CP2102 vs CH340, FT232RL and PL2303: the USB-UART bridge crosses compared (2026)
Engineers reach for a CH340 as the low-cost CP2102 replacement, but it is a different vendor's part with its own driver and USB Vendor ID / Product ID (VID/PID), so a host built around the Silicon Labs CP2102 will not recognize it without software changes. A USB-to-UART bridge is defined by its vendor's driver and VID/PID, not by its pinout, so matching the footprint does not make the part interchangeable. The driver and the package are the two things a distributor cross-reference will not tell you. This page compares the CP2102 with the crosses engineers weigh, cp2102 vs ch340, cp2102 vs ft232 and cp2102 vs pl2303, and Silicon Labs' own CP2102N. None of the parts compared is a drop-in. These are suggested candidates to validate in your own design, not drop-in equivalents.
Status // The part in question
Lifecycle status
The CP2102 is not end-of-life. DigiKey flags the CP2102-GMR "Not For New Designs" ("Not recommended for new design, minimums may apply"), with stock still on hand. Silicon Labs publishes no NRND or EOL word and states, verbatim, that it "expects to continue full production of the CP2102 until at least March 2029." The two records describe a distributor Not-For-New-Designs flag on a part the manufacturer still ships: the CP2102 remains in production and orderable, with no last-time-buy or EOL notice from Silicon Labs.
The flag is a design-out signal, not a supply emergency: it warrants a planned migration rather than a panic buy. Any move off the CP2102, the CP2102N successor included, is a requalification and should be budgeted as one.
Current stock, broker availability and minimum-order terms are dated data for the email, not this page.
Candidates // Why these
The candidate set
The comparison covers the four crosses in the table plus two near-siblings, the Silicon Labs CP2104 and the WCH CH9102, each with a specific fit-catch to validate in your own design. For reference, the CP2102 is a USB 2.0 full-speed USB-to-UART bridge with an integrated clock and Silicon Labs' VCP (virtual COM port) driver, enumerating under VID 0x10C4 in a QFN-28 package.
Catch: cross-vendor, cross-shopped on cost. Cross-shopped on unit cost, but a different vendor driver and USB VID/PID (WCH 0x1A86), an SOP-16 package, and the CH340G needs an external 12MHz crystal.
Catch: a different part, not a drop-in. Silicon Labs publishes AN976 "Migrating from a CP2102 to a CP2102N," whose existence signals register and hardware changes that force requalification; it ships in QFN-28/24/20, so the smaller variants change package and pinout.
Catch: cross-vendor to an EOL part. cp2102 vs ft232 searches, but the FT232RL is end-of-life (LTB of 1 June 2024 passed), so the live FTDI part is the FT232RNL. FTDI's VCP/D2XX driver and VID 0x0403 replace Silicon Labs'. Full swap on the FT232RL cross page below.
Catch: a Code 10 counterfeit trap. cp2102 vs pl2303 searches. Cross-vendor to Prolific's driver and VID 0x067B; Prolific's supported line is the PL-2303GC, and counterfeit PL-2303HX (Chip Rev A) chips cause a Windows Code 10 fault. See the PL2303 cross page below.
Catch: treat it as a redesign. Four GPIO where the CP2102 has none, and full production to at least November 2035, but a different pinout, package and feature set.
Catch: marketing is not a guarantee. Sold on modules as a CP2102 substitute, but different silicon, a different WCH driver and USB VID/PID, its own package. "CP2102 compatible" marketing is not a form-fit-function guarantee.
Identity // The driver is the tell
Same function, not the same driver
Pinout is not the axis here. No two of these parts share one: CP2102 QFN-28, CH340G SOP-16, FT232RL SSOP-28, PL2303 varies by version, CP2102N QFN-28/24/20. Every cross is a board change.
A parametric search cannot return what decides the cross. A distributor cross-reference filters by function (USB-to-UART) and data rate and hands back all of these parts, but the host driver and the USB VID/PID are not filterable columns, and neither is package fit against your layout. Anything on the host keyed to Silicon Labs' VID 0x10C4 or its VCP driver stops matching the moment the silicon changes vendor: CH340 under WCH's VID, the FTDI parts under 0x0403, Prolific under 0x067B. Only the CP2102N stays in Silicon Labs' driver family, and even that is a requalification per AN976.
CP2102 QFN-28 reference · only the CP2102N stays in the Silicon Labs driver family · every cross-vendor part changes the driver and USB VID/PID
Same function, not the same driver. The host driver and USB VID/PID change on every cross-vendor part, suggested candidates to validate in your own design, not drop-in equivalents.
