Adafruit
Adafruit CP2102N Friend - USB to Serial Converter
The Adafruit CP2102N Friend is a USB-to-serial converter breakout featuring the Silicon Labs CP2102N chip with USB Type-C. It provides reliable serial commun...
The Adafruit CP2102N Friend is a USB-to-serial converter breakout featuring the Silicon Labs CP2102N chip with USB Type-C. It provides reliable serial communication at up to 3 Mbps, making it ideal for uploading firmware to Arduino, ESP8266, ESP32, and other microcontrollers that use an FTDI-style serial header.
The board is configured to match the standard FTDI cable pinout, with 5V power on the power pin and 3.3V signal levels (5V-compliant). It includes auto-reset circuitry for Arduino/ATmega328 boards, so you can upload code without manually pressing the reset button. RX/TX LEDs blink during data transfer for easy debugging.
Key Features
- CP2102N Chip – Up to 3 Mbps transfer speed with reprogrammable settings memory
- USB Type-C – Modern connector for reliable, reversible connection
- FTDI-Compatible Pinout – Drop-in replacement for FTDI cables and CP2104-based boards
- Auto-Reset – Works with Arduino/ATmega328 for one-click uploads
- 3.3V Signal Levels – 5V-compliant, works with both 3.3V and 5V systems
- RX/TX LEDs – Visual data transfer indicators
- Full Modem Control Pins – DTR, RTS, RI, DSR, and more on side pads
Driver Support
- Linux – No driver required (built into kernel)
- Windows – Automatic driver installation via Windows Update
- macOS – Driver available from Silicon Labs
Ideal For
- Uploading firmware to Arduino, ESP8266, ESP32, and other FTDI-port microcontrollers
- Serial debugging and data monitoring
- Replacing older FTDI or CP2104-based serial adapters
Package Contents
- 1× Adafruit CP2102N Friend breakout (assembled and tested)
- 1× Right-angle socket header
- 1× Male header strip
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- ESP32
- ESP32 is a family of microcontroller modules with built-in wireless features such as Bluetooth and WiFi. Knowing this product uses an ESP32-based module helps explain how it provides wireless serial communication and firmware update features.
- RTS
- RTS stands for Request To Send, a serial flow-control signal used to manage when a device is ready to receive data. It matters when moving fast serial streams because flow control can help prevent lost data.
- USB Type-C
- A reversible USB connector used for power and data on many modern devices. On this kit it indicates an alternate 5V power input, which may be useful for setup or charging without the solar panel.
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Prototyping & Wiring
Related Tutorials
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