FTDI Strikes Back
Sometimes the struggle of corporations with end users takes on a grotesque form, which prompted me to write this post. In short: I stopped worrying about loving FTDI.
If you are using a device with a USB2COM converter connection on an FTDI chip under Windows - beware . As part of the fightagainst users for intellectual property, FTDI breaks counterfeit chips with software.
Long chose and, finally, bought several Arduino boards with the best USB2COM converter of all time FTDI FT232RL. It was intended to use them in the educational process because of the simplicity and already divorced set of sensors, LEDs and dynamics.
')
Habrazhiteli warned about fakes, but why distinguish a fake from the original, if everything works. At the beginning of October 2014, a series of Windows 7 updates was released. After some time, the installed drivers began to give an error "COM port is busy". Subsequently does not mean due. Evil tongues claim that the drivers had a time bomb on 10/01/14. I do not presume to judge, because I did not reflash these boards for a long time.
Remembering that there were updates, I immediately installed the verybest of the latest CDM v2.12.00 WHQL Certified drivers. After that, the error changed to "Can't find the driver for this device".
Googling revealed that not only the Arduino community of fans had a similar problem, but also motorists using FT232 in OBD adapters, and many others using this chip in their lives. Usually, the problem was solved by replacing the cable on the chips CH340, CP2102, PL2303, etc. But I could not replace the cable, because the chip is sealed on the board
I registered a zero PID FTDIBUS \ COMPORT & VID_0403 & PID_0000.
The process of leaving the FTDI chip consisted of two stages. First, there is an automatic update of FTDI drivers through Windows update. These drivers do not change the PID, but simply refuse to work with the wrong device from their point of view.
The user downloads the latest drivers,does not read and agrees with the license agreement, after which the drivers change the PID to 0000. Recommended treatment: put the old 2.8.14 drivers (or early), register the correct PID (if possible, block it for writing), later Do not update FTDI drivers.
Old drivers were not installed on the main computer under W7-64. Utility MProg device not seen. The virtual machine did not see the device with the PID0000 either. On an old computer with WXP, we managed to install old drivers, replacing PID_6001 in inf files with PID_0000. Then put the proprietary utility MProg for prescribing PID (downloaded from the official site). Flash FTDI FT232RL chip again using firmware from arduino.cc.
UPD 10/23/14: makaroff published a treatment comic .
Wonderful company FTDI changed tactics of dealing with fake chips. Its solution is elegant, legal and allows you to control the market. Whether here only suits it end users? If earlier, you simply installed the drivers using the standard Windows tools, now, the new drivers are delivered as exe and during installation you accept the license agreement, which contains the following words:
1.5 MHz IRRETRIEVABLY DAMAGE THAT COMPONENT
In free translation it sounds like this: using this software with fake components can damage these components .
Well, if I have a choice, I will never buy a product containing FTDI components again. It doesn’t matter whether the components are fake or real. The wife does not allow to buy an electron microscope to distinguish a fake from the original.
If you are using a device with a USB2COM converter connection on an FTDI chip under Windows - beware . As part of the fight
Anamnesis
Long chose and, finally, bought several Arduino boards with the best USB2COM converter of all time FTDI FT232RL. It was intended to use them in the educational process because of the simplicity and already divorced set of sensors, LEDs and dynamics.
')
Habrazhiteli warned about fakes, but why distinguish a fake from the original, if everything works. At the beginning of October 2014, a series of Windows 7 updates was released. After some time, the installed drivers began to give an error "COM port is busy". Subsequently does not mean due. Evil tongues claim that the drivers had a time bomb on 10/01/14. I do not presume to judge, because I did not reflash these boards for a long time.
Remembering that there were updates, I immediately installed the very
Diagnostics
Googling revealed that not only the Arduino community of fans had a similar problem, but also motorists using FT232 in OBD adapters, and many others using this chip in their lives. Usually, the problem was solved by replacing the cable on the chips CH340, CP2102, PL2303, etc. But I could not replace the cable, because the chip is sealed on the board
I registered a zero PID FTDIBUS \ COMPORT & VID_0403 & PID_0000.
The process of leaving the FTDI chip consisted of two stages. First, there is an automatic update of FTDI drivers through Windows update. These drivers do not change the PID, but simply refuse to work with the wrong device from their point of view.
The user downloads the latest drivers,
Treatment
Old drivers were not installed on the main computer under W7-64. Utility MProg device not seen. The virtual machine did not see the device with the PID0000 either. On an old computer with WXP, we managed to install old drivers, replacing PID_6001 in inf files with PID_0000. Then put the proprietary utility MProg for prescribing PID (downloaded from the official site). Flash FTDI FT232RL chip again using firmware from arduino.cc.
UPD 10/23/14: makaroff published a treatment comic .
findings
Wonderful company FTDI changed tactics of dealing with fake chips. Its solution is elegant, legal and allows you to control the market. Whether here only suits it end users? If earlier, you simply installed the drivers using the standard Windows tools, now, the new drivers are delivered as exe and during installation you accept the license agreement, which contains the following words:
1.5 MHz IRRETRIEVABLY DAMAGE THAT COMPONENT
In free translation it sounds like this: using this software with fake components can damage these components .
Well, if I have a choice, I will never buy a product containing FTDI components again. It doesn’t matter whether the components are fake or real. The wife does not allow to buy an electron microscope to distinguish a fake from the original.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/241001/
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