• Fully integrated AVCC supply filtering - No separate
AVCC pin and no external R-C filter required.
• UART signal inversion option.
• USB bulk transfer mode.
• 3.3V to 5.25V Single Supply Operation.
• Low operating and USB suspend current.
• Low USB bandwidth consumption.
• UHCI / OHCI / EHCI host controller compatible
• USB 2.0 Full Speed compatible.
• -40°C to 85°C extended operating temperature
range.
• Available in compact Pb-free 28 Pin SSOP and
QFN-32 packages (both RoHS compliant).
1.2 Driver Support
Royalty-Free VIRTUAL COM PORT
(VCP) DRIVERS for...
• Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, Server 2003, XP.
• Windows Vista / Longhorn*
• Windows XP 64-bit.*
• Windows XP Embedded.
• Windows CE.NET 4.2 & 5.0
• MAC OS 8 / 9, OS-X
• Linux 2.4 and greater
The drivers listed above are all available to download for free from the FTDI website. Various 3rd Party Drivers are
also available for various other operating systems - see the FTDI website for details.
* Currently Under Development. Contact FTDI for availability.
Royalty-Free D2XX Direct Drivers
(USB Drivers + DLL S/W Interface)
• Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, Server 2003, XP.
• Windows Vista / Longhorn*
• Windows XP 64-bit.*
• Windows XP Embedded.
• Windows CE.NET 4.2 & 5.0
• Linux 2.4 and greater
1.3 Typical Applications
• USB to RS232 / RS422 / RS485 Converters
• Upgrading Legacy Peripherals to USB
• Cellular and Cordless Phone USB data transfer
cables and interfaces
•Interfacing MCU / PLD / FPGA based designs to
USB
This section summarises the enhancements and the key features of the FT232R device. For further details, consult
the device pin-out description and functional description sections.
Integrated Clock Circuit - Previous generations of FTDI’s USB UART devices required an external crystal or ceramic
resonator. The clock circuit has now been integrated onto the device meaning that no crystal or ceramic resonator is
required. However, if required, an external 12MHz crystal can be used as the clock source.
Integrated EEPROM - Previous generations of FTDI’s USB UART devices required an external EEPROM if the
device were to use USB Vendor ID (VID), Product ID (PID), serial number and product description strings other than
the default values in the device itself. This external EEPROM has now been integrated onto the FT232R chip meaning
that all designs have the option to change the product description strings. A user area of the internal EEPROM is
available for storing additional data. The internal EEPROM is programmable in circuit, over USB without any additional
voltage requirement.
Preprogrammed EEPROM - The FT232R is supplied with its internal EEPROM preprogrammed with a serial number
which is unique to each individual device. This, in most cases, will remove the need to program the device EEPROM.
Integrated USB Resistors - Previous generations of FTDI’s USB UART devices required two external series resistors
on the USBDP and USBDM lines, and a 1.5 kΩ pull up resistor on USBDP. These three resistors have now been
integrated onto the device.
Integrated AVCC Filtering - Previous generations of FTDI’s USB UART devices had a separate AVCC pin - the
supply to the internal PLL. This pin required an external R-C filter. The separate AVCC pin is now connected internally
to VCC, and the filter has now been integrated onto the chip.
Less External Components - Integration of the crystal, EEPROM, USB resistors, and AVCC filter will substantially
reduce the bill of materials cost for USB interface designs using the FT232R compared to its FT232BM predecessor.
Transmit and Receive Buffer Smoothing - The FT232R’s 256 byte receive buffer and 128 byte transmit buffer utilise
new buffer smoothing technology to allow for high data throughput.
Configurable CBUS I/O Pin Options - There are now 5 configurable Control Bus (CBUS) lines. Options are TXDEN
- transmit enable for RS485 designs, PWREN# - Power control for high power, bus powered designs, TXLED# - for
pulsing an LED upon transmission of data, RXLED# - for pulsing an LED upon receiving data, TX&RXLED# - which
will pulse an LED upon transmission OR reception of data, SLEEP# - indicates that the device going into USB
suspend mode, CLK48 / CLK24 / CLK12 / CLK6 - 48MHz, 24MHz,12MHz, and 6MHz clock output signal options.
There is also the option to bring out bit bang mode read and write strobes (see below). The CBUS lines can be
configured with any one of these output options by setting bits in the internal EEPROM. The device is supplied with
the most commonly used pin definitions preprogrammed - see Section 10 for details.
Enhanced Asynchronous Bit Bang Mode with RD# and WR# Strobes - The FT232R supports FTDI’s BM chip
bit bang mode. In bit bang mode, the eight UART lines can be switched from the regular interface mode to an 8-bit
general purpose I/O port. Data packets can be sent to the device and they will be sequentially sent to the interface
at a rate controlled by an internal timer (equivalent to the baud rate prescaler). With the FT232R device this mode
has been enhanced so that the internal RD# and WR# strobes are now brought out of the device which can be used
to allow external logic to be clocked by accesses to the bit bang I/O bus. This option will be described more fully in a
separate application note.
Synchronous Bit Bang Mode - Synchronous bit bang mode differs from asynchronous bit bang mode in that the
interface pins are only read when the device is written to. Thus making it easier for the controlling program to measure
the response to an output stimulus as the data returned is synchronous to the output data. The feature was previously
seen in FTDI’s FT2232C device. This option will be described more fully in a separate application note.
CBUS Bit Bang Mode - This mode allows four of the CBUS pins to be individually configured as GPIO pins, similar
to Asynchronous bit bang mode. It is possible to use this mode while the UART interface is being used, thus providing
up to four general purpose I/O pins which are available during normal operation. An application note describing this
feature is available separately from the FTDI website.
