What is the most traditional approach to getting sensor data onto a radio from an embedded device pcb that doesn’t utilize a microcontroller?
Up until now, we’ve been utilizing a convenient firmware on the radio that accesses discrete GPIO data directly wired to the radio’s IO and it automatically constructs everything on the UART for us. Now we need to load information that is not within the sampling capability of the old radio, but utilizes the same traditional UART for sending commands and streaming data.
I know there are probably standalone UART IC’s that I assume are serial setting configurable. Is this recommendable, or should I not waste my time? The benefits to no uC would be no need for new code and less strain on the PCB layout redesign, if we even have the space.
I would likely need bidirectional capability later.
Thanks
Best Answer
The only remotely sensible solution is to use an MCU.
That was true last week when someone asked a remarkably similar question, and it remains true today.
MCUs are cheaper and more flexible than all but the simplest combinations of building block logic, and have the added benefit of drastically expanding the sorts of radios and radio protocols which you can consider, letting you add checksums or cryptographic security, letting you go to low power modes in between readings, letting you build in self-test diagnostics, readily tag transmissions with a unique ID, even giving you the option of storing sensor calibration in the device rather than a database...
An MCU would also typically make the PCB layout easier rather than harder, because at least if your layout and firmware people are on speaking terms, you can often put functions on any one of a number of pins in order to make the layout simple; conversely with building block logic or special function ICs you often have to use one particular pin without a choice.