New USB PID for CANUSB

We have decided after some long testing to stop using our own PID with CANUSB which was FFA8 and instead use standard FTDI 6001. The main reason for this is that since Windows 8.X (and Windows 10) it will not support unsigned drivers. The change will happen on new devices being made from February 2015, but it could be that our distributors have the “old” configuration for some time. Let us Point out that there is nothing wrong with using the CANUSB with either PID and you as a user will not notice any mayor difference from a program point of view, it will only show in Device Manager if you look there. The FFA8 configuration will show up as “Lawicel CANUSB” and the 6001 will show up as standard “USB Serial Converter”. The big advatage of this is that we do not need to alter the standard FTDI USB drivers and get them unsigned, it means you can use the standard off shelf FTDI USB drivers and in many cases when you have an internet connection the Windows will detect, download and install drivers it self, if it dowsn’t you can download them here from FTDI. Also using MacOS or Linux it should be easier to install drivers.

The CANUSB software that you have done or any commercial software that you use as well as our CANUSB DLL do not check for the PID, so there is no difference in behaviour. We believe this is the right choice. If you for some reason do not want this, you can reprogram the standard PID 6001 to the old FFA8 or if you have an old CANUSB and want to update it, simply download the “FT Prog” software from FTDI and change it.

In order to keep track of this (for support issues) we have made a change in the serial number sticker (the yellow label on the CANUSB) and put a plus sign in front of the serial number, see the red ring on the Picture above to the right, this indicates that the CANUSB has been programmed with the PID 6001.

If you want to change the PID, download the “FT Prog” here from FTDI, install and run it (do this on a computer where CANUSB worked with PID FFA8, not on a PC with Windows 8.X or Windows 10). While having the CANUSB attached to an USB port, press the “Scan and Parse” icon to read in the data from the EEPROM of the CANUSB. Then select “USB Device Descriptor” as the picture above shows. In the picture above it shows the old Lawicel CANUSB PID FFA8, to change it to the new, simply select the value “FTDI Default” from the property “Custom VID/PID” drop down box. After this is done puch the flash icon from the menu and program it, now it will use the standard PID 6001 instead (after you removed it and installed drivers again). Of course a new CANUSB can also be reprogrammed to the old “FFA8 Custom PID”. DO NOT ALTER ANY OTHER CONFIGURATION!