Lower Supply Voltage - Previous generations of the chip required 5V supply on the VCC pin. The FT232R will work
with a Vcc supply in the range 3.3V - 5.25V. Bus powered designs would still take their supply from the 5V on the USB
bus, but for self powered designs where only 3.3V is available and there is no 5V supply there is no longer any need
for an additional external regulator.
Integrated Level Converter on UART Interface and Control Signals - VCCIO pin supply can be from 1.8V to 5V.
Connecting the VCCIO pin to 1.8V, 2.8V, or 3.3V allows the device to directly interface to 1.8V, 2.8V or 3.3V and other
logic families without the need for external level converter I.C. devices.
Integrated Power-On-Reset (POR) Circuit- The device incorporates an internal POR function. A RESET# pin is
available in order to allow external logic to reset the FT232R where required. However, for many applications the
RESET# pin can be left unconnected, or pulled up to VCCIO.
Lower Operating and Suspend Current - The device operating supply current has been further reduced to 15mA,
and the suspend current has been reduced to around 70μA. This allows greater margin for peripheral designs to meet
the USB suspend current limit of 500μA.
Low USB Bandwidth Consumption - The operation of the USB interface to the FT232R has been designed to use
as little as possible of the total USB bandwidth available from the USB host controller.
High Output Drive Option - The UART interface and CBUS I/O pins can be made to drive out at three times the
standard signal drive level thus allowing multiple devices to be driven, or devices that require a greater signal drive
strength to be interfaced to the FT232R. This option is enabled in the internal EEPROM.
Power Management Control for USB Bus Powered, High Current Designs- The PWREN# signal can be used to
directly drive a transistor or P-Channel MOSFET in applications where power switching of external circuitry is required.
An option in the internal EEPROM makes the device gently pull down on its UART interface lines when the power
is shut off (PWREN# is high). In this mode any residual voltage on external circuitry is bled to GND when power is
removed, thus ensuring that external circuitry controlled by PWREN# resets reliably when power is restored.
UART Pin Signal Inversion - The sense of each of the eight UART signals can be individually inverted by setting
options in the internal EEPROM. Thus, CTS# (active low) can be changed to CTS (active high), or TXD can be
changed to TXD#.
FTDIChip-ID™ - Each FT232R is assigned a unique number which is burnt into the device at manufacture. This ID
number cannot be reprogrammed by product manufacturers or end-users. This allows the possibility of using FT232R
based dongles for software licensing. Further to this, a renewable license scheme can be implemented based on the
FTDIChip-ID™ number when encrypted with other information. This encrypted number can be stored in the user area
of the FT232R internal EEPROM, and can be decrypted, then compared with the protected FTDIChip-ID™ to verify
that a license is valid. Web based applications can be used to maintain product licensing this way. An application note
describing this feature is available separately from the FTDI website.
Improved EMI Performance - The reduced operating current and improved on-chip VCC decoupling significantly
improves the ease of PCB design requirements in order to meet FCC, CE and other EMI related specifications.
Programmable Receive Buffer Timeout - The receive buffer timeout is used to flush remaining data from the
receive buffer. This time defaults to 16ms, but is programmable over USB in 1ms increments from 1ms to 255ms, thus
allowing the device to be optimised for protocols that require fast response times from short data packets.
Extended Operating Temperature Range - The FT232R operates over an extended temperature range of -40º to
+85º C thus allowing the device to be used in automotive and industrial applications.
New Package Options - The FT232R is available in two packages - a compact 28 pin SSOP ( FT232RL) and an
ultra-compact 5mm x 5mm pinless QFN-32 package ( FT232RQ). Both packages are lead ( Pb ) free, and use a
‘green’ compound. Both packages are fully compliant with European Union directive 2002/95/EC.
3.3V LDO Regulator - The 3.3V LDO Regulator generates the 3.3V reference voltage for driving the USB transceiver
cell output buffers. It requires an external decoupling capacitor to be attached to the 3V3OUT regulator output pin. It
also provides 3.3V power to the 1.5kΩ internal pull up resistor on USBDP. The main function of this block is to power
the USB Transceiver and the Reset Generator Cells rather than to power external logic. However, external circuitry
requiring a 3.3V nominal supply at a current of around than 50mA could also draw its power from the 3V3OUT pin, if
required.
USB Transceiver - The USB Transceiver Cell provides the USB 1.1 / USB 2.0 full-speed physical interface to the USB
cable. The output drivers provide 3.3V level slew rate control signalling, whilst a differential receiver and two single
ended receivers provide USB data in, SEO and USB Reset condition detection. This Cell also incorporates internal
USB series resistors on the USB data lines, and a 1.5kΩ pull up resistor on USBDP.
USB DPLL - The USB DPLL cell locks on to the incoming NRZI USB data and provides separate recovered clock and
data signals to the SIE block.
Internal 12MHz Oscillator - The Internal 12MHz Oscillator cell generates a 12MHz reference clock input to the x4
Clock multiplier. The 12MHz Oscillator is also used as the reference clock for the SIE, USB Protocol Engine and
UART FIFO controller blocks
Clock Multiplier / Divider - The Clock Multiplier / Divider takes the 12MHz input from the Oscillator Cell and
generates the 48MHz, 24MHz, 12MHz, and 6MHz reference clock signals. The 48Mz clock reference is used for the
USB DPLL and the Baud Rate Generator blocks.
Serial Interface Engine (SIE) - The Serial Interface Engine (SIE) block performs the Parallel to Serial and Serial to
Parallel conversion of the USB data. In accordance to the USB 2.0 specification, it performs bit stuffing / un-stuffing
and CRC5 / CRC16 generation / checking on the USB data stream.
