Ch340 Arduino Driver Windows 10 | Meet The Ch340

Windows

(Manufacturer’s Chinese Info Link)

1. Download the Windows CH340 Driver
2. Unzip the file
3. Run the installer which you unzipped
4. In the Arduino IDE when the CH340 is connected you will see a COM Port in the Tools > Serial Port menu, the COM number for your device may vary depending on your system.

Older Windows Driver Version and Instructions

1. 
   Download the Windows CH340 Driver
   
2. 
   Unzip the folder.
   
3. 
   If you are running a 64Bit Windows: – run the SETUP_64.EXE installer.
   
4. 
   If you are running a 32Bit Windows: – run the SETUP_32.EXE installer.
   
5. 
   If you don’t know, try the 64 bit and if it doesn’t work, the 32 bit.
   
6. 
   In the Arduino IDE when the CH340 is connected you will see a COM Port in the Tools > Serial Port menu, the COM number for your device may vary depending on your system.
   

Macintosh

(Manufacturer’s Chinese Info Link)

The following github has up to day pkg files for 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 at time of writing, thanks to Joshua Wallis for bringing this to my attention…

https://github.com/adrianmihalko/ch340g-ch34g-ch34x-mac-os-x-driver

Direct Download Links (from the github repo above):

See the github link above for installation instructions if you need them.

Previous macinstosh downloads if the above doesn’t work for you…

(V1.3) Download the CH340 Macintosh Signed Driver for Mavericks (10.9), Yosemite (10.10) and El Capitan (10.11) and Sierra (10.12)


Inside the zip file you will find a PDF and a “pkg” file, short version, double click the pkg file, the PDF has some extra information.


OSX Sierra (10.12) Note


A kindly user, Maarten Segers reports


FYI, the driver documented here WILL crash on OSX Sierra.


Make sure to use this one instead: https://github.com/MPParsley/ch340g-ch34g-ch34x-mac-os-x-driver


I can personally not test on MacOS and can not vouch for the above drivers at github, but there you go.


See uninstalling information at the bottom of the page if the driver causes problems for you.


Here is an older version of the Mac driver, NOT FOR 10.12 Sierra


(V1.0) Download the CH340 Macintosh Signed Driver for Mavericks (10.9), Yosemite (10.10) and El Capitan (10.11)

các cửa sổ

( Liên kết thông tin tiếng Trung của nhà sản xuất )

1. Tải xuống trình điều khiển Windows CH340
2. Giải nén tập tin
3. Chạy trình cài đặt mà bạn đã giải nén
4. Trong Arduino IDE khi CH340 được kết nối, bạn sẽ thấy Cổng COM trong menu Công cụ> Cổng nối tiếp, số COM cho thiết bị của bạn có thể thay đổi tùy theo hệ thống của bạn.

Hướng dẫn và phiên bản Windows Driver cũ hơn

1. Tải xuống trình điều khiển Windows CH340
2. Giải nén thư mục.
3. Nếu bạn đang chạy Windows 64Bit: – hãy chạy trình cài đặt SETUP_64.EXE.
4. Nếu bạn đang chạy Windows 32Bit: – hãy chạy trình cài đặt SETUP_32.EXE.
5. Nếu bạn không biết, hãy thử 64 bit và nếu nó không hoạt động, 32 bit.
6. Trong Arduino IDE khi CH340 được kết nối, bạn sẽ thấy Cổng COM trong menu Công cụ> Cổng nối tiếp, số COM cho thiết bị của bạn có thể thay đổi tùy theo hệ thống của bạn

The CH340 chip is used by a number of Arduino compatible boards to provide USB connectivity, you may need to install a driver, don’t panic, it’s easier than falling off a log, and much less painful.

Meet the CH340

There are a few variants of the CH340. The CH340G requires an external crystal oscillator to function while the CH340C includes a built-in crystal oscillator. However, both function in the same fashion – they convert USB data for a serial UART and vice versa!

CH340G

CH340C

The CH340 is also populated on development boards such as the RedBoard Qwiic to upload code using the Arduino IDE.

Mac OSX

Open the Terminal program by selecting Go > Applications.

Select and open the Terminal program under Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

If you are still unsure of how to access the Terminal, watch this video or read this Apple support article.

You’ll need to move to the directory where the *.kext files are stored.

• For Mac OSX v10.9+, you will need to use this command:

  
language:bash cd /Library/Extensions


• For Mac OSX v10.8 and below, you will need to use this command:

  
language:bash cd /System/Library/Extensions


In this case, we will be using Mac OSX v10.13, so we will need to use the first command.

To check to see if the CH340 driver is in the correct path, use the following command to list the contents of the folder.


language:bash ls


To look for CH340 driver files (i.e. usb.kext or usbserial.kext) in the path, you could use the following command.


language:bash ls | grep usb


You should see something similar to the output below after using the commands.

