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Copyright © 2013 Future Technology Devices International Limited

VDrive3 Datasheet

Version 1.2

Document Reference No.: FT_000699

Clearance No.: FTDI#

335

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VDrive2 and VDrive3 Comparison

The VDrive3 is a drop in replacement for the VDrive2 for the majority of VDrive2 applications. However,

for a small number of applications that use SPI some changes to the application software may be

required, this is due to a discrepancy in the SPI interface used in the Vinculum-I and Vinculum-II. For

further details on these differences, please see AN_176 - Vinculum Comparison of VDAP and V2DAP.

Note: VDrive3’s default firmware includes a reflash function, allowing the firmware to be updated from a

flash drive. This reflash can be performed with the following steps:

1: Configure the VDrive3 into UART mode.

2: Open a communication terminal and connect to the VDrive3 via the UART interface.

3: Connect a USB flash disk with any firmware named “FTRFBV2.FTD”.

4: Wait for the new firmware to be loaded.

Additional features of the VDrive3:



Vinculum-II can be configured by a user defined firmware



VDrive3 hardware has an SPI master interface available. (not enabled by default in V2DAP

firmware)



VDrive3’s SPI interface can be clocked up to 48MHz



VDrive3 is programmable using the debugger-module port and the UART interface port.



VDrive3 can utilise many of the Vinculum-II’s sample firmware available on the FTDI website.