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...
Get notified when back in stock
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 board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny contacts.
- ESP32
- ESP32 is a family of low-cost microcontroller chips and modules from Espressif with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. They support programmable firmware and over-the-air updates, and are commonly programmed with toolchains such as the Arduino core and ESP-IDF.
- 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.
- RX
- RX means receive, usually showing data being received by the board. An RX indicator LED can help with troubleshooting USB or serial communication.
- TX
- TX means transmit, usually showing data being sent from the board. A TX indicator LED can help you see when the board is communicating or uploading code.
- Type-C
- USB Type-C (USB-C) is a small, reversible USB connector used for charging, power, and data transfer on many modern devices. A Type-C port or plug indicates the cable and charger connection needed to power, charge, or communicate with a device.
- USB Type-C
- USB Type-C is a small, reversible USB connector used for power, data and sometimes video on many modern devices. The connector itself does not guarantee a particular speed or voltage, so check the supported USB version, data rate and whether it carries more than 5V via USB Power Delivery.
Find this product in
Brands
Prototyping & Wiring
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
