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

Chris Albertson albertson.chris at gmail.com
Thu Oct 23 22:30:40 EDT 2014


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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-- 

Chris Albertson
Redondo Beach, California


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