ftdump

ftdump [-h|-V|-v|-q] [-d device] [-e] [-m manufacturer] [-p product] [-s serial] [device]

-d, --device=<device>
    Specify USB device by index, path, or serial

-e, --ee-dump
    Dump raw EEPROM as hexadecimal integers

-h, --help
    Display usage help and exit

-m, --manufacturer=<name>
    Override/display manufacturer string

-p, --product=<name>
    Override/display product description string

-s, --serial=<name>
    Override/display serial number string

-V, --version
    Print version information and exit

-v, --verbose
    Increase output verbosity

-q, --quiet
    Decrease output verbosity

ftdump is a command-line utility from the libftdi package used to read and display the EEPROM contents of FTDI USB-to-serial converter chips like FT232R, FT245R, FT2232, and FT4232. It provides a human-readable output of key configuration data, including USB vendor/product IDs, serial number, manufacturer and product strings, maximum power, self-powered status, and channel configurations for multi-port chips.

This tool is essential for hardware developers, embedded engineers, and troubleshooters working with FTDI-based devices. It helps verify EEPROM programming, diagnose connection issues, or inspect factory defaults without specialized hardware. By default, it scans all connected FTDI devices unless a specific one is targeted. Verbose mode reveals detailed hex dumps, while quiet mode summarizes essentials. Note that writing EEPROM requires elevated privileges and caution, as incorrect settings can brick devices.

ftdump relies on libusb for USB communication, making it portable across Linux distributions where libftdi-utils is installed (e.g., via apt install libftdi1-dev or dnf install libftdi).

Requires root or udev rules for non-root USB access; may conflict with FTDI D2XX drivers; writing EEPROM (-m/-p/-s) risks permanent damage if misconfigured.

ftdump — Dump all connected FTDI devices.
ftdump -d 0 — Target first device.
ftdump -v -e /dev/bus/usb/001/002 — Verbose raw dump.

Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install ftdi-utils
Fedora: sudo dnf install libftdi-freeworld
Arch: sudo pacman -S libftdi

Developed as part of libftdi project by Thomas Fischer starting 2007; provides open-source USB access to FTDI chips, evolving with libusb versions; current in libftdi 1.x/2.x.

lsusb(8), ftdi_eeprom(1), usb-devices(1), dmesg(1)