We are attempting to remotely connect a laptop via a proprietary wireless RF system (not WiFi) to a Maestro 12 servo controller. We are using Gearmo USB to RS422/RS485 adapters at the laptop and servo controller ends via the RF system which passes RS422/RS485 signals.
The question is what are the Maestro USB specifications that need to be met to allow two way communication? The Gearmo adaptor comes with a driver that allows the internal FDTI chipset to communicate with the laptop. Can this driver be downloaded to the Maestro?
Hello.
USB is an asymmetric protocol; different implementations of the protocol have different roles. The Maestro’s role is called USB device, and you need to plug it into a USB host (such as a computer) to use its USB interface.
I am not familiar with the adapters you mentioned, but it seems unlikely that they can act as a USB host. You might consider connecting to the Maestro’s TTL serial interface (the TX and RX pins). The Maestro’s TTL serial interface is not directly compatible with RS-485 or RS-422, so you would need an additional adapter to convert those signals to something the Maestro can use. For more details about the serial interface, please see the “Serial Interface” section of the Maestro user’s guide. Please note that the Maestro Control Center software and the Maestro command-line utility (UscCmd) require a direct USB connection, so they would not be usable in this setup.
–David