USB Protocol Engine - The USB Protocol Engine manages the data stream from the device USB control endpoint. It
handles the low level USB protocol (Chapter 9) requests generated by the USB host controller and the commands for
controlling the functional parameters of the UART.
FIFO TX Buffer (128 bytes) - Data from the USB data out endpoint is stored in the FIFO TX buffer and removed from
the buffer to the UART transmit register under control of the UART FIFO controller.
FIFO RX Buffer (256 bytes) - Data from the UART receive register is stored in the FIFO RX buffer prior to being
removed by the SIE on a USB request for data from the device data in endpoint.
UART FIFO Controller - The UART FIFO controller handles the transfer of data between the FIFO RX and TX buffers
and the UART transmit and receive registers.
UART Controller with Programmable Signal Inversion and High Drive - Together with the UART FIFO Controller
the UART Controller handles the transfer of data between the FIFO RX and FIFO TX buffers and the UART transmit
and receive registers. It performs asynchronous 7 / 8 bit Parallel to Serial and Serial to Parallel conversion of the
data on the RS232 (RS422 and RS485) interface. Control signals supported by UART mode include RTS, CTS,
DSR , DTR, DCD and RI. The UART Controller also provides a transmitter enable control signal pin option (TXDEN)
to assist with interfacing to RS485 transceivers. RTS / CTS, DSR / DTR and X-On / X-Off handshaking options are
also supported. Handshaking, where required, is handled in hardware to ensure fast response times. The UART also
supports the RS232 BREAK setting and detection conditions. A new feature, programmable in the internal EEPROM
allows the UART signals to each be individually inverted. Another new EEPROM programmable feature allows a high
signal drive strength to be enabled on the UART interface and CBUS pins.
Baud Rate Generator - The Baud Rate Generator provides a x16 clock input to the UART Controller from the 48MHz
reference clock and consists of a 14 bit prescaler and 3 register bits which provide fine tuning of the baud rate
(used to divide by a number plus a fraction or “sub-integer”). This determines the Baud Rate of the UART, which is
programmable from 183 baud to 3 million baud.
The FT232R supports all standard baud rates and non-standard baud rates from 300 Baud up to 3 Megabaud.
Achievable non-standard baud rates are calculated as follows -
Baud Rate = 3000000 / (n + x)
where n can be any integer between 2 and 16,384 ( = 214 ) and x can be a sub-integer of the value 0, 0.125, 0.25,
0.375, 0.5, 0.625, 0.75, or 0.875. When n = 1, x = 0, i.e. baud rate divisors with values between 1 and 2 are not
possible.
This gives achievable baud rates in the range 183.1 baud to 3,000,000 baud. When a non-standard baud rate is
required simply pass the required baud rate value to the driver as normal, and the FTDI driver will calculate the
required divisor, and set the baud rate. See FTDI application note AN232B-05 for more details.
RESET Generator - The integrated Reset Generator Cell provides a reliable power-on reset to the device internal
circuitry on power up. A RESET# input pin is provided to allow other devices to reset the FT232R. RESET# can be
tied to VCCIO or left unconnected, unless it is a requirement to reset the device from external logic or an external
reset generator I.C.
Internal EEPROM - The internal EEPROM in the FT232R can be used to store USB Vendor ID (VID), Product ID
(PID), device serial number, product description string, and various other USB configuration descriptors. The internal
EEPROM is also used to configure the CBUS pin functions. The device is supplied with the internal EEPROM settings
preprogrammed as described in Section 10.
15USBDPI/OUSB Data Signal Plus, incorporating internal series resistor and 1.5kΩ pull up resistor to 3.3V
16USBDMI/OUSB Data Signal Minus, incorporating internal series resistor.
Power and Ground Group
4VCCIOPWR+1.8V to +5.25V supply to the UART Interface and CBUS group pins (1...3, 5, 6, 9...14, 22, 23). In USB bus
powered designs connect to 3V3OUT to drive out at 3.3V levels, or connect to VCC to drive out at 5V CMOS
level. This pin can also be supplied with an external 1.8V - 2.8V supply in order to drive out at lower levels. It
should be noted that in this case this supply should originate from the same source as the supply to Vcc. This
means that in bus powered designs a regulator which is supplied by the 5V on the USB bus should be used.
7, 18, 21GNDPWRDevice ground supply pins
173V3OUTOutput 3.3V output from integrated L.D.O. regulator. This pin should be decoupled to ground using a 100nF capacitor.
The prime purpose of this pin is to provide the internal 3.3V supply to the USB transceiver cell and the internal
1.5kΩ pull up resistor on USBDP. Up to 50mA can be drawn from this pin to power external logic if required.
This pin can also be used to supply the FT232R’s VCCIO pin.
20VCCPWR3.3V to 5.25V supply to the device core.
25AGNDPWRDevice analog ground supply for internal clock multiplier
Miscellaneous Signal Group
8, 24NCNCNo internal connection.
19RESET#InputCan be used by an external device to reset the FT232R. If not required can be left unconnected, or pulled up
to VCCIO.
26TESTInputPuts the device into I.C. test mode. Must be tied to GND for normal operation.
27OSCIInputInput to 12MHz Oscillator Cell. Optional - Can be left unconnected for normal operation. *
28OSCOOutput Output from 12MHz Oscillator Cell. Optional - Can be left unconnected for normal operation if internal oscilla-
tor is used. *
UART Interface and CBUS Group **
1TXDOutput Transmit Asynchronous Data Output.
2DTR#Output Data Terminal Ready Control Output / Handshake signal.
3RTS#Output Request To Send Control Output / Handshake signal.
5RXDInputReceive Asynchronous Data Input.
6RI#InputRing Indicator Control Input. When remote wake up is enabled in the internal EEPROM taking RI# low can be
used to resume the PC USB host controller from suspend.
