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Need an Help to to read the Laptops/TAB's VID and PID using STM32F103 Series MCU Via Type C usb

sivarajnxgen
Associate

‎2024-02-20 2:47 AM

Hi Team, 

     We are using the STM32F103RDT6 microcontroller in one of our projects. The end-user application of our project is a laptop vending machine. Simply put, students can acquire laptops/tablets by using their IDs. However, we are facing difficulties in verifying whether the laptops/tablets returned by the students are the same devices they took. All of the devices are Type-C only.

Therefore, we are planning to automatically read the Vendor ID (VID) and Product ID (PID) of the devices (laptops/tablets) using the STM32 microcontroller. Can you suggest or help us with the procedure to make this happen? Is it possible to read the Product ID using STM32?

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Andrew Neil
Super User

‎2024-02-20 2:53 AM

Surely, the VID & PID are properties of the USB Device (ie, your STM32) - not the Host (ie, the laptop) ?

:thinking_face:

https://www.oshwa.org/2013/11/19/new-faq-on-usb-vendor-id-and-product-id/#:~:text=USB%20vendor%20IDs%20(VID)%20and%20product%20IDs%20(PID)%20are%2016%2Dbit%20numbers%20used%20to%20identify%20USB%20devices%20to%20a%20computer%20or%20other%20host

 

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.
A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work.
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tjaekel
Lead
In response to Andrew Neil

‎2024-02-20 10:58 PM

It sounds like, you have a misunderstanding about USB VID and PID:
as Andrew Neil has pointed out: the VID and PID are provided by a USB Device:

If you connect a laptop with an USB Device - this USB device (your STM32 MCU) will send the VID and PID:

  • but these VID and PID are usually associated with a driver which the laptop has to activate (in order to talk to the STM32 MCU): the laptop needs to get the USB Enumeration from the device, e.g. if is it a Mass Storage Device (USB memory stick), a VCP UART, a HID device (mouse and keyboard) or something else.
  • and "hijacking" an USB VID is not "legal":
    every vendor of USB Devices (e.g. Memory Sticks) has a VID: this is registered, and these companies might pay for the database entry. You cannot simply "fake" or "hijack" a vendor ID (it is not legal; it belongs to a company "following the rules" for USB product registration)

So, I assume this use case:

  • all the laptops are connected on an STM32 MCU which should "assign" a unique ID to every laptop (before rented or taken away)
  • if a student grabs a laptop - you want to verify later, when they return the laptop, if is the "same" one.

What you could do:

  • all the laptops are connected to an STM32 MCU (via USB)
  • but the laptop "talks" to the STM32 MCU (e.g. via VCP UART)
  • and every laptop receives a Unique ID from STM32 MCU - check out what UUID is!
  • Such a UUID can be a combination of time, data, a random number...
  • store this UUID, assigned by a STM32 MCU somewhere on the laptop (e.g. in registry): you need a special application running on laptop, the users have to start, e.g. a "RentMeApp"
  • this stores such an UUID, generated by a STM32 MCU (when connected via USB to it)
  • Later, when returning the laptops: you start a SW App again, on laptop, which looks for the stored UUID
    and displays it (e.g. an App "ReturnMeApp": it will display (and maybe decode) the UUID assigned and stored - now you can check which laptop was returned
  • You need SW on your laptop: STM32 with USB cannot "solve" your issue.
    (all laptops would connect to the same STM32 MCU with the same VID and PID - you need other means to realize which laptop is which, e.g. via UUID, generated by the STM32 MCU)
Andrew Neil
Super User
In response to tjaekel

‎2024-02-21 1:10 AM - edited ‎2024-02-21 1:23 AM

@tjaekel wrote:
  • You need SW on your laptop: STM32 with USB cannot "solve" your issue [alone].

^^^ This! ^^^

Some other things often used for creating a "Unique ID" for a computer include:

  • Hard driver serial number
  • Ethernet / WiFi / BT MAC(s)

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/99880/generating-a-unique-machine-id 

https://licensespring.com/blog/guide/a-complete-guide-about-computer-ids/#:~:text=software%20license%20so.-,What%20are%20Different%20Ways%20to%20Generate%20a%20Device%20ID%3F,-Manual%20assignment%3A%20One 

I guess, on a modern PC, the TPM could be used?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/security/hardware-security/tpm/trusted-platform-module-overview

 

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.
A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work.
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