[hackerspaces] Getting some USB Product IDs

[Martin Ling]

On Fri, Sep 06, 2013 at 10:38:57AM +0200, Alexander Dahl wrote:
> 
> while playing around with USB on ATtiny85 I had a look how USB Vendor
> IDs are assigned and found them to be really expensive, enough you
> wouldn't get one for your hackerspace, it's simply too much money. Are
> there institutions already having a Vendor ID which would give you some
> (few) PIDs for your own devices for a lower price?

There used to be - voti.nl bought a VID and sold PIDs for a small price,
but was forced to stop after the USB-IF threatened legal action.

http://www.voti.nl/docs/usb-pid.html

It does seem to be de facto accepted by the USB-IF for manufacturers of
USB-capable chips to resell PIDs under their own VID - just not for a
VID holder to sell PIDs without accompanying hardware.

This is exceptionally stupid given that there are only 64K VIDs, they
are reportedly running low already, and most do not have more than a
handful of PIDs used.

Since you are using Atmel chips I would contact Atmel and see what
arrangements they have for registering a PID under the Atmel VID. If
they are not helpful, there are other manufacturers who are.


Martin