I have no experience in electronics and can not figure this out!

[Bogomil Petrov]

Hey guys! I can across a software that allows you to use mouse and keyboard input on a gaming console. The project seemed simple enough to use but then I saw that it needed a "DIY USB Device". This is where my pain begun!
This page (http://gimx.fr/wiki/index.php?title=DIY_USB_adapter#Wiring) explains what to do but because I have no experience with electronics I'm totally lost.

I will order everything the page wants me to. It has 2 electronic parts that are a USB to serial TTL and a USB development board.
The USB development board is where im struggling! It says that I can use a board called Teensy 2.0 for this part but as they're expensive im opting for the cheap ebay ones.
**The thing is that in This Tutorial (http://gimx.fr/wiki/index.php?title=DIY_USB_adapter_for_dummies) They use a teensy and just wire things up and program the board and thats it! The thing is that next to the text for my cheap eBay usb development board that was written on the previous page it says that i need an "ISP"!**

My questions:

1. What is an ISP in correlation with USB development boards
2. Do I need it with the parts im getting
3. Can I use the cheap USB development board like they used the Teensy from the tutorial posted above?
4. Will the parts I have chosen work for this project. The tutorial seems very simple and I have no problem with soldering!
5. Do I need anything extra with my chosen parts that isn't in the tutorial or will I still be OK with my 2 chosen components?

The parts I chose:

USB to TTL: http://www.ebay.com/itm/400565980256)

USB development board: http://www.ebay.com/itm/310634777706)

Thanks for the help guys! Im really confused and this seems very simple. Keep in mind that I have no idea what the things are!

P.S.: I started this project out of curiosity and as a hobby so if your wondering why Im doing this with absolutely no experience those are the reasons!

 

[Old Steve]

1. ISP = "In System Programmer"

2. It will be used to program the Teensy, or other USB dev board. (Leonardo in this case I guess.) Since they list the Leonardo as suitable, the Arduino IDE should be fine, I would think. It's free.
To upload a hex file, in the Arduino >Tools menu you select "Arduino as ISP" for the programmer.

3. They list the Leonardo as a board you can use, so your choice should be OK

4. Since you are using the parts they recommended, they should work.

5. Both of your choices are fine. You will need to install drivers for the CP2102-based USB to TTL converter, but they're easily found online. Just search for "CP2102 drivers". I tried to attach a copy here, but it's too large.

Be prepared to sort out any problems that may arise. Not every project like this actually goes together or works as easily as the instructions indicate.

 

[Bogomil Petrov]

1. ISP = "In System Programmer"

2. It will be used to program the Teensy, or other USB dev board. (Leonardo in this case I guess.) Since they list the Leonardo as suitable, the Arduino IDE should be fine, I would think. It's free.
To upload a hex file, in the Arduino >Tools menu you select "Arduino as ISP" for the programmer.

3. They list the Leonardo as a board you can use, so your choice should be OK

4. Since you are using the parts they recommended, they should work.

5. Both of your choices are fine. You will need to install drivers for the CP2102-based USB to TTL converter, but they're easily found online. Just search for "CP2102 drivers". I tried to attach a copy here, but it's too large.

Be prepared to sort out any problems that may arise. Not every project like this actually goes together or works as easily as the instructions indicate.

Thank you for your advice! Originally I thought that a ISP was a physical device and started searching where to buy it! Thats where all the confusion came from! Thank you for your quick reply. This is my first adventure in the world of electronics so hopefully it ends well Thank you again for the answer!

 

[Old Steve]

Thank you for your advice! Originally I thought that a ISP was a physical device and started searching where to buy it! Thats where all the confusion came from! Thank you for your quick reply. This is my first adventure in the world of electronics so hopefully it ends well Thank you again for the answer!

No problem. Keep us posted on how it progresses.
You could possibly start a project log in the relevant section of the forums. (Tab at top of page.)