9DSR#InputData Set Ready Control Input / Handshake signal.
10DCD#InputData Carrier Detect Control input.
11CTS#InputClear to Send Control input / Handshake signal.
12CBUS4I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
function is SLEEP#. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
13CBUS2I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
function is TXDEN. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
14CBUS3I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
function is PWREN#. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
22CBUS1I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
function is RXLED#. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
23CBUS0I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
function is TXLED#. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
* Contact FTDI technical support for details on how to use an external crystal, ceramic resonator, or oscillator with the
FT232R.
** When used in Input Mode, these pins are pulled to VCCIO via internal 200kΩ resistors. These pins can be
programmed to gently pull low during USB suspend ( PWREN# = “1” ) by setting an option in the internal EEPROM.
14USBDPI/OUSB Data Signal Plus, incorporating internal series resistor and 1.5kΩ pull up resistor to 3.3V
15USBDMI/OUSB Data Signal Minus, incorporating internal series resistor.
Power and Ground Group
1VCCIOPWR+1.8V to +5.25V supply to UART Interface and CBUS group pins (2,3, 6, ...,11, 21, 22, 30,..32). In USB bus
powered designs connect to 3V3OUT to drive out at 3.3V levels, or connect to VCC to drive out at 5V CMOS
level. This pin can also be supplied with an external 1.8V - 2.8V supply in order to drive out at lower levels. It
should be noted that in this case this supply should originate from the same source as the supply to Vcc. This
means that in bus powered designs a regulator which is supplied by the 5V on the USB bus should be used.
4, 17, 20GNDPWRDevice ground supply pins
163V3OUTOutput 3.3V output from integrated L.D.O. regulator. This pin should be decoupled to ground using a 100nF capacitor.
The prime purpose of this pin is to provide the internal 3.3V supply to the USB transceiver cell and the internal
1.5kΩ pull up resistor on USBDP. Up to 50mA can be drawn from this pin to power external logic if required.
This pin can also be used to supply the FT232R’s VCCIO pin.
19VCCPWR3.3V to 5.25V supply to the device core.
24AGNDPWRDevice analog ground supply for internal clock multiplier
Miscellaneous Signal Group
5, 12, 13,
23, 25, 29
18RESET#InputCan be used by an external device to reset the FT232R. If not required can be left unconnected or pulled up
26TESTInputPuts the device into I.C. test mode. Must be tied to GND for normal operation.
27OSCIInputInput to 12MHz Oscillator Cell. Optional - Can be left unconnected for normal operation. *
28OSCOOutput Output from 12MHz Oscillator Cell. Optional - Can be left unconnected for normal operation if internal oscilla-
UART Interface and CBUS Group **
30TXDOutput Transmit Asynchronous Data Output.
31DTR#Output Data Terminal Ready Control Output / Handshake signal.
32RTS#Output Request To Send Control Output / Handshake signal.
2RXDInputReceive Asynchronous Data Input.
3RI#InputRing Indicator Control Input. When remote wake up is enabled in the internal EEPROM taking RI# low can be
6DSR#InputData Set Ready Control Input / Handshake signal.
7DCD#InputData Carrier Detect Control input.
8CTS#InputClear to Send Control input / Handshake signal.
9CBUS4I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
10CBUS2I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
11CBUS3I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
21CBUS1I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
22CBUS0I/OConfigurable CBUS I/O Pin. Function of this pin is configured in the device internal EEPROM. Factory Default
NCNCNo internal connection.
to VCCIO.
tor is used. *
used to resume the PC USB host controller from suspend.
function is SLEEP#. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
function is TXDEN. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
function is PWREN#. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
function is RXLED#. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
function is TXLED#. See CBUS Signal Options, Table 3.
* Contact FTDI technical support for details on how to use an external crystal, ceramic resonator, or oscillator with the
FT232R.
** When used in Input Mode, these pins are pulled to VCCIO via internal 200kΩ resistors. These pins can be
programmed to gently pull low during USB suspend ( PWREN# = “1” ) by setting an option in the internal EEPROM.
The following options can be configured on the CBUS I/O pins. CBUS signal options are common to both package
versions of the FT232R. These options are all configured in the internal EEPROM using the utility software MPROG,
which can be downloaded from the FTDI website. The default configuration is described in Section 10.
Table 3 - CBUS Signal Options
CBUS Signal Option Available On CBUS Pin...Description
TXDENCBUS0, CBUS1, CBUS2, CBUS3, CBUS4Enable transmit data for RS485
PWREN#CBUS0, CBUS1, CBUS2, CBUS3, CBUS4Goes low after the device is configured by USB, then high during
USB suspend. Can be used to control power to external logic PChannel logic level MOSFET switch. Enable the interface pull-down
option when using the PWREN# pin in this way.
TXLED#CBUS0, CBUS1, CBUS2, CBUS3, CBUS4Transmit data LED drive - pulses low when transmitting data via
USB. See Section 9 for more details.
RXLED#CBUS0, CBUS1, CBUS2, CBUS3, CBUS4Receive data LED drive - pulses low when receiving data via USB.
See Section 9 for more details.
TX&RXLED#CBUS0, CBUS1, CBUS2, CBUS3, CBUS4LED drive - pulses low when transmitting or receiving data via
USB. See Section 9 for more details.
SLEEP#CBUS0, CBUS1, CBUS2, CBUS3, CBUS4Goes low during USB suspend mode. Typically used to power down
an external TTL to RS232 level converter I.C. in USB to RS232
converter designs.
CBitBangI/OCBUS0, CBUS1, CBUS2, CBUS3CBUS bit bang mode option. Allows up to 4 of the CBUS pins to be
used as general purpose I/O. Configured individually for CBUS0,
CBUS1, CBUS2 and CBUS3 in the internal EEPROM. A separate
application note will describe in more detail how to use CBUS bit
bang mode.
