[chbot] Heard about the FTDI caper?

[Peter Ellens]

You can also un brick them on Linux.

http://www.minipwner.com/index.php/unbrickftdi000


I also think this is despicable behaviour and will be actively ensuring 
I don’t by any products with FTDI chips on them, real or otherwise.

The Chinese ch340 USB to serial that was recently being heckled is 
looking better and better.






On 27/10/14 15:16, Mark Beckett wrote:
> I've been getting emails from my overseas contacts for the few days.
>
> This is some other info regarding what was a deliberate and possibly 
> illegal move by FTDI.
> http://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/ftdi-driver-kills-fake-ftdi-ft232/msg535270/#msg535270 
>
>
>    I did find this one which shows the internals of both genuine and
>    non-genuine which is interesting.
>    http://zeptobars.ru/en/read/FTDI-FT232RL-real-vs-fake-supereal
>            My view is FTDI have overstepped the mark by making them non
>    functional, regardless of the copyright/you're using our driver.
>    The end-user probably has no idea of what is inside the device they
>    just brought.
>        FTDI should have detected the device as not genuine and refused to
>    load the driver for it.
>    The customer would then have returned the product to the supplier,
>    and the corrective action could then take place.
>        This 'fix' has probably signed the end for FTDI, given that other
>    products that are available, and that their product is not cheap to
>    start with.
>    MS are equally to blame since they have deployed a driver that
>    knowing renders devices useless that were working and are not theirs
>    to mess with.
>    By changing the device, it no longer works on other OS's, which is
>    well beyond their software agreements no matter how you read their 
> EULA.
>    Hopefully someone decides to sue them, maybe someone who already
>    dislikes them and has big pockets ....
>        In a twist of irony, it seems the FTDI software (FT_prog) will
>    happily talk to the non-genuine device to write the VID/PID, and I
>    have a copy of the older version if anyone gets trapped.
>
> While Volker may think he's quite safe using Linux, the issue is if 
> the device was connected to a windows box with the new drivers, it 
> won't work on his linux box now, since the PID has been set to zero.
>
> I have some sympathy for FTDI, but using Microsoft to deliberately 
> reset the PID has gone too far, it should have simply refused to talk 
> to the device.
> And if you read some of the various blogs, it was FTDI that pulled it, 
> most likely because of the backlash/fallout that was coming.
>
> It shouldn't affect any Arduino UNO or true clone as they use an Atmel 
> 8U2 or 16U2 to interface to the USB.
> Since there are some who suggest not to use 'cheap chinese knock-offs' 
> they won't have to worry either.... :-)
>
> Mark
>
>
> Mark Atherton wrote:
>> Another gem from Julian.
>>
>> ... and there could be quite some fallout with the Arduino community.
>>
>> I am still dwelling on the consequences of FTDI's actions.
>>
>> -mark
>>
>>
>>
>>> Subject: Heard about the FTDI caper?
>>> To: Mark Atherton <markaren1 at xtra.co.nz>
>>>
>>> <http://brainwagon.org/2014/10/24/ftdi-gate/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+brainwagon+%28brainwagon%29>http://brainwagon.org/2014/10/24/ftdi-gate/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+brainwagon+%28brainwagon%29 
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Mark
>>>
>>> Just read about this...J
>>
>>
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