Maxim’s USB2GPIO# adapter board was created to interface various eval kits or Pmod boards and Maxim’s Munich GUI allowing designers to test and evaluate different ICs. The USB2GPIO# adapter board can be used to enable USB-to-I²C/SPI interface for any Pmod-compatible plug-in peripheral. The board includes two connectors, a 12-pin connector and a 20-pin connector. The 12-pin connector supports either I²C with 6 GPIO pins or SPI with 4 GPIO pins. This connector is controlled from the Munich GUI. The other connector is a 20-pin connector that allows either 16 extra GPIO connections or a second SPI port and 12 extra GPIO connections. This 20-pin connector is NOT controlled by the Munich GUI but is for use with future EV kits and will be controlled by the relevant EV kit GUIs.

The USB2GPIO# is powered directly from the USB bus power (5 V) and integrates two low-power, 1.2 A, PWM step-down DC-DC converters (MAX1556) to provide programmable V_CC voltages of 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V, or 5.0 V. The Munich GUI can be downloaded from Maxim’s website free of charge. The USB2GPIO# is designed to supersede the USB2PMB1# and USB2PMB2# adapters.