File: disable_apple_ftdi_driver.html

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
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<TITLE>Q Light Controller Plus - Disable Apple FTDI driver in Mac OSX</TITLE>
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Considered all the issues that have been raised by QLC+ users around this topic, here's an extract of the official
<a href="https://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/AppNotes/AN_134_FTDI_Drivers_Installation_Guide_for_MAC_OSX.pdf">FTDI Application Note 134</a>

<H1>Disabling the Apple-provided VCP on OS X 10.9 and later</H1>
<P>
A VCP driver for most FTDI USB to serial converters is provided as part of the kernel in OS X 10.9 and
later. OS X loads this driver (AppleUSBFTDI.kext) when a device with standard FTDI vendor and product
identifiers is connected. To use FTDI's own VCP instead, or to use D2XX programs, AppleUSBFTDI must
be disabled, unloaded or blocked, as follows.
</P>

<H2>Disable by Renaming (OS X 10.9 and 10.10 only)</H2>
<P>
Note: this method works <B>only on 10.9 Mavericks and 10.10 Yosemite.</B><BR><BR>

Start a terminal session (Go > Applications > Utilities > Terminal) and copy/paste the following text to
the command prompt:
<PRE>
cd /System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/Plugins
sudo mv AppleUSBFTDI.kext AppleUSBFTDI.disabled
sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
</PRE>
then reboot.<BR>
To re-enable VCP, rename AppleUSBFTDI.disabled back to AppleUSBFTDI.kext
<PRE>
cd /System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/Plugins
sudo mv AppleUSBFTDI.disabled AppleUSBFTDI.kext
sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
</PRE>
then reboot.
</P>

<H2>Temporarily Unload (all versions of OS X)</H2>
<P>
Note: this method works on all versions of OS X.<BR><BR>

It is possible to unload Apple's VCP for the current session, i.e. until the next reboot:
<PRE>
sudo kextunload -b com.apple.driver.AppleUSBFTDI
</PRE>
(If a warning message indicates that the kext can't be unloaded, then reboot and retry the above
command.)
To reload:
<PRE>
sudo kextload -b com.apple.driver.AppleUSBFTDI
</PRE>
The kextunload and kextload commands can be run in any directory.
</P>

<H2>Block with D2xxHelper (OS X 10.9 and later)</H2>
<P>
Note: this is the only non-temporary method which works on <B>10.11 El Capitan</B>.<BR><BR>

FTDI provides a signed kernel extension (D2xxHelper.kext) which contains no code but acts to prevent
OS X from matching an FTDI chip (with standard vendor and product identifiers) with a VCP driver, either
Apple's or FTDI's. This leaves the device unclaimed, and available for D2XX programs only.<BR>
1. Disconnect all FTDI devices.<BR>
2. Download and run the D2xxHelper installer from <A href="https://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm">https://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm</A><BR>
3. Reboot.<BR>
4. Reconnect the FTDI devices.<BR>
</P>
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