whic ih good CP2102 vs PL-2303 vs FT232

Thread Starter

embpic

Joined May 29, 2013
189
which usb to serial is good and easy to use. I have PL-2303 and ft232rl and CP2102. I am getting trouble while using ready made usb to serial cable bcoz of there availability
and price also.So which one is good and if know other option please suggest.
I read the previous thread from forum but not get cleared.
 

ActivePower

Joined Mar 15, 2012
155
Each has its own pros and cons. You would need to weigh ease-of-use vs cost for making your choice.

The PL2303 is the cheapest of them all. There are a number of 'clone' (fake) Chinese adapters doing the rounds with terrible drivers which fail within weeks to better ones which last longer. Driver support, however, is questionable (source: forum posts across the internet).

The CP21xx is cheaper and has much better drivers than the PL2xxx chips. Availability isn't great though. Driver support has improved over the years but still lacking compared to FT chips.
Here it is Sparkfun

When you're looking for reliable performance and great driver support, FT chips are surely the way to go. They are a tad costly for sure but generally available everywhere - either as breakout boards or as FTDI cables (with a 6-pin female headers).

IMO, if you are willing to shell out a few bucks, getting an FTDI board is your best, no-headache option (but then, I do have a PL2xxx cable lying around which hasn't failed me so far :)).
 
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