USB VID/PID

[rexxar]

A project I'm working on has a USB interface. Right now I'm doing development with Arduino, so my device presents itself as a Leonardo. I do plan to sell this, so obviously I can't use the Arduino VID/PID, but I don't know what I *should* use. I'm using the built in USB interface on the ATmega32U4, and all it's doing is acting as a USB to serial converter.

Is there some sort of generic PID I can use to have Windows automagically recognize it as a COM port?

[con-f-use]

There's a lengthy thread about this. Bottom line: just don't claim it's compliant or put the usb-logo on it. If you don't, you can use just about anything. A bunch of people guaranty that they will never use their IDs for commercial products, so no drivers will interfere, if you use those. If you are really serious, buy your own pair of IDs.

[rexxar]

Woops, I forgot about this thread.

Alright, I'll just use an arbitrary VID/PID, unless there's one I can use to make Windows recognize it as a generic USB to serial? I can't find any information about that on the internet. The only thing I can come up with is to use the ID of one of FTDI's chips that get recognized as generic, but that seems poor form.

I guess in lieu of that, I can figure out how to make a .inf to get Windows to use the generic USB to serial driver. I think it's usbser.sys?

I really want it to "just work", all it is is a USB to serial converter, surely it can't be that hard?

[Harvs]

make a .inf to get Windows to use the generic USB to serial driver.

Well that's your answer, and there's resources on the net on how to do it. http://janaxelson.com/usb.htm

Windows will just match the VID/PID pair against what it knows.  You just need an inf to tell it to use the standard Windows VCP drivers.

There's no generic VID/PID that means "I'm a generic serial port..."

[theatrus]

Windows is more unique in this case. Linux and OS X will both enumerate generic ACM/VCP devices.

[amyk]

unless there's one I can use to make Windows recognize it as a generic USB to serial?

There should be one... just look for ones in the stock INFs supplied with Windows that uses usbser.sys .

There are patches to bypass driver signing restrictions, point your users to that if you need a custom .inf file/drivers for any reasons.

[Jeroen3]

Don't require inf's, get a real ftdi chip or use a bare usb class, like HID.

[amyk]

There are no "patches" for Windows 8, the only way to do it is to reboot into safe mode, run some commands and then reboot again. After that when you reboot once more signing is enabled again. It's a complete arse and not a useful solution.

You just haven't found one yet. They don't want you to know that it's possible with only a few bytes need be changed in the kernel, to kill it off completely. You can also patch the certificates and sign your drivers with your own, which somewhat preserves the "security" but that route is a bit more involved. AVs will tend to scream if you do these, however, since they don't want you to have too much control over your own computer...

As for HID: Only if you want an Arduino that gets detected as a keyboard/mouse/etc.

[rexxar]

There are no "patches" for Windows 8, the only way to do it is to reboot into safe mode, run some commands and then reboot again. After that when you reboot once more signing is enabled again. It's a complete arse and not a useful solution.

You just haven't found one yet. They don't want you to know that it's possible with only a few bytes need be changed in the kernel, to kill it off completely. You can also patch the certificates and sign your drivers with your own, which somewhat preserves the "security" but that route is a bit more involved. AVs will tend to scream if you do these, however, since they don't want you to have too much control over your own computer...

Good to know Microsoft thinks their users are so stupid that they might do irreparable harm if they didn't have the OS hold their hand and say "no, don't touch that driver, you don't know where it's been!"

God forbid someone develop independent hardware! Oh noooo!

If you want it to "just work" copy the VID/PID from a device with a signed driver, preferably one that Windows can download from Windows Update. Prolific or Microchip USB serial chips are probably a good target for ripping off. Yeah, it's a bit dodgy and no good for commercial projects, but the only other option is to fork over about $200 for a signing key that you can use for one year.

I don't think that I'll sell enough of these to cover a frigging $200 annual license fee. I guess my only option is to lift someone else's VID/PID. 

]There should be one... just look for ones in the stock INFs supplied with Windows that uses usbser.sys .

The only references I can find to that driver are how to create a .inf to reference it. I'm not even sure that's the correct driver. 

[ve7xen]

I don't think that I'll sell enough of these to cover a frigging $200 annual license fee. I guess my only option is to lift someone else's VID/PID. 

That, or drop Windows .

[rexxar]

I don't think that I'll sell enough of these to cover a frigging $200 annual license fee. I guess my only option is to lift someone else's VID/PID. 

That, or drop Windows .

Then I wouldn't sell any