If you have found the file in the path, you will need to run each of the following commands in the CLI/Terminal to remove old CH340 drivers. In this case, there was only the usbserial.kext file but it does not hurt to run both commands. Make sure to have administrative privileges to ensure that the drivers are removed.


language:bash sudo rm -rf /Library/Extensions/usb.kext sudo rm -rf /Library/Extensions/usbserial.kext


Check if the old drivers were removed in the paths by using the

ls

command with your respective OS version. You will notice that the *.kext file is removed from the respective paths. In this case, the usbserial.kext was removed from Mac OSX High Sierra.


language:bash ls


Download and extract the folder.

Then, open the “*.pkg” file from the unzipped folder and follow the instructions. You’ll need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Mac OSX CH340 Driver Installation File

If you receive a window that indicates that the system extension is blocked, you’ll need to open a search with Spotlight by pressing ⌘ (Command) + space bar (Space Bar). Type Security & Privacy and click on the “Allow” button to enable the CH340 drivers.

Driver Verification for Macs

To verify that your driver is working, you should see a difference in the following pictures after plugging the CH340 to a USB port.

Command Line

Open the Terminal by heading to Applications > Utilities > Terminal if the program is not open yet.

If you are still unsure of how to access the Terminal, watch this video or read this Apple support article.

Then run the following command:


language:bash ls /dev/cu*


A list of devices connected to your Mac’s COM ports will be displayed as a result. Assuming that the CH340 is not connected to your computer, you should see something similar to the image below.

Connect the CH340 to one of your Mac’s COM ports. Check for the following changes (your board may show up under a different device name). The CH340 should show up as /dev/cu.wchusbserial*****. Depending on your computer, the COM port may show up as a different number.

Arduino IDE

Alternatively, if you have the Arduino IDE installed, you should also see a change in the number of available COM Ports (you may need to restart the Arduino IDE for the board to populate). Without the CH340 connected to your computer, click on Tools > Port. Take note of the Serial Ports available.

Connect the CH340 to your computer’s USB port. Click on somewhere else on the screen for the menu to refresh itself. Then head back to the menu by clicking on Tools > Port. A new COM port should pop up. By process of elimination, the CH340 should have enumerated to the new COM port! Feel free to click on the COM port to select if you are uploading code to a microcontroller. Depending on your computer, the COM port may show a different number.

Serial Loop Back Test

You can also verify if the USB-to-serial converter is working by doing a serial loop back test or echo test. If you are using the breakout board, you can add a jumper between the Tx and Rx to try and echo a character in a terminal program. For more information, try checking out the Hardware Test for the serial basic hookup guide.

USB-SERIAL CH340 Drivers Download

• Driver Version: 3.3.2011.11
• Release Date: 2011-11-04
• File Size: 41.02K
• Supported OS: Windows 10 64 bit, Windows 8.1 64bit, Windows 7 64bit, Windows Vista 64bit, Windows XP 64bit

Please enter verification code, then click the download button.

• Driver Version: 3.1.2009.06
• Release Date: 2009-06-03
• File Size: 35.3K
• Supported OS: Windows 10 32 & 64bit, Windows 8.1 32 & 64bit, Windows 7 32 & 64bit, Windows Vista 32 & 64bit, Windows XP

Please enter verification code, then click the download button.

Drivers (If You Need Them)

The CH340 has been tested on:

• Windows 7/10
• Mac OSX
  • v10.10.5 (Yosemite)
  • v10.11.6 (El Capitan)
  • v10.13.0 (High Sierra)
  • v10.14.5 (Mojave)
• Linux
  • Raspbian Stretch (11-13-2018 release) for the Raspberry Pi
  • Raspbian Buster (2019-07-10 release) for the Raspberry Pi
  • Ubuntu v18.04.2, 64-bit

These operating systems have the CDC drivers pre-installed, which means you shouldn’t need to install any extra software. However, there are a wide range of operating systems out there, so if you run into driver problems, you can get the archived drivers linked below:

• Windows (EXE) — Driver executable
• Windows (ZIP) : Driver v3.4 (2016-09-27)
• Mac (ZIP) : Driver v1.5 (2018-07-04)
• Linux (ZIP) : Driver v1.5 (2018-03-18)

The CH340 is made by WCH. You can find the latest version of their drivers in their English translated website.

Updating Drivers

If you have the older CH340 drivers installed, you may need to update them. In the following sections, are the instructions for doing so on each of the tested operating systems.

Linux

Raspbian for Raspberry Pi

Run the following commands in the CLI/Terminal when using Raspbian on a Raspberry Pi. After updating, the latest CH340 should be installed!


language:bash sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade


Other Linux Distributions

Here is a downloadable *.ZIP of standard CH340 drivers for Linux.

