CP2105EK Silicon Laboratories Inc, CP2105EK Datasheet - Page 20

• Manufacturer Part Number: CP2105EK
• Description: KIT EVAL FOR CP2105
• Manufacturer: Silicon Laboratories Inc

Specifications of CP2105EK

• Main Purpose: Interface, Dual USB 2.0 to UART (RS485) Bridge
• Embedded: No
• Utilized Ic / Part: CP2105
• Primary Attributes: Full Speed (12Mbps)
• Secondary Attributes: LED Status Indicators
• Interface Type: RS-232, USB
• Operating Supply Voltage: 3.3 V
• Product: Interface Development Tools
• For Use With/related Products: CP2105
• Lead Free Status / RoHS Status: Lead free / RoHS Compliant
• Lead Free Status / RoHS Status: Lead free / RoHS Compliant
• Other names: 336-2005

CP2105
11. CP2105 Device Drivers
There are two sets of device drivers available for CP2105 devices: the Virtual COM Port (VCP) drivers and the
USBXpress Direct Access drivers. Only one set of drivers is necessary to interface with the device.
The latest drivers are available at http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/SoftwareDownloads.aspx.
11.1. Virtual COM Port Drivers
The CP2105 Virtual COM Port (VCP) device drivers allow a CP2105-based device to appear to the PC's
application software as two COM ports. Application software running on the PC accesses the CP2105-based
device as it would access two standard hardware COM ports. However, actual data transfer between the PC and
the CP2105 device is performed over the USB interface. Therefore, existing COM port applications may be used to
transfer data via the USB to the CP2105-based device without modifying the application. See application note
“AN197: Serial Communications Guide for the CP210x” for Example Code for Interfacing to a CP2105 using the
Virtual COM drivers.
11.2. USBXpress Drivers
The Silicon Labs USBXpress drivers provide an alternate solution for interfacing with CP2105 devices. No serial
port protocol expertise is required. Instead, a simple, high-level application program interface (API) is used to
provide simpler CP210x connectivity and functionality. The USBXpress for CP210x Development Kit includes
Windows device drivers, Windows device driver installer and uninstallers, and a host interface function library (host
API) provided in the form of a Windows dynamic link library (DLL). The USBXpress driver set is recommended for
new products that also include new PC software. The USBXpress interface is described in application note
“AN169: USBXpress Programmer's Guide.”
11.3. Driver Customization
In addition to customizing the device as described in "6. Asynchronous Serial Data Bus (UART) Interfaces" on
page 12, the drivers and the drivers installation package can be also be customized. See application note “AN220:
USB Driver Customization” for more information on generating customized VCP and USBXpress drivers.
Important Note: The VID/PID in the drivers must match the VID/PID in the device for the drivers to load properly
then the device is connected to the PC.
11.4. Driver Certification
The default drivers for the CP2105 are Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certified. The
certification means that the drivers have been tested by Microsoft and their latest operating systems will allow the
drivers to be installed without any warnings or errors.
The customized drivers that are generated using the AN220 software are not automatically certified. To become
certified, they must go first through the Microsoft Driver Reseller Submission process. Contact Silicon Labs support
for assistance with this process.
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