BitBangWRnCBUS0, CBUS1, CBUS2, CBUS3Synchronous and asynchronous bit bang mode WR# strobe Output
BitBangRDnCBUS0, CBUS1, CBUS2, CBUS3Synchronous and asynchronous bit bang mode RD# strobe Output
The FT232R is supplied in two different packages. The FT232RL is the SSOP-28 option and the FT232RQ is the
QFN-32 package option. The solder reflow profile for both packages is described in Section 5.3.
5.1 SSOP-28 Package Dimensions
Figure 6 - SSOP-28 Package Dimensions
The FT232RL is supplied in a RoHS compliant 28 pin SSOP package. The package is lead ( Pb ) free and uses a
‘green’ compound. The package is fully compliant with European Union directive 2002/95/EC.
This package has a 5.30mm x 10.20mm body ( 7.80mm x 10.20mm including pins ). The pins are on a 0.65 mm pitch.
The above mechanical drawing shows the SSOP-28 package – all dimensions are in millimetres.
The date code format is YYXX where XX = 2 digit week number, YY = 2 digit year number.
The FT232RQ is supplied in a RoHS compliant leadless QFN-32 package. The package is lead ( Pb ) free, and uses
a ‘green’ compound. The package is fully compliant with European Union directive 2002/95/EC.
This package has a compact 5.00mm x 5.00mm body. The solder pads are on a 0.50mm pitch. The above mechanical
drawing shows the QFN-32 package – all dimensions are in millimetres.
The centre pad on the base of the FT232RQ is not internally connected, and can be left unconnected, or connected to
ground (recommended).
The date code format is YYXX where XX = 2 digit week number, YY = 2 digit year number.
The FT232R is supplied in Pb free 28 LD SSOP and QFN-32 packages. The recommended solder reflow profile for
both package options is shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10 - FT232R Solder Reflow Profile
The recommended values for the solder reflow profile are detailed in Table 4. Values are shown for both a completely
Pb free solder process (i.e. the FT232R is used with Pb free solder), and for a non-Pb free solder process (i.e. the
FT232R is used with non-Pb free solder).
Table 4 - Reflow Profile Parameter Values
Profile FeaturePb Free Solder ProcessNon-Pb Free Solder Process
Average Ramp Up Rate (Ts to Tp)3°C / second Max.3°C / Second Max.
Preheat
- Temperature Min (TS Min.)
- Temperature Max (TS Max.)
- Time (tS Min to tS Max)
Time Maintained Above Critical Temperature TL:
- Temperature (TL)
- Time (tL)
Peak Temperature (TP)260°C240°C
Time within 5°C of actual Peak Temperature (tP)20 to 40 seconds20 to 40 seconds
The absolute maximum ratings for the FT232R devices are as follows. These are in accordance with the Absolute
Maximum Rating System (IEC 60134). Exceeding these may cause permanent damage to the device.
Table 5 - Absolute Maximum Ratings
ParameterValueUnit
Storage Temperature-65°C to 150°CDegrees C
Floor Life (Out of Bag) At Factory Ambient
( 30°C / 60% Relative Humidity)
Ambient Temperature (Power Applied)-40°C to 85°CDegrees C.
Vcc Supply Voltage-0.5 to +6.00V
D.C. Input Voltage - USBDP and USBDM-0.5 to +3.8V
D.C. Input Voltage - High Impedance Bidirectionals-0.5 to +(Vcc +0.5)V
D.C. Input Voltage - All other Inputs-0.5 to +(Vcc +0.5)V
D.C. Output Current - Outputs24mA
DC Output Current - Low Impedance Bidirectionals24mA
Power Dissipation (Vcc = 5.25V)500mW
168 Hours
(IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033A MSL
Level 3 Compliant)*
Hours
* If devices are stored out of the packaging beyond this time limit the devices should be baked before use. The
devices should be ramped up to a temperature of 125°C and baked for up to 17 hours.
6.2 DC Characteristics
DC Characteristics ( Ambient Temperature = -40oC to +85oC )
The internal 1024 Bit EEPROM has the following reliability characteristics-
Table 15 - EEPROM Characteristics
Parameter DescriptionValueUnit
Data Retention15Years
Read / Write Cycles100,000Cycles
6.4 Internal Clock Characteristics
The internal Clock Oscillator has the following characteristics.
Table 16 - Internal Clock Characteristics
ParameterValueUnit
MinTypicalMax
Frequency of Operation11.9812.0012.02MHz****
Clock Period83.1983.3383.47ns
Duty Cycle455055%
Page 18
****Equivalent to +/-1667ppm.
Table 17 - OSCI, OSCO Pin Characteristics (Optional - Only applies if external Oscillator is used*****)
ParameterDescriptionMinTypMaxUnitsConditions
VohOutput Voltage High2.8-3.6VFosc = 12MHz
VolOutput Voltage Low0.1-1.0VFosc = 12MHz
VinInput Switching Threshold1.82.53.2V
*****When supplied the device is configured to use its internal clock oscillator. Users who wish to use an external
oscillator or crystal should contact FTDI technical support.
Please note that pin numbers on the FT232R chip in this section have deliberately been left out as they vary between
the FT232RL and FT232RQ versions of the device. All of these configurations apply to both package options for the
FT232R device. Please refer to Section 4 for the package option pin-out and signal descriptions.
