It looks like the USB is strictly for powering the imp. Is it possible to perform USB data transfer with the imp? I have a device that can only read/write data over USB or UART, and would prefer to use USB if possible.
Though the imp actually has USB on its pins, we’ve not currently got any plans to expose this through an API; sorry.
Hi Hugo
We’re in an interesting discussion with a client on connecting their USB devices to Imp. Is this still the same position or has it moved on in the last couple of years? Or is the position the same as above?
Cheers
J
Can you tell us what the device is? Maybe there is a good or better way that device could be embedded with an imp. A lot of experienced hardware people in this imp community.
We have USB host support - to some minimal extent (will not support hubs, and don’t expect lightning speed or isoc etc) - coming later this year in a new imp product. Announcement actually rather soon 
If you can’t wait, you can do USB host with an external chip; there’s a reference design and software here: https://electricimp.com/docs/hardware/resources/reference-designs/impee-max3421e/
has anyone put the Impee-MAX3421E into device mode instead of host mode?
(if you’d not guessed, the “coming later this year” was the imp005, which has USB host built in and a squirrel API for it built into impOS)
Not aware of anyone who has used the 3241 in device mode. There are much simpler/cheaper device mode chips available.
@Hugo, is there anything that would prevent the Impee-max3421e board from being put into device mode? also do you think something like the UMFT201XB-01 might work for this? if not do you have a suggestion? thanks
No, nothing that would prevent that - it has the wrong connector on it to be a device but that’s easily fixed. The MAX3420E is the cheaper option in the same family.
The UMFT201 type things are for specific use cases (eg: usb serial). The Maxim chip can be programmed to appear as any type of device - you just get access to the bulk endpoints.