Author Topic: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter  (Read 136377 times)

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Offline SL4P

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #75 on: November 26, 2014, 10:07:18 pm »
There are some pin-compatible chips from China...  Usually FT232-RL series...
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Offline benSTmax

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #76 on: December 04, 2014, 03:51:01 pm »
Great work, Chipguy!
It is way better to use a CDC-based adapter (since this CDC driver is available now on Win, Macs and Linux of course).

There are some pin-compatible chips from China...  Usually FT232-RL series...

The point here is to use something else than FTDI chips. Clones might be available but since they rely on the drivers provided by FTDI, it rules them out.
 

Offline SL4P

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #77 on: December 04, 2014, 09:56:30 pm »
There are some pin-compatible chips from China...  Usually FT232-RL series...
The point here is to use something else than FTDI chips. Clones might be available but since they rely on the drivers provided by FTDI, it rules them out.
I was actually being tongue-in-cheek...  ;)
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Offline ChipguyTopic starter

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #78 on: December 04, 2014, 10:29:32 pm »
Great work, Chipguy!
It is way better to use a CDC-based adapter (since this CDC driver is available now on Win, Macs and Linux of course).

...

The point here is to use something else than FTDI chips. Clones might be available but since they rely on the drivers provided by FTDI, it rules them out.

Thanks benSTmax,
I still need to do a little design change and take the commercial stuff out of the software. Then I am going to release all of it.
Question is: Where should I put the files and documentation?
Sourceforge, Github?
Any ideas ?

Where is that smoke coming from?
 

Offline benSTmax

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #79 on: December 10, 2014, 03:18:43 pm »
Hi Chipguy,

I am working a lot with Git, so for me the obvious choice is Github. But you can choose whatever you're comfortable with.
 

Offline mredjr

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #80 on: January 23, 2015, 03:54:04 am »
Hi Chipguy,
not sure if this is the right place but I have an FTDI with the chip labeled CH340T and my computer with Windows XP can not find the driver. I have tried a bunch if drivers on the FTDI site but nothing is working.

Do you know which driver I would need to download and what the steps would be after I have it on my computer.

Just want to get this thing working so I can start my Software Upgrade for my little receiver for my Multirotor i'm working on.
 

Offline JSnyder

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #81 on: January 23, 2015, 04:06:40 am »
Hi Chipguy,
not sure if this is the right place but I have an FTDI with the chip labeled CH340T and my computer with Windows XP can not find the driver. I have tried a bunch if drivers on the FTDI site but nothing is working.

Do you know which driver I would need to download and what the steps would be after I have it on my computer.

Just want to get this thing working so I can start my Software Upgrade for my little receiver for my Multirotor i'm working on.
None of the FTDI drivers will work because it's not an FTDI device. What you have is a Chinese produced usb to uart chip. You can download the necessary drivers here http://www.wch.cn/downloads.php?name=pro&proid=5
« Last Edit: January 23, 2015, 04:19:56 am by JSnyder »
 

Offline mredjr

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #82 on: January 23, 2015, 04:35:18 am »
Hi Chipguy,
not sure if this is the right place but I have an FTDI with the chip labeled CH340T and my computer with Windows XP can not find the driver. I have tried a bunch if drivers on the FTDI site but nothing is working.

Do you know which driver I would need to download and what the steps would be after I have it on my computer.

Just want to get this thing working so I can start my Software Upgrade for my little receiver for my Multirotor i'm working on.
None of the FTDI drivers will work because it's not an FTDI device. What you have is a Chinese produced usb to uart chip. You can download the necessary drivers here http://www.wch.cn/downloads.php?name=pro&proid=5

Thank you for that info. I didn't even know what I bought at the time and never actually used it. Just brought it out now after like a year probably. lol
 

Offline mredjr

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #83 on: January 23, 2015, 04:39:02 am »
Hi Chipguy,
not sure if this is the right place but I have an FTDI with the chip labeled CH340T and my computer with Windows XP can not find the driver. I have tried a bunch if drivers on the FTDI site but nothing is working.

Do you know which driver I would need to download and what the steps would be after I have it on my computer.

Just want to get this thing working so I can start my Software Upgrade for my little receiver for my Multirotor i'm working on.
None of the FTDI drivers will work because it's not an FTDI device. What you have is a Chinese produced usb to uart chip. You can download the necessary drivers here http://www.wch.cn/downloads.php?name=pro&proid=5

Thank you for that info. I didn't even know what I bought at the time and never actually used it. Just brought it out now after like a year probably. lol
Hi Chipguy,
not sure if this is the right place but I have an FTDI with the chip labeled CH340T and my computer with Windows XP can not find the driver. I have tried a bunch if drivers on the FTDI site but nothing is working.