Parametrics // Side by side
Comparison table
| CP2102 (NRND at DigiKey) | CH340G | FT232RL | PL2303 (EOL versions) | CP2102N | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Silicon Labs | WCH | FTDI | Prolific | Silicon Labs |
| Lifecycle | Full prod. to ≥Mar 2029 (SiLabs); NFND (DigiKey) | Active | EOL, LTB 1 Jun 2024 passed | GC recommended; counterfeit HX (Rev A) → Code 10 | Active |
| Host driver / USB VID:PID | SiLabs VCP, 0x10C4 | WCH, 0x1A86 | FTDI VCP/D2XX, 0x0403 | Prolific, 0x067B | SiLabs VCP, 0x10C4 (own PID) |
| Package | QFN-28 | SOP-16 | SSOP-28 | Varies by version | QFN-28 / 24 / 20 |
| Internal clock | Integrated | External 12MHz on CH340G | Integrated | Varies by version | Integrated |
| Same-vendor migration note | subject | none (cross-vendor) | FT232RNL is live part | PL-2303GC is live part | AN976 CP2102 → CP2102N |
The load-bearing rows are the host driver / USB VID:PID and the package: no cross keeps both. The two trap rows are the FT232RL (itself end-of-life, so cross to the FT232RNL) and the PL2303 (cross to Prolific's supported PL-2303GC; counterfeit PL-2303HX chips cause a Code 10 fault). Lifecycle and electrical figures are vendor/distributor-reported, not independently audited.
FAQ // Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions
Is the CP2102 obsolete or still in production?
The CP2102 is still in production, not obsolete. Silicon Labs states it expects full production of the CP2102 until at least March 2029, while DigiKey separately flags the CP2102-GMR as "Not For New Designs." It remains buyable but carries that distributor flag, with no Silicon Labs EOL notice published for the part, which makes it a candidate to design out on a planned schedule.
What is the difference between the CP2102 and the CH340?
Both do the same serial job; what differs is the vendor driver and the USB VID/PID. The CP2102 uses Silicon Labs' VCP driver and Vendor ID 0x10C4, while the CH340 uses WCH's driver and Vendor ID 0x1A86, so host software keyed to Silicon Labs will not enumerate a CH340 without changes. The CH340G also needs an external 12MHz crystal where the CP2102 integrates its clock, and the CH340 is generally cross-shopped as the lower-cost, maker-grade option.
CP2102 vs FT232 vs PL2303 for USB-serial, which one?
All three are USB-to-UART bridges with the same serial function, so the choice comes down to the host driver, the USB VID/PID and each part's lifecycle status. Two of the three carry a lifecycle trap: the FT232RL is end-of-life (last-time-buy 1 June 2024 passed, cross to the FT232RNL) and the legacy PL-2303HX chips have a counterfeit-driver problem (Code 10), so Prolific points to the PL-2303GC, while the CP2102 itself is in production but flagged Not For New Designs at DigiKey. The deciding factors are the driver ecosystem and each part's lifecycle, with the package and host enumeration to validate in your own design.
Is the CP2102N a drop-in replacement for the CP2102?
No, the CP2102N is a different part that requires requalification, not a drop-in. Silicon Labs publishes AN976 "Migrating from a CP2102 to a CP2102N," and a dedicated porting guide signals register and hardware differences. The CP2102N also ships in QFN-28, QFN-24 and QFN-20 packages, so the smaller variants change the pinout and footprint versus the QFN-28 CP2102. It keeps Silicon Labs' driver family, which is its main advantage, but it enters the design as a new part.
What is the replacement or alternative for the CP2102 now that it is Not For New Designs?
There is no single drop-in; the realistic paths are the Silicon Labs CP2102N successor (per porting guide AN976) or the sibling CP2104, plus the cross-vendor bridges engineers compare, the WCH CH340, the FTDI FT232RNL and the Prolific PL2303GC. Each changes at least the package or the driver and USB VID/PID, so each is a suggested candidate to validate in your own system, not a guaranteed drop-in.
CH340 or CP2102 on ESP32 boards, which USB bridge?
On an ESP32 board the serial link is identical either way; what changes is the driver and the cost. The CH340 is the lower-cost bridge and the CP2102 is the Silicon Labs part, and each needs its own vendor VCP driver installed on the host. For a new design, the CP2102 is flagged Not For New Designs at DigiKey while Silicon Labs still ships it, so the CP2102N or the CH340 are the options for a part without that distributor flag.
What is the difference between the CP2102 and FTDI?
Each runs its own vendor stack: the CP2102 uses Silicon Labs' VCP driver and Vendor ID 0x10C4, while the FTDI parts use FTDI's VCP/D2XX driver and Vendor ID 0x0403, so host software keyed to one will not enumerate the other without changes. The FT232RL that many readers name is itself end-of-life, so the live FTDI cross is the FT232RNL.
Sources // Public, primary
Sources
- Silicon Labs CP2102 product page (full production until at least March 2029)
- DigiKey CP2102-GMR product page (Part Status: Not For New Designs)
- DigiKey CP2102-GMR, archived 2025-09-09 (Not For New Designs field, verbatim)
- Silicon Labs CP2102N datasheet (PDF)
- Silicon Labs USB-to-UART bridge VCP drivers (VID 0x10C4)
- FTDI R-series end-of-life notice, last-time-buy 1 June 2024 (PDF)
- FTDI FT232RNL product page (live FTDI cross)
- Prolific PL2303 Windows driver / EOL chip-version support notice
- WCH CH340G (LCSC product page, in production)
- DigiKey TechForum: "CP2102 alternative"
Part of // Featured in
Related reading
Editorially independent and from public sources only; lifecycle, package, driver and rating data is vendor- or distributor-reported, not independently audited. Alternates are candidates to validate in your own design. Confirm every detail with the manufacturer before committing.
About the author
Editorially independent and from public sources only; lifecycle, pin and rating data is vendor-reported, not independently audited. Alternates are candidates to validate in your own design. Confirm every detail with the manufacturer before committing.