7.1 Bus Powered Configuration
Figure 11 - Bus Powered Configuration
Figure 11 illustrates the FT232R in a typical USB bus powered design configuration. A USB Bus Powered device gets
its power from the USB bus. Basic rules for USB Bus power devices are as follows –
i) On plug-in to USB, the device must draw no more than 100mA.
ii) On USB Suspend the device must draw no more than 500μA.
iii) A Bus Powered High Power USB Device (one that draws more than 100mA) should use one of the CBUS pins
configured as PWREN# and use it to keep the current below 100mA on plug-in and 500μA on USB suspend.
iv) A device that consumes more than 100mA can not be plugged into a USB Bus Powered Hub.
v) No device can draw more that 500mA from the USB Bus.
The power descriptor in the internal EEPROM should be programmed to match the current draw of the device.
A Ferrite Bead is connected in series with USB power to prevent noise from the device and associated circuitry (EMI)
being radiated down the USB cable to the Host. The value of the Ferrite Bead depends on the total current required by
the circuit – a suitable range of Ferrite Beads is available from Steward (www.steward.com) for example Steward Part
# MI0805K400R-00.
Figure 12 illustrates the FT232R in a typical USB self powered configuration. A USB Self Powered device gets its
power from its own power supply and does not draw current from the USB bus. The basic rules for USB Self powered
devices are as follows –
i) A Self Powered device should not force current down the USB bus when the USB Host or Hub Controller is
powered down.
ii) A Self Powered Device can use as much current as it likes during normal operation and USB suspend as it has its
own power supply.
iii) A Self Powered Device can be used with any USB Host and both Bus and Self Powered USB Hubs
The power descriptor in the internal EEPROM should be programmed to a value of zero (self powered).
In order to meet requirement (i) the USB Bus Power is used to control the RESET# Pin of the FT232R device. When
the USB Host or Hub is powered up the internal 1.5kΩ resistor on USBDP is pulled up to 3.3V, thus identifying the
device as a full speed device to USB. When the USB Host or Hub power is off, RESET# will go low and the device will
be held in reset. As RESET# is low, the internal 1.5kΩ resistor will not be pulled up to 3.3V, so no current will be forced
down USBDP via the 1.5kΩ pull-up resistor when the host or hub is powered down. Failure to do this may cause some
USB host or hub controllers to power up erratically.
Figure 10 illustrates a self powered design which has a 3.3V - 5V supply. A design which is interfacing to 2.8V - 1.8V
logic would have a 2.8V - 1.8V supply to VCCIO, and a 3.3V - 5V supply to VCC
Note : When the FT232R is in reset, the UART interface pins all go tri-state. These pins have internal 200kΩ pull-up
resistors to VCCIO, so they will gently pull high unless driven by some external logic.
7.3 USB Bus Powered with Power Switching Configuration
FT232R
A
G
N
D
G
N
D
G
N
D
G
N
D
T
E
S
T
100nF
3V3OUT
VCCIO
NC
RESET#
NC
+
100nF
10nF
5V VCC
TXD
RXD
RTS#
CTS#
DTR#
DSR#
DCD#
RI#
CBUS0
CBUS3
CBUS2
CBUS1
USBDP
USBDM
VCC
1
2
3
4
5
OSCI
OSCO
CBUS4
Ferrite
Bead
+
4.7uF
SHIELD
GND
GND
GND
GND
0.1uF
0.1uF
1k
Soft Start
Circuit
d
g
s
Switched 5V Power
to External Logic
5V VCC
P-Channel Power
MOSFET
PWREN#
Page 21
Figure 13 - Bus Powered with Power Switching Configuration
USB Bus powered circuits need to be able to power down in USB suspend mode in order to meet the <= 500μA
total USB suspend current requirement (including external logic). Some external logic can power itself down into a
low current state by monitoring the PWREN# signal. For external logic that cannot power itself down in this way, the
FT232R provides a simple but effective way of turning off power to external circuitry during USB suspend.
Figure 13 shows how to use a discrete P-Channel Logic Level MOSFET to control the power to external logic circuits.
A suitable device would be an International Rectifier (www.irf.com) IRLML6402, or equivalent. It is recommended that
a “soft start” circuit consisting of a 1kΩ series resistor and a 0.1μF capacitor are used to limit the current surge when
the MOSFET turns on. Without the soft start circuit there is a danger that the transient power surge of the MOSFET
turning on will reset the FT232R, or the USB host / hub controller. The values used here allow attached circuitry to
power up with a slew rate of ~12.5V per millisecond, in other words the output voltage will transition from GND to 5V in
approximately 400 microseconds.
Alternatively, a dedicated power switch I.C. with inbuilt “soft-start” can be used instead of a MOSFET. A suitable power
switch I.C. for such an application would be a Micrel (www.micrel.com) MIC2025-2BM or equivalent.
Please note the following points in connection with power controlled designs –
i) The logic to be controlled must have its own reset circuitry so that it will automatically reset itself when power is re-
applied on coming out of suspend.
ii) Set the Pull-down on Suspend option in the internal EEPROM.
iii) One of the CBUS Pins should be configured as PWREN# in the internal EEPROM, and should be used to switch
the power supply to the external circuitry..
iv) For USB high-power bus powered device (one that consumes greater than 100mA, and up to 500mA of current
from the USB bus), the power consumption of the device should be set in the max power field in the internal
EEPROM. A high-power bus powered device must use this descriptor in the internal EEPROM to inform the
system of its power requirements.
v) For 3.3V power controlled circuits the VCCIO pin must not be powered down with the external circuitry (the
PWREN# signal gets its VCC supply from VCCIO). Either connect the power switch between the output of the
3.3V regulator and the external 3.3V logic or power VCCIO from the 3V3OUT pin of the FT232R.
