Binho Pulsar: FAQ
Short answers to common questions about the Binho Pulsar.
What protocols does the Pulsar support?
Section titled “What protocols does the Pulsar support?”- I2C: controller and target, on two separate buses
- SPI: controller and target
- UART: yes
- GPIO: yes, 6 pins
- RS-485: yes, through the USB serial port
- CAN-FD and CAN: yes, through the USB serial port (SLCAN)
- 1-Wire: yes, in Nova compatibility mode
I3C and Atmel Single-Wire are not supported on the Pulsar. For I3C, use the Binho Supernova.
I2C and SPI target mode need firmware 4.5.0 or later, and RS-485 and CAN-FD need 4.4.0 or later. See Firmware. How each protocol works on the Pulsar: Protocols. All adapters side by side: Protocols and Interfaces.
Where can I find the Pulsar datasheet?
Section titled “Where can I find the Pulsar datasheet?”Product datasheets and other technical documents are in the document library at my.binho.io. Sign in to download them. The current Pulsar datasheet is revision 1.3.
Is the ADC calibrated?
Section titled “Is the ADC calibrated?”No, on every Binho adapter. The Pulsar has no general-purpose analog input. Pin 30 of its multifunction port is the 1-Wire pin. Its internal ADC reads the adapter’s own voltage rails, which allows checking the target voltage. Those readings are not calibrated: use them to confirm that a rail is on, off or near its set point.
The calls, and how the reading is derived: Is the ADC calibrated?
Is the DAC calibrated?
Section titled “Is the DAC calibrated?”No. The Pulsar has no general-purpose analog output; its DACs set the target voltage rail (VTARG), with fixed factory constants and no per-unit calibration.
The measured error of the rail: Is the DAC calibrated?
Can I use more than one Pulsar at the same time?
Section titled “Can I use more than one Pulsar at the same time?”Yes. Each adapter enumerates as its own USB device (HID), and each has its own serial number. Opening a specific adapter in Mission Control 3 and in PyCosmicSDK: Can multiple devices be used at the same time?
Is there a GUI for the Pulsar?
Section titled “Is there a GUI for the Pulsar?”Yes. Binho Mission Control 3 is the app for the Binho Pulsar, the Binho Supernova and the Binho Atira. It comes in two forms with the same tools: a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, and a web app at mc3.binho.io for Chromium-based browsers. See Mission Control 3 and Download & Installation.
Can I still use the old binhopulsar Python package?
Section titled “Can I still use the old binhopulsar Python package?”PyCosmicSDK replaces it and includes a compatibility layer, pycosmicsdk.legacy.pulsarsdk, so existing scripts run with a one-line import change. See the migration guide.
What is a host adapter?
Section titled “What is a host adapter?”Not answered here?
Section titled “Not answered here?”Try Troubleshooting, or contact us.