Beware: FTDI driver update will brick *fake* FTDI USB to serial converters

hek

@Charly86
Thanks for reporting.. Didn't FTDI learn anything from the last mistake they did?

masterkenobi

I am facing the same problem. I purchased my FTDI FT232RL from http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/111864322684

When I plugged it into my Windows 7 PC, it pops up this error...

In my device manager, I sees Unknown Device under Universal Serial Bus Controllers...

I have tried update the drivers using various versions such as...

All still give me the same error.

When I use a tool called USBView downloaded from http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm#MicrosoftUSBView , it shows me...

Both idVendor and idProduct are 0x0000

Then I use MProg 3.5 downloaded from http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm#MProg . After I press scan, it says...

Number Of Blank Devices = 0
Number Of Programmed Devices = 0

I have wasted a lot of time to get this working. I really don't want to replace my unit with the same thing as I afraid the same problem will happen again. I am wondering is there any other ways to upload the sketches to my Arduino Pro Mini?

hek

If you have an Uno around your can use that for programming the ProMini.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Pro-Mini-Stand-Make-It-Reusable/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Uploading-sketch-to-Arduino-Pro-Mini-using-Arduino/

mfalkvidd

You can use another Arduino (preferably one with built-in USB port, otherwise you will end up in catch-22). https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ArduinoISP It has the added benefit that you can set fuses. You will be unable to use the serial port for debugging though.

I would just order from some place(s) else and hope to get a working adapter. I have ordered 5 and all of them work on my Win7 machine. You could also try the CH340 chip.

Charly86

What I've done is to buy some of these pretty USB/Serial adapters, from tindie
https://www.tindie.com/products/ddebeer/usb-to-serial--uart-5v-or-33v-695-/
with 5V/3V3 on board switch, CH341 chipset, and 3V3 on board regulators for ESP8266 for example

Time you win, problem went away, and bye bye FTDI problems, seriously Worth it !!!

Yveaux

@masterkenobi from what I've heard, FTDI has reverted their software so it won't brick fake chips anymore. If this is true, it is very unlikely you're hit by this issue, unless your windows 7 PC was very behind on updates and you just happen to have the flaked driver.
I think it's much more likely you received a board with a defect, or even with a dummy FTDI chip.

masterkenobi

@hek said:

If you have an Uno around your can use that for programming the ProMini.

Thank you very much! Now time to dig out my old spare Uno.

@mfalkvidd said:

I would just order from some place(s) else and hope to get a working adapter. I have ordered 5 and all of them work on my Win7 machine. You could also try the CH340 chip.

Thanks. May I know where did you buy them from? CH340 chip? Also from FTDI?

@Charly86 said:

What I've done is to buy some of these pretty USB/Serial adapters, from tindie
https://www.tindie.com/products/ddebeer/usb-to-serial--uart-5v-or-33v-695-/

Thanks. But after add shipping, I feel it is not worth it compare to get a new Uno from the nearest electronic shop.

@Yveaux said:

unless your windows 7 PC was very behind on updates and you just happen to have the flaked driver.

My Windows is auto updating itself and I don't think it is a flaked driver cause I have installed multiple versions of the drivers.

Yveaux

@masterkenobi said:

I don't think it is a flaked driver cause I have installed multiple versions of the drivers

The point is that once you have the driver installed that will brick your fake FTDI adapter, and you then connect the fake adapter, the driver will immediately destroy the adapter.
Once this has happened, the adapter can no longer be used, with any driver. Switching drivers will not make a difference.

mfalkvidd

I would just order from some place(s) else and hope to get a working adapter. I have ordered 5 and all of them work on my Win7 machine. You could also try the CH340 chip.

Thanks. May I know where did you buy them from? CH340 chip? Also from FTDI?

These all have worked well for me (but I might have been lucky):
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pc-FTDI-FT232RL-USB-to-TTL-Serial-Converter-Adapter-Module-5V-and-3-3V-For-Arduino/32372517403.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-1pcs-FT232RL-FTDI-USB-3-3V-5-5V-to-TTL-Serial-Adapter-Module/32481520135.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291517200596 (no longer available unfortunately but it should be easy to find similar)

Charly86

@masterkenobi

Yes it's more expensive, but compared to the days I spent thinking I had a problem with my code and it was just a driver change that broke everything, trust me, in my case, worth it (and it was 2nd time of driver problem, so we'll have again and again in the future). By the way, on the link I posted, they have on board regulator and 5V/3V3 switch that make them suitable for powering ESP modules that the other can't do seriously ;-) Love them

Anyway, any chinese FTDI chip claiming FTDI original are fake, trust me I've got 10, all fakes and I even built my own with chinese FT232 chip bought on ebay, and guess what, they're also fake.

But any other cheap chip other than FTDI will works ;-)

This one should do the trick
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB2-0-To-TTL-6Pin-Converter-Arduino-CH340G-for-STC-PRO-Serial-Replace-PL2303-/321754572767?hash=item4aea1127df:g:12MAAOSwymxVPddi

masterkenobi

@hek said:

If you have an Uno around your can use that for programming the ProMini.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Pro-Mini-Stand-Make-It-Reusable/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Uploading-sketch-to-Arduino-Pro-Mini-using-Arduino/

It's weekend and I finally have the time to give this another chance and guess what? It works! I manage to upload the sketch to my Pro Mini and successfully created my first ever MySensors sensor! Thank you so much for that!

Beware: FTDI driver update will brick fake FTDI USB to serial converters

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