Table of FT232RL signals used/relevant to open source programming and serial communication projects

This table has been inspired by MichaelZ's FT232R programmer notes table on the Dangerous Prototypes board it's an e!tension sho"ing all rele#ant signals o$
the FT232R used %
FT232RL pin number
Application/MC
famil! "pin#/Mode
$ % 3 $$ 2 & $' ( 23 22 $3 $) $2 Comment
FT232R generic ART
pin name
T*+ R*+ RT, CT, +TR +,R +C+ R- C.,'
T*L/+0
C.,$
R*L/+0
C.,2
T*+/1
C.,3
23R/10
C.,)
,L//20
4CC/4,.% 2&
3534% '(
4CC-6% )
71+% (* '+* 2'*
2,* 2-
FT232 .it8bang +., +' +$ +2 +3 +) +% +( +9 88 88 88 88 88
FT232 .it8bang C., .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. C' C$ C2 C3 C)
,par:fun FT232RL
.rea:out .oard
pin/jumper
'/0P2
1
2/0P3
,/0P2
1
3/0P3
3/0P2 -/0P' 2/0P2 +/0P2 2/0P2 -/0P2 2/0P2
34D'
T534D
3/0P'
34D2
R534D
+/0P' 2/0P' (/0P'
4CC/4,.%
)/0P'
3534% ,/0P'*
'/0P3
4CC-6% )/0P2
71+% '/0P'*
(/0P2* )/0P3
2-C8-C,2 ";# 8 .. P6D P67 8PP.9
:::
8PP.3
:::
8T;R64T
:::
A4R++/ 8 ..
Arduino -C,2
$
<eader
M<=> M>=< =7? R4=4T
4CC/4,.% ,8
71+% 6@D
A4R++/ 8 ..
A4R8-,2
Aall supported ;8Rs "ith <=P
inter$aceB
M<=> M>=< =7? R4=4T
8T;R64T
:::
4CC/4,.% ,8
71+% 6@D
7oodF/T = ART;
T- M,2)3'
P'C'/T;&
A'3B
P2C2/T;&
A22B
Aall M=P)3& supporting
D;RT E=3 . see
=3;D3'2Cpd$ $or detailsB
Logic,<ar: 8 ..
Lattice ispL,-2'32
C2L+ Aoriginal implemen.
tation uses =parF$un
FT232R3 breaFout boardB
M>D4 n<=P4@ =D> =D< =73?
4CC-6% ,8
71+% 6@D
G Hhene#er an <7=P header is mentioned in connection "ith programming ;rduinos or ;8Rs it denotes the <7=P header on some o$ the ne"er ;rduino boards 9o"er* the name <7=P header is
con$using and "rong as it is in $act a direct connection to the ;8R.<=P inter$ace o$ the rele#ant ;8R M7D and has absolutely nothing to do "ith Microchips <7=P inter$aceC
T<e idea be<ind t<e FT232R based >-ne?pensive Multi8C<ip 2rogrammer@ Ano name assigned yetB
3o".cost and D<I programmers $or M7Ds pre$erred by hobbyists ha#e been around $or some time Aactually it all started "ith D<I programmers $or 4PR>Ms liFe the
2('- some 3& years agoBC For a long time a #ersatile programmer that can propgram the most commonly used M7D $amilies* memory chips and A7BP3Ds but "ill
cost close to nothing has been the $antasy o$ many de#elopersC =ilicon manu$acturers ha#e started introducing programmers/debuggers $or around D=J , lately but
they support one speci$ic $amily and in most cases only a range o$ M7Ds "ithin a $amily onlyC Most open source lo".cost programmers are aimed at one $amily o$
M7Ds only e!amples are D=Etiny 1 D=Etiny<=P A1 othersB K =parF$un's PocFet ;8R Programmer* $or certain ;8Rs only L 0DM* Tait* usbpicprog* P<7Fit 2 and
<7D2 clones A1 othersB* $or certain P<7s onlyC
=earching the internet and looFing at #arious proMects that incorporate FTD<'s FT232RA3B D=E.D;RT chip "e $ound Nuite a $e" designs that maFe use o$ the
FT232R $or programming onboard de#ices maybe the best Fno"n e!ample is the sel$.programming capability $or ;rduinos #ia the on.board FT232 Aor a FTD<
D=E/TT3 cable or breaFout boardB and the so called <7=P header "ith a#rdudeC ;t some point during the >3= proMect A>pen Eench 3ogic =ni$$erB "e ran into a
situation demanding an updgrade o$ the $irm"are in the P<7'+F2)0,& that is used as a D=E O D;RT/=P< bridge in the >3= designC =ome >3= boards had shipped
"ithout a bootloader by error and there seemed to be no "ay $or the users to get the ne" $irm"are onto the boards unless they had a P<7 or "ould return their
boards $or an upgradeC Many o$ the a$$ected users told us that they had a Eus Pirate and suggested using the Pus Eirate's Eit.bang mode $or programming the
P<7'+F2)0,&C The Eus Pirate P<7 programmer "as born* maFing use o$ the Eit.bang mode implemented in the Eus Pirate's P<72)0-)6;&&2 $irm"areC ;$ter
o#ercoming some rather nasty inconsistencies in Microchips P<7'+F25055/)5055 F;M<3I Flash Microcontroller Programming =peci$ication Eus Pirate P<7
programmer $inally "orFed $or the P<7'+F2)0,&C
=o $ar* so good CCC "hile $iddling around "ith the >3= upgrade* rhyde said "aitP* the Eus Pirate has a Eit.bang capable FT232R* so "hy not use the FT232R instead
o$ the P<72)F-)6;&&2 $or Eit.banging P<7s: Too bad* the FT232R's signals are not easily accessible Ano headerB on the Eus Pirate and "e Fno" o$ no open
source P<7 programming application that maFes use o$ an FT232R A"ell* D3P Designs D3P.F3;=92 D=E.based Flash Programmer/Debugger does but it's not
open sourceBC >n the other side <an and A:::B had re#erse engineered the $lash programming algorithm $or the P<7'+F2)0,& the hard "ay Alogic analyQerB and
implemented it in the Eus Pirate P<7 programmer so adding FT232R Eit.banging to the Eus Pirate P<7 programmer seemed liFe a logical ne!t step L nothing ne"
e!cept $or the still missing real lo".cost FT232R based multichip programming adapter L so here "e goC
<penguin . ;ugust -* 2&'& $irst dra$t L tbc