, wherein The first connector may further include a terminal for debug identification signal to which a debug identification signal transmitted from the communication device is applied, and the debugger switching unit automatically operates by a debug identification signal transmitted through the terminal for debugger identification signal. Data communication device The method of claim 4, wherein The debugger switching unit is a slide switch data communication device One side is provided with a first connection port having a UART terminal and a USB terminal connected to the communication port of the communication device, the other side is provided with a second connection port having a connector of the USB cable or a USB terminal connected to the USB port of the computer A housing; A switching unit located inside the housing and selectively connecting a USB terminal of the second connection port to a UART terminal or a USB terminal of the first connection port; USB to UART converter for performing a signal conversion between the switching unit and the UART terminal of the first connection port Data communication device including The method of claim 7, wherein The first connection port further includes a terminal for mode identification signal to which a communication mode identification signal transmitted from the communication device is applied, and the switching unit is automatically operated by a communication mode identification signal transmitted through the mode identification signal terminal. Data communication device that is a switching IC The method of claim 7, wherein The first connection port further includes a terminal for debug identification signal to which a debug identification signal transmitted from the communication device is applied, and the debugger switching unit is automatically switched by a debug identification signal transmitted through the terminal for debug identification signal. IC data communication device The method of claim 7, wherein Between the switching unit and the terminal of the first connection port, a data communication device including a DC-DC converter for converting the power supplied from the host computer into a power suitable for a communication device The method according to claim 1 or 7, A device for data communication having a debugger switching unit installed between the USB to UART converter and the UART terminal to select and connect a general transmission / reception UART terminal or a debugger UART terminal. The method according to claim 1 or 7, The switching unit is a data communication device is a slide switch