Why is there a diode on the RX pin of the Adafruit Ultimate GPS board?












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$begingroup$


I can't seem to understand why there is a diode at the Rx pin on this Adafruit Ultimate GPS board. If we are sending data to the GPS, why put a diode that prevents current flow into this pin?



Adafruit Ultimate GPS Schematic










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  • 7




    $begingroup$
    Are you referring to D1? Did you read the note in the schematic telling you what it's for?
    $endgroup$
    – brhans
    Jan 13 at 0:43
















3












$begingroup$


I can't seem to understand why there is a diode at the Rx pin on this Adafruit Ultimate GPS board. If we are sending data to the GPS, why put a diode that prevents current flow into this pin?



Adafruit Ultimate GPS Schematic










share|improve this question









$endgroup$








  • 7




    $begingroup$
    Are you referring to D1? Did you read the note in the schematic telling you what it's for?
    $endgroup$
    – brhans
    Jan 13 at 0:43














3












3








3


1



$begingroup$


I can't seem to understand why there is a diode at the Rx pin on this Adafruit Ultimate GPS board. If we are sending data to the GPS, why put a diode that prevents current flow into this pin?



Adafruit Ultimate GPS Schematic










share|improve this question









$endgroup$




I can't seem to understand why there is a diode at the Rx pin on this Adafruit Ultimate GPS board. If we are sending data to the GPS, why put a diode that prevents current flow into this pin?



Adafruit Ultimate GPS Schematic







diodes uart gps






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




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asked Jan 13 at 0:35









YNGVVYNGVV

395




395








  • 7




    $begingroup$
    Are you referring to D1? Did you read the note in the schematic telling you what it's for?
    $endgroup$
    – brhans
    Jan 13 at 0:43














  • 7




    $begingroup$
    Are you referring to D1? Did you read the note in the schematic telling you what it's for?
    $endgroup$
    – brhans
    Jan 13 at 0:43








7




7




$begingroup$
Are you referring to D1? Did you read the note in the schematic telling you what it's for?
$endgroup$
– brhans
Jan 13 at 0:43




$begingroup$
Are you referring to D1? Did you read the note in the schematic telling you what it's for?
$endgroup$
– brhans
Jan 13 at 0:43










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















19












$begingroup$

The pull-up resistor to 3.3V and the diode means that even if you feed the circuit with 5V logic (most Arduino boards use 5V logic) the GPS chipset will see a maximum of 3.3v. The MT3339 device may be damaged or operate incorrectly if any of its pins go above its 3.3V supply rail.



If the signal RX_5V goes to a logic low the diode will conduct and pull the MT3339 RX pin to ~0.7V that it will treat as a logic low.



If RX_5V goes to 5V resistor R3 will pull the MT3339 RX up to 3.3V and the diode will be reverse biased.






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$endgroup$









  • 1




    $begingroup$
    and that sir is the answer!!!
    $endgroup$
    – Edwin Fairchild
    Jan 13 at 5:43



















2












$begingroup$

The purpose of the diode is documented in a line of text near it on the schematic. The diode and resistor protect the RX input.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    I should have elaborated. Yes, I see the note on the schematic and see that if a voltage higher than 3.3V is at RX_5V then current will be blocked by D1. But I do not understand how this allows any data to be transferred to the Rx pin if D1 is blocking all current flow from RX_5V. Could it be that if RX_5V is grounded/low/off, then RX will read 0 and if RX_5V is high (~3.3V or greater), RX will read 1 while being protected from any signal >3.3V? EDIT: Just saw @Kevin White's follow-up. Thanks!
    $endgroup$
    – YNGVV
    Jan 13 at 1:00













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2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes








2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









19












$begingroup$

The pull-up resistor to 3.3V and the diode means that even if you feed the circuit with 5V logic (most Arduino boards use 5V logic) the GPS chipset will see a maximum of 3.3v. The MT3339 device may be damaged or operate incorrectly if any of its pins go above its 3.3V supply rail.



If the signal RX_5V goes to a logic low the diode will conduct and pull the MT3339 RX pin to ~0.7V that it will treat as a logic low.



If RX_5V goes to 5V resistor R3 will pull the MT3339 RX up to 3.3V and the diode will be reverse biased.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$









  • 1




    $begingroup$
    and that sir is the answer!!!
    $endgroup$
    – Edwin Fairchild
    Jan 13 at 5:43
















19












$begingroup$

The pull-up resistor to 3.3V and the diode means that even if you feed the circuit with 5V logic (most Arduino boards use 5V logic) the GPS chipset will see a maximum of 3.3v. The MT3339 device may be damaged or operate incorrectly if any of its pins go above its 3.3V supply rail.



If the signal RX_5V goes to a logic low the diode will conduct and pull the MT3339 RX pin to ~0.7V that it will treat as a logic low.



If RX_5V goes to 5V resistor R3 will pull the MT3339 RX up to 3.3V and the diode will be reverse biased.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$









  • 1




    $begingroup$
    and that sir is the answer!!!
    $endgroup$
    – Edwin Fairchild
    Jan 13 at 5:43














19












19








19





$begingroup$

The pull-up resistor to 3.3V and the diode means that even if you feed the circuit with 5V logic (most Arduino boards use 5V logic) the GPS chipset will see a maximum of 3.3v. The MT3339 device may be damaged or operate incorrectly if any of its pins go above its 3.3V supply rail.



If the signal RX_5V goes to a logic low the diode will conduct and pull the MT3339 RX pin to ~0.7V that it will treat as a logic low.



