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Geoffg

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Joined: 06/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 3285

Posted: 10:27pm 11 Jun 2015

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I plugged a Micromite test board using an apparently cloned FTDI 232 chip into my new Surface Pro 3 running Win 8.1 and the FTDI driver promptly reached out and bricked it. No hello! No warning! Just whack!

I thought that FTDI/Microsoft had got the message and stopped doing this. I am certainly going to avoid designing anything using a FTDI chip in the future.

Anyway, does anyone know how to recover a bricked FTDI clone?

Geoff

Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net

Zonker

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Joined: 18/08/2012
Location: United States
Posts: 767

Posted: 12:44am 12 Jun 2015

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Just a warning to the end user that a clone IC was detected would be enough..!

Bricking the chip is just plain wrong..! Whats a good replacement..?

viscomjim
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Joined: 08/01/2014
Location: United States
Posts: 925

Posted: 01:24am 12 Jun 2015

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I think the CH340G looks promising.

twofingers

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Joined: 02/06/2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 1579

Posted: 01:39am 12 Jun 2015

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Geoffg said ...
Anyway, does anyone know how to recover a bricked FTDI clone?Geoff

This was helpful for me on a win7 system. On a second system it didn't work permanently.

Note: You have to use some old driver from here.

Michael

EDIT:
For breadboarding I use some
"6Pin USB 2.0 to TTL UART Module Serial Converter CP2102"
from Ebay.
Edited by twofingers 2015-06-13

causality ≠ correlation ≠ coincidence

MicroBlocks

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Joined: 12/05/2012
Location: Thailand
Posts: 2209

Posted: 01:40am 12 Jun 2015

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MCP2200 is my favorite. You can even request a USB ID from Microchip to more easily recognize your product.
And for me most important is that it is not so moisture sensitive as the FTDI stuff. Easy to have some in stock. Don't want you chips to pop like popcorn when reflowing them.

Microblocks. Build with logic.

Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9594

Posted: 01:56am 12 Jun 2015

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I agree with TZA on this one, and the 2200 Microchip part is only US$2 each in SOIC or just about any other footprint.

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

Bill.b

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Joined: 25/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 235

Posted: 02:06am 12 Jun 2015

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Hi all

I am still using one of these
http://www.banggood.com/FT232RL-FTDI-USB-To-TTL-Serial-Converter-Adapter-Module-For-Arduino-p-917226.html on win 7 and is working OK

Bill

In the interests of the environment, this post has been constructed entirely from recycled electrons.

Chris Roper
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Joined: 19/05/2015
Location: South Africa
Posts: 280

Posted: 02:07am 12 Jun 2015

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Grogster said I agree with TZA on this one, and the 2200 Microchip part is only US$2 each in SOIC or just about any other footprint.

It is a pity it is not available in a DIP package though. It would be great for prototyping and for many hobbyist designs on a BreadBoard.

But I use Geoff's ASCII terminal Controller for that at the moment, as I have PIC32MX250's in stock, and the Terminal controller works well. If I take a design beyond the breadboard however, the PIC32 is an overkill.

Still I will use anything to avoid FTDI products, and they never did a DIP version either.

http://caroper.blogspot.com/

Grogster

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Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9594

Posted: 02:24am 12 Jun 2015

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Microchip offer an assembled module for US$15 each. This has the 2200 chip on it, plus a Mini-USB socket and all the pins you need to make use of the chip:

2200 USB-to-serial module

2nd from the top of the page - ADM00393 - MCP2200 Breakout Module.

I could whip up a board for one of these even cheaper, but would it be something people would want when you can get a genuine Microchip board for fifteen bucks?

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

Chris Roper
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Joined: 19/05/2015
Location: South Africa
Posts: 280

Posted: 02:37am 12 Jun 2015

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Grogster said Microchip offer an assembled module for US$15 each.

My problem is being in South Africa. Our exchange rate is atrocious at the moment, but even worse is reliability, or lack of, of our post-office.

Even Microchip refuse to send me samples by post any longer they ship to the the Johannesburg distributor and I have to arrange to have them collected and delivered to Cape Town via a dealer.

So to purchase that US$15 board would end up costing in excess of R1000 delivered after Currier fees, import duties and the Exchange rate.

But thanks for the heads up, next time I bulk order from Microchip, which could be fairly soon as I need a few hundred rfPIC's for a design for a client, I will have them throw in a couple of boards.
Edited by Chris Roper 2015-06-13

http://caroper.blogspot.com/

bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2949

Posted: 03:16am 12 Jun 2015

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Hi Geoff, All,

Yes, funny about that.. I am so over this situation, and YES! As Geoff said it is STILL happening even after updating EVERYTHING on my win 8.1 box the drivers are killing the fakes..

