This is one of my favorite pieces of electronic equipment that I own. Any device that allows me to interface with the real world—and natively with my Mac—is a piece of art. The GPIO interface connects via USB to the computer on one side, while two 10-pin SIP connectors provide power, ground, and I/O pins on the other.

The FT232-H supports many protocols, which I don't delve into. However, I do utilize the digital I/O pins for standard binary input. This allows for integration with simple switch circuits and advanced button matrices, or a parallel binary connection to any other circuit, for example, a binary decoder (74HC595).

A Python API exposes all the basic services of the chip and enables rapid integration into any programming environment that requires GPIO. This solution offers an affordable, expandable I/O interface for all popular computing platforms, ultimately controlled via shell scripts and abstracted through a web interface. The design fosters opportunities for remote IoT installations or for extending the digital GUI into a unique, hands-on physical experience.

Resources:

https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-on-any-computer-with-ft232h/mac-osx