>I keep running into the same problem whenever I use someone's
>USB to serial converter:
>
>All chips, even "identical" chips from same manufactuer / lot,
>have a unique *SERIAL NUMBER*.
>
>All the drivers check for *SERIAL NUMBER* as well as USB CID.
>
>If it sees a different *SERIAL NUMBER*, it insists on installing yet
>another driver for the "new hardware".
>
>So, if you ever need to use a different "identical" piece of hardware,
>drivers must be installed.
>
>If the driver installation messes up, that particular piece of "identical"
>hardware can *NEVER* be used on that system, because of the bad
>driver (the "driver remove" option never seems to work...)
>
>And, if you need to test, say 100 (or 1000...) pieces before they leave
>the factory, *YOU NEED TO INSTALL THE DRIVER FOR EVERY UNIT
>YOU TEST*
>
>Does anyone know who makes USB to serial chips without this
>stupidity?
>

I run into this with FTDI chips. They in fact added the unique serial 
number as a "feature". The PC I use for programming them has over a 
hundred COM ports so far. I am not sure when Windows will run out ;-)
AFAIK you can program them with the same serial number, but in order 
to program them, you have to plug them in, and Windows needs to 
install the driver...

One solution would be to write a programmer for the Mac; it doesn't 
install a new driver for each device. It is smart enough to realize 
the existing driver works OK. Hmm.. since the direct drivers are now 
out for the Mac, that's a possibility...     I wonder if the same is 
true for lunix also.

-- 

---
Chris Smolinski
Black Cat Systems
http://www.blackcatsystems.com
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