[Elecraft] Fake FTDI chips

[Ian White]

It was only a matter of time before fake FTDI RS232-USB adapter chips
began to appear. 

<http://zeptobars.ru/en/read/FTDI-FT232RL-real-vs-fake-supereal> 

This fascinating page shows how some anonymous Chinese company has
created a fake FT232RL chip using a mask-programmable microcontroller,
and printed it with the "FTDI" name and logo.

Like Prolific (the real Prolific company, that is) FTDI have updated
their drivers to detect these fakes... but that also means that anyone
who has bought a fake chip will have a non-working adapter.

The message is always the same: fakes are hard to spot, so buy only from
reliable distributors.

FYI, the real FTDI company is a family-owned firm right here in
Scotland's 'Silicon Glen'.


73 from Ian GM3SEK