FTDI Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length.
Advanced Search  

News:

Welcome to the FTDI Community!

Please read our Welcome Note

Technical Support enquires
please contact the team
@ FTDI Support


New Bridgetek Community is now open

Please note that we have created the Bridgetek Community to discuss all Bridgetek products e.g. EVE, MCU.

Please follow this link and create a new user account to get started.

Bridgetek Community

Author Topic: How to check whether my RFID desktop reader is an FTD device  (Read 11687 times)

mnong

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
    • View Profile

I'm sorry I could not upload the pictures of my RFID desktop reader as they are too big to attach here. I've had to keep them here : http://myrfidreader.4shared.com
My apologies!


The software supplied with the reader is using a driver named FTD2XXMidRange.DLL and it is currently installed in a WinXP (32 bit) machine. The user now needs to use it in a Windows 10 (64 bit) machine, but I'm not sure about the driver, because the software is giving some error about the driver in Windows 10, and the supplier/manufacturer did not supply any technical details of the reader or the software. And worse, due to current Covid-19 situation, I couldn't contact the original supplier of the reader, viz., M/s Traze, Chennai, India :(

Just needed to know whether this is an FTD device and whether any alternative driver for it can be used or at least tested, in Windows 10.

Thanks

Logged

FTDI Community

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 891
    • View Profile
Re: How to check whether my RFID desktop reader is an FTD device
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2020, 05:02:05 PM »

Hello,

Since this is not one of our products, although it utilises our device, I am unable to support it.
Product Manufacturers are responsible for supporting end-users of their products.
FTDI cannot control how the USB ICs are used and often has no knowledge of the entire product.
Please see the following document for reference:

http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/TechnicalNotes/TN_102_OEM_Technical_Support_Requirements_for_FTDI_Products.pdf

The OEM product may not use our standard drivers.
If it does, see the information below.

Usually windows will automatically find and install the driver if you are connected to the internet. Simply plug the device into the PC.
However, you can use the setup executable found on our website.
Note: you may need to save to PC, right-click and select run as administrator.
This will install the drivers on your PC with licensing information, so next time you plug in the device the device should be enumerated with those drivers.

Also refer to the Installation Guides. The 2.12.28 drivers can be pointed manually in Device Manager.

Best Regards,
FTDI Community
Logged

mnong

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
    • View Profile
Re: How to check whether my RFID desktop reader is an FTD device
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2020, 02:52:40 PM »

Thanks for the comprehensive information. Yes I agree, the OEM should support end-users. But it seems even his web and mail server has been shutdown, most probably due to Covid  :-[

Anyway, I did try using the driver as mentioned, i.e., http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/CDM21228_Setup.zip. It installs alright in Windows 10, but then the reader is not sensed. I'm adding a bit more details :

The reader (whose pictures can be seen via the links in my last post) is connected at one end to a flatbed antenna (for reading tagged books) via a coaxial kind of cable. The other end of the reader has an RJ45 slot and the other end is connected to the PC's COM port.

So I guess, whatever driver is used should be able to sense that COM port. For example, the OEM had supplied one utility called Mid Utility (most probably named as such as the reader is a mid-range reader (13.56 Mhz)). I did install this utility and tried pinging and reading and even writing to the tags (ISO 15693 tags) using it, and it does ping, read from and write to the tags.

I have shared that utility here : https://www.4shared.com/folder/iBtqfzWH/MidRange_Utility.html

Still searching for a compatible driver, though ...

Logged

FTDI Community

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 891
    • View Profile
Re: How to check whether my RFID desktop reader is an FTD device
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2020, 12:07:31 PM »

Hello,

If you can take a capture using our USBView utility highlighting the device (similar to the attached capture) then we can see if the device in-fact needs the default FTDI drivers.

I am also curious about how you are connecting this to the host PC, did the OEM supply a cable? (as the connection on the box is RJ45).

Best Regards,
FTDI Community
Logged

mnong

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
    • View Profile
Re: How to check whether my RFID desktop reader is an FTD device
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2020, 06:20:27 AM »

Unfortunately, lockdown and curfew has been imposed in my location due to Covid, but I will definitely try out the USBView utility as soon as lockdown is lifted and I get back to Office.

As stated in my previous posts and with reference to the picture links therein, one end of the RFID reader is connected to a flat desktop antenna where tagged books are placed using a coaxial cable of some sort. However, this isn't shown in the picture links I've provided. But you can see the coaxial connector on the reader in one of the pictures I've linked to.

The other end (which is our concern) is an RJ45 slot on the Reader which connects to a cable having an RJ45 connector and a conventional 9-pin COM port connector at the other end. The RJ45 connector can also be seen in my picture links. And yes, the OEM did supply this cable.

I will get back with the USBView utility output. Thanks
Logged

mnong

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
    • View Profile
Re: How to check whether my RFID desktop reader is an FTD device
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2020, 11:29:32 AM »

I am attaching the USBView Utility output
Logged

FTDI Community

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 891
    • View Profile
Re: How to check whether my RFID desktop reader is an FTD device
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2020, 01:54:47 PM »

Hello,

Thanks for the description, it sounds to me like there is not an FTDI IC included in this configuration, and the intended use is to communicate with the device via a native COM port on the PC. The OEM provided cable having a DB9 (COM port) connector on the far end would indicate this.

The USB view screenshot also indicates that no FTDI device is connected to the PC.

Best Regards,
FTDI community
Logged