Do you know which driver I would need to download and what the steps would be after I have it on my computer.

Just want to get this thing working so I can start my Software Upgrade for my little receiver for my Multirotor i'm working on.
None of the FTDI drivers will work because it's not an FTDI device. What you have is a Chinese produced usb to uart chip. You can download the necessary drivers here http://www.wch.cn/downloads.php?name=pro&proid=5
Do you know which one I should pick? CH340T doesn't show up.
EDIT: Ok I got a driver now. But can I still use the FT Program or do I have to use a Chinese version?
« Last Edit: January 23, 2015, 04:57:13 am by mredjr »
 

Offline JSnyder

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #84 on: January 23, 2015, 04:51:25 am »
The one I linked should work for the 340/341 I don't have an adapter with that chip so I can't test it. As long as your environment is WINDOWS 98/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/VISTA/Server 2008/Win7/Win8 it should work for you. Open the .zip, open the ch341ser folder, and double click the setup.exe for 32bit or in the drvsetup64 folder the drvsetup64.exe for a 64bit install. Plug in the module and it should show up in the device manager as a com port. 
« Last Edit: January 23, 2015, 04:54:15 am by JSnyder »
 

Offline Monkeh

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #85 on: January 23, 2015, 04:59:59 am »
Do you know which one I should pick? CH340T doesn't show up.
EDIT: Ok I got a driver now. But can I still use the FT Program or do I have to use a Chinese version?

The device you have has absolutely nothing to do with FTDI, so.. what do you think?
 

Offline mredjr

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #86 on: January 23, 2015, 05:04:57 am »
Do you know which one I should pick? CH340T doesn't show up.
EDIT: Ok I got a driver now. But can I still use the FT Program or do I have to use a Chinese version?

The device you have has absolutely nothing to do with FTDI, so.. what do you think?
Ok well I always thought I had an FTDI adapter but I guess not. I will just buy one then. Thanks for your help. At least now I know. I bought this adapter for a Quad I bought because I needed to connect the Quads Board to the computer to be able to change the Flight Controller to Flip Mode. But I ended up buying other quads and never got around to it. The copter was too big and slow to do flips anyways. But I always thought I could use the adapter some day. lol
 

Offline westfw

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #87 on: January 23, 2015, 05:13:13 am »
Quote
I always thought I had an FTDI adapter
The "Arduino crowd" has sort-of been using "FTDI adapter" and "USB/Serial adapter" interchangeably.
But FTDI is only ONE manufacturer of chips/adapters for converting Serial ports to USB connections (There WERE one of the few to offer modules and cables with TTL level outputs, which are preferred in the hobbyist community.  Now, there are LOTS of similar modules with similar pinouts.  They're compatible in the sense that USB/Serial is a pretty generic function, but incompatible in the details (which driver to use, what sort of "additional IO capability" they might offer, whether they're user-configurable in various ways, and etc.)
 

Offline ralphrmartin

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #88 on: January 24, 2015, 10:16:55 pm »
What about drivers? That's important too.
Absolutely. And not just Windows drivers, but Mac and Linux drivers, especially if you are building a piece of kit not just for yourself.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2015, 10:23:43 pm by ralphrmartin »
 

Offline ArticCynda

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #89 on: December 06, 2015, 05:17:51 pm »
What's interesting about the MCP2221 is that it also comes in a standard DIP 14 package, it's the only factory programmed through hole USB to UART bridge I've been able to find that is still easily commercially available. Aside then from custom programmed USB microcontrollers.

Probably irrelevant for industrial products, but a very important advantage for breadboard prototypes!
 

Offline AndersAnd

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #90 on: May 22, 2016, 08:27:39 pm »
WCH-IC Chinese CH340 http://wch-ic.com/product/usb/ch340.asp
The http://wch-ic.com site is down, but I found the Chinese version here: http://www.wch.cn/product/CH340.html
Is there still a site available in English?
 

Offline serggio

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Re: Alternatives to FTDI USB to UART converter
« Reply #91 on: May 24, 2016, 08:56:36 pm »
Subscribing and will watch who will win. May be extraterrestrials?  :-//
 


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