Something nuked my HEX-USB+CAN

[golfi_vend]

Hey everyone,

I think something has happened to my old Ross-Tech HEX-USB+CAN interface.

It had been working fine for years. Recently I wanted to try it with kw1281test:
https://github.com/gmenounos/kw1281test

Since I'm running Windows 11, I first had to disable driver signature enforcement so I could install the official Ross-Tech VCP driver, which enables the interface to be used as a virtual COM port. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it working.

After that, Windows no longer recognizes the interface as it used to. It now only detects the FTDI chip with the default VID/PID 0403:6001.

Has anyone seen this happen before? Could the FTDI EEPROM somehow have been reset or corrupted, or is there anything else worth checking before I retire this interface?

Or... is it finally time to let go of the past?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Santos]

I just sent you a DM

 

[wh17]

It had been working fine for years. Recently I wanted to try it with kw1281test:
https://github.com/gmenounos/kw1281test

Since I'm running Windows 11, I first had to disable driver signature enforcement so I could install the official Ross-Tech VCP driver, which enables the interface to be used as a virtual COM port. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it working.

This is totally your fault. There are so many threads around how to get your old interface running without disable anything in windows11....

Windows11 legacy interface

To diasable signature check with windows11 is a solution but it is the worst one to use. I dont know why people use this bad hack...:-)

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Try to install FTDI Driver from their page. I have NO legacy interface but helped people in germany to get it running with windows 11 and manual ftdi driver installation.

FTDI D2xx Driver
FTDI D3xx Driver

One of them should work, i think you need the D2XX one.

Try if you can connect your device and perhaps vcds will work even if vid/pid is "wrong".

 

[Zenerdiode]

@wh17 What golfi is doing with his interface is slightly different from the Win11 fix. It amounts to the same thing, but the legacy interfaces had a slightly less documented feature that you could load up some different drivers that would enumerate the interface as a COM port. The Virtual COM Port drivers (VCP).

Enumerating as a VCP, you could then set it as, say, COM1 and have an older program connect to it. I don’t know if FTDI have signed *VCP* drivers that would be compatible.

 

[golfi_vend]

This workaround wasn't discovered at the time I did driver enforcement. -> So don't point fingers here !!!

 

[wh17]

@wh17 What golfi is doing with his interface is slightly different from the Win11 fix. It amounts to the same thing, but the legacy interfaces had a slightly less documented feature that you could load up some different drivers that would enumerate the interface as a COM port. The Virtual COM Port drivers (VCP).

No this is a feature from FTDI. The D2XX driver include the VCP feature. Fr

FTDI D2xx Driver and FTDI VCP Driver have now the same package



The package includes the raw direct driver and the vcp version in the same package. So it is up to you what you install in windows.

Enumerating as a VCP, you could then set it as, say, COM1 and have an older program connect to it. I don’t know if FTDI have signed *VCP* drivers that would be compatible.

Yes they have - see my link. As mentioned, these universal driver work for all the old interfaces. We have successfull reports from people here in germany who made the old HEX-USB+CAN to work with the driver. The ross-tech driver with own ID are self-signed and do not work with patched win11. The universal driver works:-)

This workaround wasn't discovered at the time I did driver enforcement. -> So don't point fingers here !!!

There were many attempts to get this running and the idea to disable a security check is not a real good idea.

So to get your interface running:
- try one of the universal driver
- try old windows10 pc (someone around you should have one - as the license is in the dongle it is easy to try)

Perhaps rosstech can help you to set the eprom. FTDI has the right utility here:

FT_Prog download

I would suggest to read the manuel before you use this tool. Page 10 explains how to set VID/PID.

 

[Eric]

This workaround wasn't discovered at the time I did driver enforcement

It shouldn't even be possible to wipe the eeprom by swapping FTDI drivers on legit FTDI hardware. Sounds more like an unfortunate coincidence.

 

[wh17]

It shouldn't even be possible to wipe the eeprom by swapping FTDI drivers on legit FTDI hardware. Sounds more like an unfortunate coincidence.

A driver is a some kind of code to enable hardware to communicate with an OS (like Windows, MacOS etc..). It acts more or less as an "translator".

To wipe the eeprom you need code from ftdi and perhaps this kw1812 test might have send something to the dongle.
Yes it is possible to change the eeprom content with the software from ftdi:-)

The other question is: must the vid/pid have a special value (the rosstech one) to work with vcds? If yes @golfi_vend you have to change it. Either with the program from ftdi (see my posting) or perhaps rosstech can help you.

So you interface is not "lost" at all now.