FT2232L Dual USB UART / FIFO I.C.
1.2
General Description
The FT2232L is a USB interface which incorporates the functionallity of two of FTDI’s second generation BM chips
into a single device. A single downstream USB port is converted to two IO channels which can each be individually
configured as a FT232BM-style UART interface, or a FT245BM-style FIFO interface, without the need to add a
USB hub. There are also several new special modes which are either enabled in the external EEPROM, or by using
driver commands. These include Synchronous Bit-Bang Mode, a CPU-Style FIFO Interface Mode, a Multi-Protocol
Synchronous Serial Engine Interface Mode, MCU Host Bus Emulation Mode, and Fast Opto-Isolated Serial Interface
Mode. In addition a new high drive level option means that the device UART / FIFO IO pins will drive out at around
three times the normal power level, meaning that the bus can be shared by several devices. Classic BM-style
Asynchronous Bit-Bang Mode is also supported, but has been enhanced to give the user access to the device’s
internal RD# and WR# strobes.
FTDI provide a royalty free Virtual Com Port (V.C.P) driver that makes the peripheral ports look like a standard COM
port to the PC. Most existing software applications should be able interface with the Virtual Com Port simply by
reconfiguring them to use the new ports created by the driver. Using the VCP drivers an application programmer would
communicate with the device in exactly the same way as they would a regular PC COM port - using the Windows
VCOMM API calls or a COM port library. The FT2232L driver also incorporates the functions defined for FTDI’s D2XX
drivers, allowing applications programmers to interface software directly to the device using a Windows DLL. Details of
the driver and the programming interface can be found on FTDI’s website at
DS2232L Version 1.4
© Future Technology Devices International Ltd. 2005 Page 2 of 51
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