Ken Hewitt <PICLIST@mitvma.mit.edu> wrote:

> the Product ID allows for 64,000 products and I can't see
> [Microchip] making that many. So for a reasonable fee (less than
> $1500) they could issue product ID's too users of their USB PIC's

    Yes, they could... But then what?  You're not allowed to put the
    USB logo on your product until it's passed USB compliance
    testing, and one of the tests is "Does the device report the
    correct VID?"  The "correct" VID, of course, is the one that's
    been assigned to the manufacturer of the device; no one but
    Microchip is allowed to use Microchip's VID.

    Also... Even if sharing the VID were allowed, think about the
    problems that a Microchip-managed database of Product IDs (PIDs)
    would cause.  With the current system -- in which each vendor has
    a unique, USBIF-assigned VID and is allowed to assign assign PIDs
    to his devices as he sees fit -- there are no collisions between
    the VID/PID of USB-logoed devices in the marketplace because:

        a) the USBIF ensures that every vendor uses a unique VID,
        and

        b) each vendor ensures that his PIDs don't clash, since it's
        both in his best interest and trivially easy to do so.

    If Microchip were to allow others to use their VID, and set up
    some sort of registration database to try to keep track of which
    PIDs were being used, I bet we'd have clashing VID/PIDs out in
    the marketplace within 6 months.

    And... Where would the manufacturers of these USB devices go for
    compliance testing?  Just as all RF devices need to pass FCC
    tests (in the States) and all mains-powered devices need to pass
    UL tests, all USB devices must pass USBIF compliance tests. The
    $2500 yearly USBIF membership includes free testing and
    re-testing of as many devices as you can carry to the frequent
    plugfests; if you're not a member, you can have the testing
    performed by an independent testing firm, but that will cost MORE
    than $2500 -- PER DEVICE.

> this [subletting of Vendor IDs] is what is done in the PCI world I
> believe.

    Has your user experience with all PCI cards been perfect?  Mine
    hasn't, and I suspect that it's because lots of those cards are
    manufactured by non-PCISIG members who just sublet someone
    else's PCI Vendor ID and never went through compliance testing.

    -Andy


=== Andrew Warren --- aiw@cypress.com
=== IPD Systems Engineering, CYSD
=== Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
===
=== Opinions expressed above do not
=== necessarily represent those of
=== Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList
mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu