Seeking Insights on Using USB for Data Streaming (~30KB/s) in an Industrial Application

[Chubs]

Hello Community!

I am in the process of developing a cost-effective Data Acquisition System aimed at collecting vibration data from machinery. The primary intent is to offer an affordable solution while maintaining reliability, particularly for industrial applications.

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) was an initial consideration for data transmission, however, due to cost constraints, it may not be the most feasible solution for this project. As an alternative, I am contemplating a USB-based solution where a smartphone (with USB OTG support) interfaces with the machine's sensor data, with a Terminal Emulator App functioning as the main user interface. This approach, I believe, could significantly reduce the Bill of Materials (BoM) and overall development cost. MCU: STM32G0C1 series.

I am reaching out to the community in the hope that anyone with firsthand experience implementing a USB-based virtual communication solution could share their insights. Specifically, I am interested in understanding the reliability and robustness of such an approach in an industrial context. Any tips, experiences, or advice around potential pitfalls or challenges would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your valuable input.

Best Regards

[LCE]

I have my doubts if USB-cable-plugging is still user-friendly these days, especially with a smartphone.

And I have bad experience with USB cables and connectors with many plug/unplug cycles.

A few years ago I was looking for a strange error in one of our USB devices that was hard to reproduce, I checked the hardware (also EMI, ESD) and firmware for days, and tested like crazy. It turned out to be a combination of bad USB cables and connectors.

So at this data rate I would reconsider using BT instead of USB.

On the other hand I have no wireless experience in industrial environments.

[waclawek.jan]

From USB perspective, compare Bulk vs. Isochronous transfers, in basic USB literature. Think Virtual Serial Port vs. Audio.

(Hint: later has bandwidth guarantee, at least the standard requires it).

I'm not sure how well is USB supported in mobile phones generally. 'Cos one thing is generally proclaimed "USB support", and other is real support for particular classes of devices, real-time-ness, etc. Maybe get some cheap USB "soundcard" and experiment with a bunch of phones.

JW

[LCE]

> I'm not sure how well is USB supported in mobile phones generally.

That sounds like another important point to check which might speak against USB.

[Chubs]

Firstly, I want to confirm that the smartphones we are working with do indeed have USB OTG support. Therefore, we can proceed without any concerns in that regard.

However, I appreciate the valid point raised by LCE regarding the reliability of both the cable and the port. I am currently actively exploring and evaluating different options to ensure that we choose the most reliable components for our application. Reliability is a top priority for us, and we will make sure to select high-quality and durable cable and port solutions. Except for the reliability of the Smartphone ports (I am not concerned a lot as these ports are also used for charging the phone & in my experience so far have been reliable.

In response to JW's suggestion about exploring different types of data transfer, I wanted to mention that our application does not require bulk transfers. Instead, we will be delivering the data in high-priority packets.

Thank you both for your valuable input and suggestions.

Best regards