Adafruit USB Host FeatherWing with MAX3421E

Lots of microcontrollers today have USB ports for programming, debugging, and data transfer. Did you know you can also add a USB Host port? Your microcontroller project can incorporate a keyboard, mouse, or disk drive, unlocking a wide array of off-the-shelf devices for integration.

The Adafruit USB Host FeatherWing simplifies adding USB Host support, especially with TinyUSB support in the Arduino library. This Wing uses the MAX3421E USB Host chip. Through SPI and an IRQ pin, it communicates with various USB devices. While limited by SPI port speed, it effectively handles basic HID interfacing and mass storage device operations.

It supports AVRs with a popular USB Host Library but also extends to nRF52 and ESP32. For optimal performance, consider the TinyUSB Arduino library, great for RP2040, ESP32-S2/S3, nRF52840, SAMD21/51 chips. Verify Feather mainboard support before purchase.

The MAX3421E is accompanied by a 5V 1A booster with a 500mA fuse, delivering clean power from USB or battery supplies. An enable pin allows power cycling. The assembled Wing includes headers for soldering and connection to a Feather Mainboard, expanding its capabilities.

Driver support for the MAX3421E is required. Generic devices like a mouse, keyboard, CDC serial, or mass storage device may work without additional drivers; non-standard devices will need specific drivers, a complex task to tackle.