7.4 USB Bus Powered with 3.3V / 5V Supply and Logic Drive / IO Supply Voltage
FT232R
A
G
N
D
G
N
D
G
N
D
G
N
D
T
E
S
T
100nF
3V3OUT
VCCIO
NC
RESET#
NC
10nF
TXD
RXD
RTS#
CTS#
DTR#
DSR#
DCD#
RI#
CBUS0
CBUS3
CBUS2
CBUS1
USBDP
USBDM
VCC
1
2
3
4
5
OSCI
OSCO
CBUS4
Ferrite
Bead
+
SHIELD
GND
GND
GND
3.3V or 5V Supply
to External Logic
100nF
+
100nF
Vcc
4.7uF
GND
1
Jumper
SLEEP#
PWREN#
2
3
Vcc
Page 22
Figure 14 - Bus Powered with 3.3V / 5V Supply and Logic Drive
Figure 14 shows a configuration where a jumper switch is used to allow the FT232R to be interfaced with a 3.3V or
5V logic devices. The VCCIO pin is either supplied with 5V from the USB bus, or with 3.3V from the 3V3OUT pin. The
supply to VCCIO is also used to supply external logic.
Please note the following in relation to bus powered designs of this type -
i) PWREN# or SLEEP# signals should be used to power down external logic during USB suspend mode, in order to
comply with the limit of 500μA. If this is not possible, use the configuration shown in Section 7.3.
ii) The maximum current source from USB Bus during normal operation should not exceed 100mA, otherwise a bus
powered design with power switching (Section 7.3) should be used.
Another possible configuration would be to use a discrete low dropout regulator which is supplied by the 5V on the
USB bus to supply 2.8V - 1.8V to the VCCIO pin and to the external logic. VCC would be supplied with the 5V from
the USB bus. With VCCIO connected to the output of the low dropout regulator, would in turn will cause the FT232R
I/O pins to drive out at 2.8V - 1.8V logic levels.
For USB bus powered circuits some considerations have to be taken into account when selecting the regulator –
iii) The regulator must be capable of sustaining its output voltage with an input voltage of 4.35V. A Low Drop Out
(L.D.O.) regulator must be selected.
iv) The quiescent current of the regulator must be low in order to meet the USB suspend total current requirement of
<= 500μA during USB suspend.
An example of a regulator family that meets these requirements is the MicroChip / Telcom TC55 Series of devices
(www.microchip.com). These devices can supply up to 250mA current and have a quiescent current of under 1μA.
As in the Device Configurations section, please note that pin numbers on the FT232R chip in this section have
deliberately been left out as they vary between the FT232RL and FT232RQ versions of the device. All of these
configurations apply to both package options for the FT232R device. Please refer to Section 4 for the package option
pin-out and signal descriptions.
8.1 USB to RS232 Converter Configuration
Figure 15 - Example USB to RS232 Converter Configuration
Figure 15 illustrates how to connect an FT232R as a USB to RS232 converter. A TTL – RS232 Level Converter I.C. is
used on the serial UART of the FT232R to make the RS232 level conversion. This, for example can be done using the
popular “213” series of TTL to RS232 level converters. These devices have 4 transmitters and 5 receivers in a 28-LD
SSOP package and feature an in-built voltage converter to convert the 5V (nominal) VCC to the +/- 9 volts required by
RS232. An important feature of these devices is the SHDN# pin which can power down the device to a low quiescent
current during USB suspend mode.
An example of a device which can be used for this is a Sipex SP213EHCA which is capable of RS232 communication
at up to 500kΩ baud. If a lower baud rate is acceptable, then several pin compatible alternatives are available
such as the Sipex SP213ECA , the Maxim MAX213CAI and the Analog Devices ADM213E, which are all good for
communication at up to 115,200 baud. If a higher baud rate is desired, use a Maxim MAX3245CAI part which is
capable of RS232 communication at rates of up to 1M baud. The MAX3245 is not pin compatible with the 213 series
devices, also its SHDN pin is active high, so connect it to PWREN# instead of SLEEP#.
In the above example CBUS0 and CBUS1 have been configured as TXLED# and RXLED#, and are being used to
drive two LEDs.
Figure 16 - Example USB to RS485 Converter Configuration
Figure 16 illustrates how to connect the FT232R’s UART interface to a TTL – RS485 Level Converter I.C. to make a
USB to RS485 converter. This example uses the Sipex SP481 device but there are similar parts available from Maxim
and Analog Devices amongst others. The SP481 is a RS485 device in a compact 8 pin SOP package. It has separate
enables on both the transmitter and receiver. With RS485, the transmitter is only enabled when a character is being
transmitted from the UART. The TXDEN signal CBUS pin option on the FT232R is provided for exactly this purpose
and so the transmitter enable is wired to CBUS2 which has been configured as TXDEN. Similarly, CBUS3 has been
configured as PWREN#. This signal is used to control the SP481’s receiver enable. The receiver enable is active low,
so it is wired to the PWREN# pin to disable the receiver when in USB suspend mode. CBUS2 = TXDEN and CBUS3 =
PWREN# are the default device configurations of these pins. See Section 10.
RS485 is a multi-drop network – i.e. many devices can communicate with each other over a single two wire cable
connection. The RS485 cable requires to be terminated at each end of the cable. A link is provided to allow the cable
to be terminated if the device is physically positioned at either end of the cable.
In this example the data transmitted by the FT232R is also received by the device that is transmitting. This is a
common feature of RS485 and requires the application software to remove the transmitted data from the received
data stream. With the FT232R it is possible to do this entirely in hardware – simply modify the schematic so that RXD
of the FT232R is the logical OR of the SP481 receiver output with TXDEN using an HC32 or similar logic gate.
