[flashingleds]

If anyone out there is looking for alternatives, last time this happened I switched to the MCP2221 from microchip. It's been in about 6 hobby projects now and I'm very happy with it. Half the price in small quantities and easier to hand solder (14SO or even DIP vs 28TSSOP)

[ploxiln]

It's also worth mentioning that it uses the USB-CDC ("communications device class") standard driver, which is long supported/included in windows and linux and intended for use by arbitrary manufacturers.

The situation is not unlike that of usb keyboard/mice which use the HID ("human interface device") standard driver (which MCP2221 apparently also supports). So there won't be any argument or shenanigans about whether any third-party chip should be allowed to be compatible with this commonly available driver.

[CountSessine]

Does it use a class CDC interface? Or does it require special drivers like the FTDI and Prolific chips? Are the drivers available for all OS's?

[CountSessine]

Answering my own question, it looks like it's a plain-Jane CDC device, which seems to me like really great progress - now that we've put Windows XP behind us, these chips really should be using CDC rather than proprietary drivers.

[baobrien]

Cypress also has a bunch of USB UART chips, with comparable ones being about half the price of their FTDI equivalents.

[noonespecial]

Bump for MCP2221. That's the one we ended up settling on. IMHO its cheaper, better, and easier to get in the small (100's) quantity we use them.