Obtaining a USB Vendor/Product ID?

Qeygh asks: "I am interested in developing some hardware devices for my own use and, since RS-232 is dying, would like to use USB to communicate with them. If they work out well I may offer kits for sale. To do this right I should get a USB Vendor ID so that the devices can be uniquely identified by the host; but, being cheap, I don't want to drop the $1500 that USB.org charges for one. Does anyone know of any alternatives -- perhaps someone who bought a Vendor ID and re-sells small blocks of Product IDs? If no-one out there is doing this yet, is it a service that anyone else would use?"

Comments

Re:If you're going to sell kits...

[thecampbeln]

Backup just a little bit... the guy is trying to something on the cheap while also trying doing it right! There's nothing wrong with that! *IF* his shit goes to plan, then he may do kits, but until then it's not a business.

Your last bit of advice is the best... If you're not going to sell kits, you don't need your own Vendor ID. Just use nulls for everything, or make one up for your own lab purposes.... As long as this'll work for testing purposes, this should do him just fine.

On another note, I agree with $1500 being inexpensive for a block, I thought it was a typo at first as for a business, that's less then a drop in the bucket! I agree with everything you said, just watch admonishing a guy who's doing the right thing, is all =)

Re:If you're going to sell kits...

[Blkdeath]

the guy is trying to something on the cheap while also trying doing it right! There's nothing wrong with that!

By the sounds of the article, it sounds as if he's going to sell a few kits to recoup some cash, and/or because others are interested and he wants to share. It doesn't sound to me as if he wants to become the next Rockafeller out of the deal.

Your last bit of advice is the best... If you're not going to sell kits, you don't need your own Vendor ID. Just use nulls for everything, or make one up for your own lab purposes.... As long as this'll work for testing purposes, this should do him just fine.

People used to say the same thing about IPv4 space. "Just use whatever block you want; it's only a lab!" Suddenly companies small and large alike are finding people announcing routes for their IP space halfway across the Internet. In other words, if you're going to "make up" your vendor ID, try to find a reserved/testing block or ensure that these devices will never get into the wild.

On another note, I agree with $1500 being inexpensive for a block, I thought it was a typo at first as for a business, that's less then a drop in the bucket!

Sounds like you've never run a small / SOHO business my friend. :)