Has anyone managed to sub-licence a USB PID from ST?

h239955 · ‎2016-04-07

Posted on April 07, 2016 at 17:11

Hi,

I am developing a product for a small company. It primarily works through a touchscreen however it is intended that data can be read from the device to a PC via USB. When our device goes to market it will need a unique VID/PID pair. We have contacted the USB Implementer's Forum to clarify our options since the purchase of a VID and its 65536 associated PIDs from them costs $5000. The USB-IF suggested ''it is possible that [our] situation qualifies to use the STMicroelectronics VID''. There are numerous posts around

the web about how FTDI and Microchip will share their 64k of PIDs but I've had a hard time getting anywhere with ST.

There seems to be no one to ask directly, so we got one of their distributors involved. After a number of weeks we got the attached message (edited to protect the privacy of our client and our contact at the distrubutor). The phrases ''during the development'' and ''revocable'' mean that we cannot use the provided PID to go to market. Since the USB-IF sanction our request I can't see why ST should be making this so difficult when in other respects their support is excellent.

Has anybody had a similar or perhaps a better experience to share??

daBull

#usb #sublicense #usb-pid-vid

tsuneo · ‎2016-04-08

Posted on April 08, 2016 at 20:17

Hi daBull,

I agree with you.

ST has touched to sublicensing on their seminar,

(p40 of

http://www.st.com/web/en/fragment/corporate/event_information/event_image/STM32Cube_STM32F0_Hands_Workshop.pdf

)

however, it doesn't work at all. There is no description on this issue in their web.

As I know, these vendors allow their customer to sell customer's product with sublicense PID under vendor's VID. Also, most of these vendors distribute application form on their web site.

FTDI

http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Knowledgebase/index.html?caniuseftdisvidformypr.htm

Microchip

http://www.microchip.com/usblicensing/Default.aspx

NXP

https://www.lpcware.com/system/files/NXP%20LPC11U00%20VID%20program_v1.0_0.pdf

SiLabs

http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/pages/request-pid.aspx

TI MSP430

http://focus.ti.com/en/download/mcu/application_for_sublicense.pdf

TI TM4C

http://software-dl-1.ti.com/dsps/forms/vidtrackerMature.html

To: ST's staff on this forum,

I believe USB PID sublicense should provide strong tool for sales promotion. Please pass above list to your Sales department, so that they would consider on this issue more seriously.

Tsuneo

h239955 · ‎2016-04-11

Posted on April 11, 2016 at 10:06

Hi Tsuneo,

Thanks for your reply. Really interesting to see those links showing what's available from other manufacturers. Also to see that the Cube/STM32F0 Workshop presentation says ''USB VID/PID sublicensing service for free''. It's a bit cheeky of them to write that if they won't back it up!

daBull

jimd04 · ‎2016-04-18

Posted on April 19, 2016 at 04:09

I would like some info too. Let me know how it goes.

Amel NASRI · ‎2016-04-26

Posted on April 26, 2016 at 11:52

Hi All,

Please note that you should contact your Local STMicroelectronics representative and sign an agreement to get access to this free service from ST.

-Mayla-

To give better visibility on the answered topics, please click on Accept as Solution on the reply which solved your issue or answered your question.

h239955 · ‎2016-04-26

Posted on April 26, 2016 at 15:20

Success! I asked (through our distributor) for clarification of the message received earlier and we are now happy that we can use the PID that we were granted as we would wish.

Clarification Details:

Problem: The PID has been granted for development use only not production. We are aiming to use the PID for (small scale) production of our client's product range.
Clarification: ''The PID can be also used for production. At the moment it's just pending for approval from the USB organisation.''
Problem: The licence is revocable. We would need to know that the licence would our client's for the foreseeable future.
Clarification: ''This is right, but it's only for ST protection so the customers won't misuse the assigned PID. So in case of harm, misuse etc. will be noticed from ST side, the ST reserves the right to withdraw an assigned PID. Until now no PIDs have been taken back from any customers.''
Problem: The original mail gave the exact names of the products on which the PID may be used. Our client has already noticed an omission (on their part) in the list of products named. Is there a need on ST's part to be proscriptive in naming the products in which the PID may be used?
Clarification: ''As mentioned in my previous post, this is not 100% true. Actually you can use any name you wish. So you can use just the name ''<Client_name>'' or ''<Client_name> Devices'' and everything should be fine. You can't certify your device to use the USB logo, for this purpose, you need to purchase your own VID etc.''

whatcall · ‎2019-01-02

Really hard to contact for a PID!

I contacted Avnet and their FAE asked a ST FAE to help process. And then ST FAE told him that it was very few requests in China and this PID licensing process is mostly created for big companies in Europe.

So one and a half month passed and I got nothing responded.

I have a product to be released soon.