Android to Serial or USB -- IOIO OTG

The IOIO offers a way to hook one or more serial loggers to your Android that runs Top Hat or XCSoar. There are two flavors of the IOIO board available:

The IOIO OTG is the latest version of the IOIO and recognizes more devices than does the older IOIO V1 board. The Nook only recognize the IOIO OTG.

You can create an IOIO OTG box in almost the same way as you create an IOIO V1 box except use an IOIO OTG board instead of an IOIO V1 board. The primary difference is that the IOIO OTG has a noisy 12v-5v step down power supply, which requires additional noise suppression circuit or an input of 5V instead of 12V to reduce the noise. The noise can be heard on many radios unless the squelch is turned up very high, and it's recommended to use one of the options to suppress the noise.

OPTION 1:

If you have 5V available from your ship (for example the Cambridge 302 outputs 5V), then simply use the 5V from the Cambridge to power the IOIO OTG board. No changes are necessary to the original design of the IOIO V1 box except use an IOIO OTG board instead of an IOIO V1 board.

OPTION 2:

The second option, is to purchase a noise suppress circuit. The easiest way is to purchase the Soartronic.net IOIO UART interface board that includes the entire box and all the parts you need for the entire project.

OPTION 3:

The third options is to follow the design as the normal IOIO V1 box and add a 'clean' 12V-5V converter in addition to using the IOIO OTG board instead of the IOIO V1 board. You will power the IOIO OTG board with the 5V instead of the 12V. We've found a 12V-5V converter for about $12.00 that eliminates the RF interference.

Here's an image of an IOIO OTG box with the 12V-5V converter in it. This box includes a cable for the LX Nano which does not require the MAX 3232 converters. If you have a serial logger that runs on serial voltages, then you can add them too (see IOIO V1 box design).


An IOIO OTG board inside an enclosure with with a separate low-noise 12V-5V power supply. The logger connection is for an LX Nano which does not require a Max 3232 chip.


The same IOIO OTG box viewed from the outside.