There are some reported cases of serial communication failure when using the factory drivers in Linux. If you encounter this problem, you can try installing patched drivers as explained in this forum post. Here are the steps (to run in the command line):

• Plug and unplug your CH340 device from the USB port
• Type
  
dmesg

  to see what has happened
  • The expected output (shows “ch341”) should have the following in the recent log:


[ xxx] ch341-uart ttyUSB0: ch341-uart converter now disconnected from ttyUSB0 [ xxx] ch341 3-2:1.0: device disconnected


• Download the patched drivers repository and unzip the files
• 
cd

  into the directory where the files are saved
• 
make clean

• 
make

• 
sudo make load

• 
sudo rmmod ch341

  to uninstall the broken driver
• 
lsmod | grep ch34

  to list what modules are currently installed
• Plug and unplug your CH340 device again on the USB port
• 
dmesg

  • Expected output (should show “ch34x” now):


[ xxx] ch34x ttyUSB0: ch34x converter now disconnected from ttyUSB0 [ xxx] ch34x 3-2:1.0: device disconnected


Depending on your root permissions, you may need to configure the serial port with the following two commands. Make sure to adjust the

$username

with respect to the user ID that is currently logged in.


language:bash sudo usermod -a -G dialout $username sudo chmod a+rw /dev/ttyUSB0



/dev/ttyUSB0may be different. Try using


lscommand as explained in the Driver Verification if you have issues configuring the serial port settings and adjusting the port as necessary.


Driver Verification for Linux

Command Line

Plug the CH340 back to your computer’s USB port. Then run the following command in the CLI/Terminal on any Linux distribution. Check for the following changes (your board may show up under a different device name).


language:bash ls /dev/ttyUSB*


The serial port that CH340 is connected to should pop up as a result.

Arduino IDE

Alternatively, if you have the Arduino IDE installed, you should also see a change in the number of available COM Ports (you may need to restart the Arduino IDE for the board to populate). Without the CH340 connected to your computer, click on Tools > Port. Depending on the Linux flavor that you have, the Ports may not open to display any serial ports. Take note of the Serial Ports available if it opens up.

Connect the CH340 to your computer’s USB port. Click on somewhere else on the screen for the menu to refresh itself. Then head back to the menu by clicking on Tools > Port. A new COM port should pop up. By process of elimination, the CH340 should have enumerated to the new COM port! Feel free to click on the COM port to select if you are uploading code to a microcontroller. Depending on your computer, the COM port may show a different number.

Serial Loop Back Test

You can also verify if the USB-to-serial converter is working by doing a serial loop back test or echo test. If you are using the breakout board, you can add a jumper between the Tx and Rx to try and echo a character in a terminal program. For more information, try checking out the Hardware Test for the serial basic hookup guide.

Troubleshooting

COM Port is Not Showing Up as CH340 Windows

We have had a few reports on Windows 10 where the driver will automatically install and the board will show up under a new COM port as USB-Serial CH340, but with a different device name. However, the board cannot be accessed on the Arduino IDE. Others have had issues where the installation process hangs.

Based on the customer experiences, this might be specific to the manufacturer and are usually isolated cases. Users seem to be able to eventually get the board recognized by a combination of giving the computer time to finish the install (close to 20 min), plugging the board back in multiple times, reinstalling the drivers, and/or resetting the computer multiple times (repeat both steps).

COM Port Not Available Windows, Mac, and Linux

If you installed the drivers for the CH340 on your computer but have issues connecting via serial terminal or uploading code using the Arduino IDE, there may be an issue with your user settings preventing you from using the CH340. You may receive an

avrdude: ser_open(): can't open device

error similar to the output shown below.


language:bash avrdude: ser_open(): can't open device "/dev/ttyUSB0": No such file or directory


In this case, the error appeared on a Linux when trying to upload code due to the drivers not being installed and the root permissions.

Make sure to check your configuration settings and ensure that the serial port for the CH340 is enabled for your OS. You may also need to reinstall the drivers for your operating system.

USB Cable Windows, Mac, and Linux

Certain USB cables are for power only and may not have the data lines available. Try checking your USB cable and ensure that the data lines are intact.

Issues Uploading at Fast Baud Rates

If you are uploading to certain boards like the Apollo3 on the Artemis development boards with fast baud rates, there are some platforms (Linux flavors) where the standard CH340 USB to serial drivers don’t operate well at speeds higher than 115200. So if you run into upload problems, consider reducing the upload speed. For more information about upload issues, see this forum post and consider upgrading with these drivers for Mac OSX or these for Linux.

Uninstalling From Macinstosh

A couple of Mac users have said “the driver crashes my mac Sierra how do I uninstall”.

Firstly regards the crash make sure you installed the 1.3 version of the driver, not the old one. You could download it directly from the Manufacturers Website in case they have issued an update since I wrote this page.

Secondly a quick google search reveals that this is how you uninstall:

1. Open a terminal and type:
   
cd /Library/Extensions/

2. Verify that the .kext file is present:
   
ls | grep usbserial.kext

3. Output should be:
   
usbserial.kext

4. Then type:
   
sudo rm -R usbserial.kext

5. Verify that the .kext file has been removed:
   
ls | grep usbserial.kext

6. Output should be empty.
7. After you should remove the files stored in receipts folder:
   
cd /private/var/db/receipts/

8. Find the enties:
   
ls | grep usbserial*

9. Output should be:
   
codebender.cc.ch34xinstaller.usbserial.pkg.bom codebender.cc.ch34xinstaller.usbserial.pkg.plist

10. Remove each one of the files of the above list:
    
sudo rm -r


filename

    `