uSplit - UART Splitter for VESC-based ESCs

Wait, has the firmware been released for the usplit?

Sorry for the delay, I just got engaged a few days ago and have been dealing with all that shit :stuck_out_tongue: I just posted the FW to the uSplit downloads page of my site last night. Both FW versions are in the same zip file. The 2 way splitter FW is labeled with ā€œ1-2ā€ and the 3 way FW is labeled with ā€œ1-3ā€. The instructions for updating the FW is the same as the TTL system so you can follow the instructions on the TTL documentation page for now. Iā€™ll be filling out the uSplit documentation page very soon.

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Congrats!!! Ek8 can wait!

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Congrats!!
Just installed the FW with BOSSA on macOS Mojave (10.14.6). Had a problem where BOSSA would crash on startup but installing Homebrew and then running brew install wxwidgets fixed the problem. uSplit seems like its working properly now. :slight_smile:

https://github.com/shumatech/BOSSA/issues/76#issuecomment-450497888

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@pookybear, @Pavlo_H, Thank you :blush:

@Pavlo_H Thats awesome you got the BOSSA tool to work even though you ran into some issues. Iā€™ll have to add the procedure you used to the uSplit and TTL documentation pages.

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Now that all beta testing units are shipped out, I want to get an idea of how many people are interested in purchasing a uSplit once they are available.

If you would like to purchase a uSplit, please fill out this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5MWPFC6

This will help me to know how many units to order for PCB assembly :slight_smile:

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is that a typo on the survey? Doesnā€™t the two way allow 2 devices and the three way 3 devices?

Yea it does, but the 3 way, you can just run 2 if you want and then expand to 3 later

I know, i just read it again. So it doesnā€™t say the three way only uses 2 but it can also use 2 compared to the two way.

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Ya what I am saying with that statement is that even though the 3-way splitter supports 3 devices, you dont have to use all of them if you dont want to. You could just connect 2 devices to the 3-way splitter and it would act the same as a 2-way splitter.

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I think thats a great idea, make it simpler for you in assembly and ordering. Having an option to throw another UART device on there doesnā€™t hurt and for just a bit more money, Iā€™d like to have it VS having to buy a brand new splitter just to add some lights or something else.

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I donā€™t think thereā€™s any reason to have the two way splitter from a business stand point. The three doesnā€™t take up any more space than the two and by offering two separate models you are doubling the amount of inventory you have to produce and keep. Simplify your business and have only the three way splitter.

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Was thinking the same thing reduced stock and single PCB to produce simplify firmware same footprint

It word it as ā€œsupports up to 3 devisesā€

The one thing that worries me is overloading VESC 5v or 3.3V. Is there any protection built in to this Usplit. Will it prioritise the lower number port?

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Agree as well. If I knew 2 devices was fine I would have bought the 3way one :smile:

@Ace, Ya thatā€™s what I am going for. I posed the question of whether it would affect peopleā€™s purchasing decision in the survey to gauge how many people are dead set on getting the 2-way splitter. Iā€™m pretty certain at this point that I will be going with only the 3-way uSplit.

@Darkie02, Thatā€™s a very good point about overloading the 5v and 3.3v lines. The uSplit does not have any protection for that. It may be a good idea to add a resetable fuse in the future, but for the first batch of uSplits I dont think Iā€™ll be changing the current design. At the moment, it is up to the user to not attach devices that draw a combined current that could damage the ESC. Typically if a device is not powering lights off the 5v or 3.3v lines, then the draw will be very low.

@Wisp, sorry, I didnā€™t know you didnt know lol

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Wait. This is available for purchase now? I thought it is still in testing phase.

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@pookybear we are still testing

@Ricco is the current draw a risk if one of those devices happens to be(come) a ttl system?

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No the TTL system does not put the current draw at risk. It actually doesnt connect to the 5v or 3.3v pins at all so the only current exchanged between the TTL and uSplit would be from pulling down the UART lines during communication :stuck_out_tongue:

The devices that would put the current draw at risk are ones like Arduino based lighting controllers that draw power only from 5v.

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Final part! I can do the install!

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I need this splitter for my single FOCBOX board! Just filled the survey :slightly_smiling_face:

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