SerCom
Level 1 (8 points)
Mac OS X

Q: USB driver for serial comm (FTDI)

I’m on Mavericks (10.9.5) and fighting with a USB device with a “FT232R” chip (from FTDI) for USB to serial conversion.

It was not accessible in OS X (e.g. QuickTerm didn’t list it, only the Bluetooth Port + Modem).

Using an old Windows (in a Parallels VM on the same Mac) I could (and still can) access the device, switch it back and forth between OS X and Win,  and send commands to it using a terminal SW.

 

In OS X it seems to be unknown, however, the USB Device Tree reports the FT232R USB UART correctly with Product ID and Vendor ID from FTDI.

 

But I want to get rid of the Win (VM) solution and installed the FTDI driver for Mac, didn’t work.

 

As suggested by FTDI for Mavericks

[ http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/AppNotes/AN_134_FTDI_Drivers_Installat ion_Guide_for_MAC_OSX.pdf ]

I have also disabled (renamed) the AppleUSBFTDI.kext, restarted and installed the FTDI driver (version 2.3, signed by Apple). The installer always tells me “success” but I still can’t see the driver /System/Library/Extensions/FTDIUSBSerialDriver.kext (should it be there?) and the device isn’t accessible from OS X.

 

I’ve tried again and again, there is no FTDI or USBSerial device listed in /dev when I plug it in or switch it back from Win - I guess because the (OS X) driver isn’t correctly installed?

 

Could someone help, please?

(I have little knowledge in OS X)

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), USB serial adapter FTDI (FT232R)

Posted on Sep 5, 2016 3:50 PM

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SerCom

Q: USB driver for serial comm (FTDI)

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  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Sep 6, 2016 8:17 AM in response to SerCom
    Level 9 (69,529 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 6, 2016 8:17 AM in response to SerCom

    Does the drive show in Disk Utility? Can you reformat it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled)?

  • by SerCom,

    SerCom SerCom Sep 6, 2016 2:24 PM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 6, 2016 2:24 PM in response to Eric Root

    Thanks for attention!

    Nope, not visible in Finder or Disk Utility, it’s not a drive, it won’t reply without a command.

    The device is a test equipment with a serial port, originally RS232 (+/- 9V, DB-25). I’d send a (serial) “request” and the device will answer accordingly, e.g. transmit status info or accept commands.

     

    I’ve adapted the electronics of that device (stripped the internal RS232 to TTL converter electronics for the uP, added the the USB socket and USB-TTL conversion with FT232R) to connect to modern computers.

    It works with my Win - laptop and my (office) iMac (with an USB extender), but only when using the “Parallels” Win XP.

     

    When I plug it into the iMac the VM automatically jumps in: “FT232 USB UART, new device detected, connect it to Mac or Win XP?”. Now I select “Mac” but nothing happens in OS X.

    In the VM under “Devices” I can see the FT232 UART but connected to the Mac, and it’s not accessible in Win XP.

    However, when I select the device from the VM “Devices” menu the VM tells me “FT232 UART is now connected to the Win XP” and I can send commands and receive statements from the test equipment. I also can hand it back to OS X but it's not recognized there.

     

    Btw. also when the Parallels VM isn’t running the USBSerial doesn’t show up in /dev when I plug it in.

     

    PS: This sounds similar with Yosemite (although my device definitely has an original FT232RQ chip):

    http://arduino.stackexchange.com/questions/12133/mac-osx-yosemite-no-serial-port s-showing-for-uno-r3#