Figure 17 -Example USB to RS422 Converter Configuration
Figure 17 illustrates how to connect the UART interface of the FT232R to a TTL – RS422 Level Converter I.C. to
make a USB to RS422 converter. There are many such level converter devices available – this example uses Sipex
SP491 devices which have enables on both the transmitter and receiver. Because the transmitter enable is active
high, it is connected to a CBUS pin in SLEEP# configuration. The receiver enable is active low and so is connected
to a CBUS pin PWREN# configuration. This ensures that both the transmitters and receivers are enabled when the
device is active, and disabled when the device is in USB suspend mode. If the design is USB BUS powered, it may be
necessary to use a P-Channel logic level MOSFET (controlled by PWREN#) in the VCC line of the SP491 devices to
ensure that the USB stand-by current of 500μA is met.
The SP491 is good for sending and receiving data at a rate of up to 5 Megbaud – in this case the maximum rate is
limited to 3 Megabaud by the FT232R.
Figure 18 is an example of interfacing the FT232R to a Microcontroller (MCU) UART interface. This example uses
TXD and RXD for transmission and reception of data, and RTS# / CTS# hardware handshaking. Also in this example
CBUS0 has been configured as a 12MHz output which is being used to clock the MCU.
Optionally, RI# can be connected to another I/O pin on the MCU and could be used to wake up the USB host
controller from suspend mode. If the MCU is handling power management functions, then a CBUS pin can be
configured as PWREN# and should also be connected to an I/O pin of the MCU.
Any of the 5 CBUS I/O pins can be configured to drive an LED. The FT232R has 3 options for driving an LED - these
are TXLED#, RXLED#, and TX&RXLED#.
Figure 19 -Dual LED Configuration
Figure 19 illustrates the configuration where one pin is used to indicate transmission of data (TXLED#) and another
is used to indicate receiving data (RXLED#). When data is being transmitted or received the respective pins will drive
from tri-state to low in order to provide indication on the LEDs of data transfer. A digital one-shot time is used so that
even a small percentage of data transfer is visible to the end user.
Figure 20 -Single LED Configuration
In figure 20 the TX&RXLED CBUS option is used. This option will cause the pin to drive a single LED when data is
being transmitted or received by the device.
Following a power-on reset or a USB reset the FT232R will scan its internal EEPROM and read the USB configuration
descriptors stored there. The default values programmed into the internal EEPROM in a brand new device are defined
in Table 18.
Table 18 - Default Internal EEPROM Configuration
ParameterValueNotes
USB Vendor ID (VID)0403hFTDI default VID (hex)
USB Product ID (PID)6001hFTDI default PID (hex)
Serial Number Enabled?Yes
Serial NumberSee NoteA unique serial number is generated and programmed into the EEPROM
during device final test.
Pull Down I/O Pins in USB SuspendDisabledEnabling this option will make the device pull down on the UART interface
lines when the power is shut off (PWREN# is high)
Manufacturer NameFTDI
Manufacturer IDFTSerial number prefix
Product DescriptionFT232R USB UART
Max Bus Power Current90mA
Power SourceBus Powered
Device TypeFT232R
USB Version0200Returns USB 2.0 device descriptor to the host. Note: The device is be
a USB 2.0 Full Speed device (12Mb/s) as opposed to a USB 2.0 High
Speed device (480Mb/s).
Remote Wake upEnabledTaking RI# low will wake up the USB host controller from suspend.
High Current I/OsDisabledEnables the high drive level on the UART and CBUS I/O pins
Load VCP DriverEnabledMakes the device load the VCP driver interface for the device.
CBUS0TXLED#Default configuration of CBUS0 - Transmit LED drive
CBUS1RXLED#Default configuration of CBUS1 - Receive LED drive
CBUS2TXDENDefault configuration of CBUS2 - Transmit data enable for RS485
CBUS3PWREN#Default configuration of CBUS3 - Power enable. Low after USB
enumeration, high during USB suspend.
CBUS4SLEEP#Default configuration of CBUS4 - Low during USB suspend.
Invert TXDDisabledSignal on this pin becomes TXD# if enabled.
Invert RXDDisabledSignal on this pin becomes RXD# if enabled.
Invert RTS#DisabledSignal on this pin becomes RTS if enabled.
Invert CTS#DisabledSignal on this pin becomes CTS if enabled.
Invert DTR#DisabledSignal on this pin becomes DTR if enabled.
Invert DSR#DisabledSignal on this pin becomes DSR if enabled.
Invert DCD#DisabledSignal on this pin becomes DCD if enabled.
Invert RI#DisabledSignal on this pin becomes RI if enabled.
The internal EEPROM in the FT232R can be programmed over USB using the utility program MPROG. MPROG can
be downloaded from the FTDI website. Version 2.8a or later is required for the FT232R chip. Users who do not have
their own USB Vendor ID but who would like to use a unique Product ID in their design can apply to FTDI for a free
block of unique PIDs. Contact FTDI support for this service.
Version 0.90 - Initial Datasheet Created August 2005
Version 0.96 - Revised Pre-release datasheet October 2005
Version 1.00 - Full datasheet released December 2005
Version 1.02 - Minor revisions to datasheet 7th December 2005
Version 1.03 - 9th January 2006 - Manufacturer ID added to default EEPROM configuration; Buffer sizes added.
Version 1.04 - 30th January 2006 - QFN-32 Pad layout and solder paste diagrams added.
Neither the whole nor any part of the information contained in, or the product described in this manual, may be
adapted or reproduced in any material or electronic form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder.
This product and its documentation are supplied on an as-is basis and no warranty as to their suitability for any
particular purpose is either made or implied.
Future Technology Devices International Ltd. will not accept any claim for damages howsoever arising as a result of
use or failure of this product. Your statutory rights are not affected.
This product or any variant of it is not intended for use in any medical appliance, device or system in which the failure
of the product might reasonably be expected to result in personal injury.
This document provides preliminary information that may be subject to change without notice.
Contact FTDI
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