[chirp_users] Prolific update and amateur pirates

[eric]

The problem here is that we generally aren't given the choice of what
chip comes in the adapter we need, and even if we were, there is almost
no way to verify it beforehand. Even if we buy from a vendor that says 
(and believes) they sell real prolific chips, there is so much fraud 
throughout the entire supply chain that the company that makes your 
radio cable is just as likely to be getting cheated themselves. This 
goes far beyond just serial-to-usb chips, though those are a particularly 
striking example. It's a plague on the whole industry. You can buy 
capacitors that turn out to be empty metal cans with a much smaller 
capacitor hidden inside. You can buy power transistors that have three 
terminals and nothing at all inside. Try buying a flash drive on ebay.
Unfortunately the problem here is there is no regulation or enforcement 
anywhere along the line, and thus it's always going to be profitable for 
fly-by-night operations to pass off fake goods as real because there
is very little downside to it. It's easy to blame China because most
of the fakes come from there, but we also need to blame manufacturers
and distributors who turn a blind eye because they're getting a great
price, and don't take a stand that would make this kind of fraud less 
profitable. 

All that said, the FTDI serial-usb chips don't seem to have the same
problems with fraud and incompatibility that Prolific does, and work
better anyway, so I always use FTDI in designs or in consumer products
when given the choice. You can often tell at least which *brand* of
chip is in it by which windows driver is provided. 

Furthermore, in Linux they mostly all just work, even the counterfeit
ones, and don't need additional drivers. 


On Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 06:01:18PM -0800, Dean Gibson AE7Q wrote:
> I would like to address this to everyone who buys a cable with a
> counterfeit Prolific USB-to-serial converter chip:
> 
> You may not think you are hurting anyone, but you are.  Aside from
> the legal and ethical issues with buying counterfeit goods, you are
> financially affecting more than just Prolific (who sells legitimate
> chips).
> 
> You are financially affecting *me*.  And in a very concrete and
> tangible way.
> 
> Because of the extensive counterfeiting of their USB-to-serial
> converter chip (and the theft of their intellectual properties:
> http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowProduct.aspx?p_id=155&pcid=41 ),
> Prolific has taken certain steps:
> 
> 1. They have designed a new USB-to-serial converter chip that is
>    supposed to be more difficult to counterfeit, and selling that to
>    legitimate cable makers.  This chip will be supported in Windows 8.
> 2. The present USB-to-serial converter chip will *not* be supported in
>    Windows 8:
>    http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowProduct.aspx?p_id=225&pcid=41
> 
> So, how does this affect me?  I have and use thirteen USB-to-serial
> converter cables with the old (legitimate) Prolific chip.  These
> cables will *not work* when I upgrade to Windows 8.  Instead, I will
> have to buy new USB-to-serial converter cables.
> 
> I will pay the *twice the price you would have paid* (times
> thirteen), than if you had bought a legitimate cable.  Once, for
> each legitimate original cable, and once again for a new cable.
> 
> So, for those of you who knowingly bought counterfeit cables *and
> continue to use them*: *Thanks, guys*.
> 
> As a person who has contributed code to the Chirp project, has
> written other open-source software for the amateur community, and
> has maintained a couple amateur radio support sites (free and
> without ads) for the past decade, you have made my heart very warm
> with feelings of appreciation.  Or maybe just a bit hot.
> 
> Sincerely, Dean Gibson / AE7Q
> 
> On 2013-02-26 16:42, Bill Gabbard wrote:
> >*/I just Right-Clicked the Update and Clicked Hide, so won't show again./*
> >*/Thanks,/*
> >*/Bill/*
> >
> >    ----- Original Message -----
> >    *From:* Phaeton <mailto:phaeton at neo.rr.com>
> >    *To:* Discussion of CHIRP <mailto:chirp_users at intrepid.danplanet.com>
> >    *Sent:* Tuesday, February 26, 2013 5:19 PM
> >    *Subject:* Re: [chirp_users] Prolific Update
> >
> >    *...*
> >    On Feb 26, 2013, at 4:34 PM, Jim Unroe <rock.unroe at gmail.com
> >    <mailto:rock.unroe at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> >>    No. Do not update.
> >>
> >>    Unless your programming cable has a genuine Prolific
> >>    usb-to-serial chip in it (most cheap cables have a counterfeit
> >>    chip), the updated driver will detect the counterfeit chip and
> >>    stop working. You must continue to use the older driver that does
> >>    not perform this check.
> >>
> >>    Jim
> >>
> >>    On Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 4:15 PM, Bill Gabbard
> >>    <wcgabbard1 at windstream.net <mailto:wcgabbard1 at windstream.net>> wrote:
> >>
> >>        */I've a Windows 7 PC that the Windows Update notified me the
> >>        below Update is available.  Should I update it?/*
> >>        */Thanks,/*
> >>        */Bill/*
> >>        */------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/*
> >>        */Prolific - Other hardware - Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port/*
> >>        */Download size: 114 KB/*
> >>        */You may need to restart your computer for this update to
> >>        take effect./*
> >>        */Update type: Optional/*
> >>        */Prolific Other hardware software update released in
> >>        February, 2013/*
> >>
> 

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