Installing the USB7/AVR-CDC driver in Windows XP

Under Windows, you'll need to provide the CDC driver with an INF file before your USB7 will create a virtual com port.

Download the driver

You'll need to download this inf file (right click and choose 'save target as').

Installing the Driver

Go ahead and connect your USB7 now. Windows will make the familiar duh-dah noise and will shortly prompt you install a new driver.

Choose 'Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)', since we already have the driver and know where it is. Then click 'Next > '.

Windows really wants to search; choose 'Don't Search. I will choose the driver to install.' and then click 'Next > '. If you're prompted for a device type, choose 'Port' or 'COM Port'.

Simply click 'Have Disk' and continue with the next dialogue. If you have some drivers listed in this screen, you should be OK with choosing any of them.

Another easy one, click 'Browse...'.

Navigate and find the 'USB7.inf' file, then click 'Open'.

Just click 'OK'.

Now you should see the 'USB7' model show up. Go ahead and click the 'USB7' option, then 'Next > '.

Windows will warn you that the driver is not certified. All we're doing is installing Microsoft's own CDC driver, so click 'Continue Anyway'.

Wait while Windows installs the driver. It's copying some files, associating some things, and creating the new virtual COM port.

Hopefully everything went well at this point. Just click 'Finish'.

If you open device manager (Right click on 'My Computer', choose 'Properties', click the 'Hardware' tab, click the 'Device Manager' button.), you'll see the new virtual com port under 'Ports (COM & LPT)'.

Using the new device

Start up Hyper Terminal. In the first box, give the connection a name, and click 'OK'.

Choose the COM port we found earlier using Device Manager. (Usually, for a new device, you're safe picking the highest numbered COM port.) Click 'OK'.

Under connection properties, pick a reasonable speed and set flow control to 'None'. Click 'OK'.

Use your USB7.