[Elecraft] Fake FTDI chips

[WILLIS COOKE]

Really interesting Ian, but the real question is how do you separate the real Prolific and FTDI chips from the fake.  The fake Prolific chips have been on the market for a long time and would not work on Win 7.  The only way I could find to avoid buying the fake chips was to avoid Prolific altogether.  Now, you tell us (and others) that fake FTDI.  I just spent 20 minutes on the HP web site trying to find out how long ago I bought my HP P6230 desk top and my Office Pro 6500 printer.  I think that HP must have subbed their help site to the Chinese company that makes the fake chips. 

We need to publish the names of the criminals that are repackaging and selling the fake chips.  The best way I have found is to assume they are all fake or mixed fake and genuine and to avoid buying any and all products that do not advertise and supply genuine Prolific or FTDI chips.  Since I do not know any manufacturers or sources that guarantee this and I have owned my computer since Win 7 was released, at the moment I still only know one method, avoid USB converters all together except for products furnished with a converter.

Can you shed any light on this ubiquitous problem? 
 
Willis 'Cookie' Cooke, TDXS DX Chairman
K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart


________________________________
 From: Ian White <gm3sek at ifwtech.co.uk>
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2014 2:23 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] Fake FTDI chips
 


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



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