Only this afternoon I just sent off to get made 2 more boards using the FTDI FT231-XS chip.. These are only $3.xx each in one offs locally by RS components or Element14.. and as they are REAL FTDI chips they should work OK..

One board is a small 19mmx16mm (0.75"x0.63") pcb that supplies 3v3 TTL level serial from a USB Mini input. The output is in a pattern that plugs into my MuP standard..

3D Top and Bottom

Regards,

Mick

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

Geoffg

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Joined: 06/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 3285

Posted: 04:19am 12 Jun 2015

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Bill.b said Hi all

I am still using one of these
http://www.banggood.com/FT232RL-FTDI-USB-To-TTL-Serial-Converter-Adapter-Module-For-Arduino-p-917226.html on win 7 and is working OK

Bill

That is the one that the driver bricked. Don't update your drivers !!!

Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net

G8JCF

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Joined: 15/05/2014
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 676

Posted: 05:00am 12 Jun 2015

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The MCP 2200 is certainly very cost effective at GBP 1.36 in one-off qty here in UK, but no PDIP

.

However the 18F14K50 and 18F13K50 are available in PDIP and the usual SOIC/SSOP forms, and are GBP 1.47 or 1.35 in one-off qty here in the UK - 100+ is GBP 1.28. The thing is that MCHP provide all the source code required to make an 18F14/13K50 into a USB<->Serial converter as well as a precompiled .hex ready for programming using a PicKit2/3. So for breadboard use, it would seem to be a very cost-effective way of getting a DIL USB<->Serial converter.

These prices are all from MCHP in the UK and do not include shipping and VAT

, so for 10 the all in cost would be GBP 23.22, ie GBP 2.32 each

Peter

The only Konstant is Change

srnet
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Joined: 08/08/2014
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 164

Posted: 05:54am 12 Jun 2015

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Is there any benefit in using the FTDI chips ?

There are alternatives, so rather than take the risk that the 'geniune' FTDI chips you buy are fakes, why not just use alternatives ?

$50SAT is Silent but probably still working.
For information on LoRa visit http://www.loratracker.uk/

viscomjim
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Joined: 08/01/2014
Location: United States
Posts: 925

Posted: 07:09am 12 Jun 2015

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THIS is kind of nice for the price...

G8JCF

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Joined: 15/05/2014
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Posts: 676

Posted: 07:12am 12 Jun 2015

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Hi Jim

That does indeed look nice, well thought out, and a very good price

Peter

The only Konstant is Change

jman

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Joined: 12/06/2011
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 711

Posted: 10:21am 12 Jun 2015

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@Geoff

Did you manage to unbrick the chip ?
This worked for me UnBrick

Regards
John

Geoffg

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Joined: 06/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 3285

Posted: 11:51am 12 Jun 2015

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jman said @Geoff

Did you manage to unbrick the chip ?
This worked for me UnBrick

Regards
John

Not yet, but your link looks good.

BTW This morning my Surface Pro 3 asked if I wanted upgrade to Win 10 at the end of next month. This is creepy. I might wait until after that upheaval before dealing with the driver.

Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net

Gordz
Regular Member

Joined: 10/08/2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 55

Posted: 12:10pm 12 Jun 2015

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There is also the tool offered at FTDI
http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm

BobD

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Joined: 07/12/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 935

Posted: 01:22pm 12 Jun 2015

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Geoffg said BTW This morning my Surface Pro 3 asked if I wanted upgrade to Win 10 at the end of next month. This is creepy. I might wait until after that upheaval before dealing with the driver.

I just installed the win 10 preview on a spare laptop to use as an evaluation tool. If possible to do it, I recommend that you don't install straight up on your primary machine. There are some substantial differences. The browser is one. Another is that Windows Updates are now always on auto pilot. If you have the win 10 pro then I believe that you can slow the updates but not for long. I've only installed this a couple of days back so I'm sure I'll find some other big changes.

If you have installed windows update KB3035583 then you may have a Window icon pop up on your notification area which allows you to reserve a copy of win 10 for install when available. It is also possible to delay the installation of win 10 after you are offered it.

Note that when you see this icon then win 10 will be slowly downloaded so it is available for install on the big day. It will appear in the C:\ESD folder. If you Google then you can find a solution to make your own ISO image file for installing win 10.

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