[Gumstix-users] More UARTs please

[Shahin F. <sh...@ee...>]

Hello All,

Unfortunately, we need more UARTs (while using Bluetooth and Ethernet
simultaneously) for multiple off-the-shelf serial devices.  We are
investigating methods for getting more serial devices to talk to a gumstix.
He are the options we have in mind:

1) Connect the serial devices to the digital I/O ports (or port) of a
microcontroller, and have it aggregate the channels onto a single I2C, UART,
or SPI bus. (Hard)

2) Buy a UART<->I2C/SPI interface chip, like this one: 

http://www.standardics.philips.com/products/sc16/pdf/sc16is740.sc16is750.sc1
6is760.pdf

for each serial device.  Now, the gumstix will see each device as an I2C/SPI
slave.  (Easier)

We would love your comments/feedback.  Thanks!
-Shahin