If RX_5V goes to 5V resistor R3 will pull the MT3339 RX up to 3.3V and the diode will be reverse biased.






share|improve this answer











$endgroup$



The pull-up resistor to 3.3V and the diode means that even if you feed the circuit with 5V logic (most Arduino boards use 5V logic) the GPS chipset will see a maximum of 3.3v. The MT3339 device may be damaged or operate incorrectly if any of its pins go above its 3.3V supply rail.



If the signal RX_5V goes to a logic low the diode will conduct and pull the MT3339 RX pin to ~0.7V that it will treat as a logic low.



If RX_5V goes to 5V resistor R3 will pull the MT3339 RX up to 3.3V and the diode will be reverse biased.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited Jan 13 at 4:39

























answered Jan 13 at 1:00









Kevin WhiteKevin White

13k11522




13k11522








  • 1




    $begingroup$
    and that sir is the answer!!!
    $endgroup$
    – Edwin Fairchild
    Jan 13 at 5:43














  • 1




    $begingroup$
    and that sir is the answer!!!
    $endgroup$
    – Edwin Fairchild
    Jan 13 at 5:43








1




1




$begingroup$
and that sir is the answer!!!
$endgroup$
– Edwin Fairchild
Jan 13 at 5:43




$begingroup$
and that sir is the answer!!!
$endgroup$
– Edwin Fairchild
Jan 13 at 5:43













2












$begingroup$

The purpose of the diode is documented in a line of text near it on the schematic. The diode and resistor protect the RX input.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    I should have elaborated. Yes, I see the note on the schematic and see that if a voltage higher than 3.3V is at RX_5V then current will be blocked by D1. But I do not understand how this allows any data to be transferred to the Rx pin if D1 is blocking all current flow from RX_5V. Could it be that if RX_5V is grounded/low/off, then RX will read 0 and if RX_5V is high (~3.3V or greater), RX will read 1 while being protected from any signal >3.3V? EDIT: Just saw @Kevin White's follow-up. Thanks!
    $endgroup$
    – YNGVV
    Jan 13 at 1:00


















2












$begingroup$

The purpose of the diode is documented in a line of text near it on the schematic. The diode and resistor protect the RX input.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    I should have elaborated. Yes, I see the note on the schematic and see that if a voltage higher than 3.3V is at RX_5V then current will be blocked by D1. But I do not understand how this allows any data to be transferred to the Rx pin if D1 is blocking all current flow from RX_5V. Could it be that if RX_5V is grounded/low/off, then RX will read 0 and if RX_5V is high (~3.3V or greater), RX will read 1 while being protected from any signal >3.3V? EDIT: Just saw @Kevin White's follow-up. Thanks!
    $endgroup$
    – YNGVV
    Jan 13 at 1:00
















2












2








2





$begingroup$

The purpose of the diode is documented in a line of text near it on the schematic. The diode and resistor protect the RX input.






share|improve this answer









$endgroup$



The purpose of the diode is documented in a line of text near it on the schematic. The diode and resistor protect the RX input.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered Jan 13 at 0:43









Elliot AldersonElliot Alderson

6,48611022




6,48611022












  • $begingroup$
    I should have elaborated. Yes, I see the note on the schematic and see that if a voltage higher than 3.3V is at RX_5V then current will be blocked by D1. But I do not understand how this allows any data to be transferred to the Rx pin if D1 is blocking all current flow from RX_5V. Could it be that if RX_5V is grounded/low/off, then RX will read 0 and if RX_5V is high (~3.3V or greater), RX will read 1 while being protected from any signal >3.3V? EDIT: Just saw @Kevin White's follow-up. Thanks!
    $endgroup$
    – YNGVV
    Jan 13 at 1:00




















  • $begingroup$
    I should have elaborated. Yes, I see the note on the schematic and see that if a voltage higher than 3.3V is at RX_5V then current will be blocked by D1. But I do not understand how this allows any data to be transferred to the Rx pin if D1 is blocking all current flow from RX_5V. Could it be that if RX_5V is grounded/low/off, then RX will read 0 and if RX_5V is high (~3.3V or greater), RX will read 1 while being protected from any signal >3.3V? EDIT: Just saw @Kevin White's follow-up. Thanks!
    $endgroup$
    – YNGVV
    Jan 13 at 1:00


















$begingroup$
I should have elaborated. Yes, I see the note on the schematic and see that if a voltage higher than 3.3V is at RX_5V then current will be blocked by D1. But I do not understand how this allows any data to be transferred to the Rx pin if D1 is blocking all current flow from RX_5V. Could it be that if RX_5V is grounded/low/off, then RX will read 0 and if RX_5V is high (~3.3V or greater), RX will read 1 while being protected from any signal >3.3V? EDIT: Just saw @Kevin White's follow-up. Thanks!
$endgroup$
– YNGVV
Jan 13 at 1:00






$begingroup$
I should have elaborated. Yes, I see the note on the schematic and see that if a voltage higher than 3.3V is at RX_5V then current will be blocked by D1. But I do not understand how this allows any data to be transferred to the Rx pin if D1 is blocking all current flow from RX_5V. Could it be that if RX_5V is grounded/low/off, then RX will read 0 and if RX_5V is high (~3.3V or greater), RX will read 1 while being protected from any signal >3.3V? EDIT: Just saw @Kevin White's follow-up. Thanks!
$endgroup$
– YNGVV
Jan 13 at 1:00




















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