FTDI Chip Saga V2.0 - this time it could be worse..!

[hoopstar]

Just over a year ago, FTDI, manufacturers of the most popular USB to serial conversion chip on the market, released an update to their drivers that bricked FTDI clones.

After a year, we have the latest update to FTDI gate. Instead of bricking fake chips, the latest FTDI drivers will inject garbage data into a circuit.

The concern is that this 'garbage data' COULD cause engine damage if one is using a 'fake' FTDI chip on the ALDL interface.

Can't say I blame FTDI for playing hard ball on fake chips but the implications are that most people don't know they even have the fakes (ie. end user).

http://hackaday.com/2016/02/01/ftdi-dri ... ips-again/


EDIT: Here's a fix..

If you manually select an older driver, like 2.08.30, you have to change the driver not only on the obvious "USB Serial Port (COMx)" (ftdiport.inf) but also the corresponding "USB Serial Converter" (ftdibus.inf) listed under "USB-Controller" in the device manager. After changing BOTH to 2.08.30, the chip works fine again. It is easy to see if you list the devices by connection. (screenshot)

[Jayme]

I spose the concern here is that how do you know if your chip is fake or not?? if it just silently pushes garbage data up the circuit. this seems to only hurt the unsuspecting end user :S

[slewinson]

Could give rise to an interesting class action if something gets damaged.

Simon

[hoopstar]

Could give rise to an interesting class action if something gets damaged.

Something or someone..

These IC's are in a lot of devices and the fakes ones have certainly flooded the market. It stands to reason that a legitimate company making high end product could easily be supplied the fake chips and not know about it.

As Jayme pointed out, the fakes as now so good that visually they are difficult, if not impossible to pick.

I can see that companies are going to find out the hard one and possibly at the worst possible moment.

[The1]

or you'l just get companies no longer using FTDI because of the potential issues.

[antus]

For the record all pcmhacking.net interfaces have genuine chips. I have had extensive discussions with our hardware supplier and verified the hardware received is the right thing.

I doubt it'll change anything much. It is possible to get legit hardware if you are prepared to pay for it and use quality suppliers who dont buy random/cheap stuff.

[j_ds_au]

Well, I have to side with FTDI on this one. They've invested a lot of pounds over the years developing their chips and drivers, yet fakes have become so prevalent, that's mostly what you get on eBay and other similar sources on the 'net. Not just chips themselves, but devices with these fakes. I feel sorry for innocent end-users, but what choice do FTDI have?

If you use these chips, like I do, you really have to do your homework to avoid fakes, just like antus has done.

This is not just a problem for FTDI parts, it's a problem with many others too. With so many semi fabs now in China, the opportunities for fakes is tremendous. I wish this situation could improve, and it's only actions like these that can have some sort of impact, because the chinese government sure won't do anything beyond window dressing.

Joe.

[Holden202T]

honestly i'm all for it, so often these days people are selling stuff thats fake and you don't know till you get it home and try and use it, so anything that might help this issue is all good in my books, and i totally agree, FTDI are probably loosing alot of business to fakes so why wouldn't they do what they have!

[The1]

FTDI FT232RL vs. clone, bitbang mode, 38kHz square wave.

CH1 is the original, CH2 is the clone



https://twitter.com/marcan42/status/695292366639378433

[Holden202T]

That doesn't mean much to me but it is fairly obvious they are different results!