[time-nuts] If any of your USB devices have stopped working lately...

[Paul Berger]

Unfortunately the issue that FTDI is trying to combat is counterfeiters, 
and I think you will find that the counterfeit devices will report the 
same product and vendor id as the genuine ones.  The product and vendor 
ids are how the OS identifies a device and how they decide which device 
driver should be used.  Apparently at least some of these counterfeit 
devices are not perfect copies or else a device driver would be unable 
distinguish them from genuine.  It is like a number of years ago when 
cable TV companies where having a lot of trouble with counterfeit cable 
descramblers, they found a flaw in the code used in them and transmitted 
what became know as a "magic bullet" that caused them to fail.

Paul.

On 2014-10-23 11:30 PM, Chris Albertson wrote:
> On Thu, Oct 23, 2014 at 7:05 PM, paul swed <paulswedb at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Umm I think its profoundly hard to know one way or another what chip you
>> have in a widget.
> Before you buy it yes, you can't know.  But it's trivial to find out
> after you own it.  For example click the Apple logo then choose "about
> this Mac" and the data is there.  For example it says this random USB
> thumb drive I have is
>
>      Product ID: 0x3260
>     Vendor ID: 0x0aec  (Neodio Technologies Corporation)
>     Version: 1.00
>     Serial Number: 20040602032741578
>
> This same exact information is logged every time the device is
> inserted to my Linux system too.  I assume MS Windows will tell you
> all the vendor info as well.
>
> The vendor IDs are handed out to manufacturers by an outfit at "usb.org".
>
> So, check your devices.  It's not hard to find out about the ones you have.
>
>
>
>
>
> This is pretty insane actually.
>> I buy products that I believe are legit no way to know just as if the cpu
>> in my acer or emachines not legal. Heck I have no idea.
>> Regards
>> Paul
>> WB8TSL
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 23, 2014 at 10:02 PM, Bill Dailey <docdailey at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Well..if they didn't properly license the technology...  They should be
>>> disabled.
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>>> On Oct 23, 2014, at 8:45 PM, Mark Sims <holrum at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Happened to a friend of mine.  All his Arduino stuff died.   This could
>>> be the reason:
>>>> http://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/ftdi-driver-kills-fake-ftdi-ft232
>>>> Short story:  FTDI released a new version of their USB driver (via
>>> Windows automatic updates no less) that bricks other vendor's compatible
>>> versions of their interface chip.   They also updated their license file to
>>> indicate that this may happen...  except you never get a chance to decline
>>> the new license with automatic driver updates.  I can just hear the class
>>> action lawyers drooling...
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>