Mac Arduino Driver

Permanent Redirect. Download the Arduino Software (IDE) Get the latest version from the download page. The file is in Zip format; if you use Safari it will be automatically expanded. If you use a different browser you may need to extract it manually. Copy the Arduino application into the Applications folder (or elsewhere on your computer).

The CH340 chip is used by a number of Arduino compatible boards to provide USB connectivity, you may need to install a driver, don’t panic, it’s easier than falling off a log, and much less painful.


Windows

(Manufacturer’s Chinese Info Link)

  1. Download the Windows CH340 Driver
  2. Unzip the file
  3. Run the installer which you unzipped
  4. In the Arduino IDE when the CH340 is connected you will see a COM Port in the Tools > Serial Port menu, the COM number for your device may vary depending on your system.

Older Windows Driver Version and Instructions

  1. Download the Windows CH340 Driver
  2. Unzip the folder.
  3. If you are running a 64Bit Windows: – run the SETUP_64.EXE installer.
  4. If you are running a 32Bit Windows: – run the SETUP_32.EXE installer.
  5. If you don’t know, try the 64 bit and if it doesn’t work, the 32 bit.
  6. In the Arduino IDE when the CH340 is connected you will see a COM Port in the Tools > Serial Port menu, the COM number for your device may vary depending on your system.

Macintosh

(Manufacturer’s Chinese Info Link)

The following github has up to day pkg files for 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 at time of writing, thanks to Joshua Wallis for bringing this to my attention…

Direct Download Links (from the github repo above):

See the github link above for installation instructions if you need them.

Mac

Previous macinstosh downloads if the above doesn’t work for you…

(V1.3) Download the CH340 Macintosh Signed Driver for Mavericks (10.9), Yosemite (10.10) and El Capitan (10.11) and Sierra (10.12)

Inside the zip file you will find a PDF and a “pkg” file, short version, double click the pkg file, the PDF has some extra information.

OSX Sierra (10.12) Note

A kindly user, Maarten Segers reports

FYI, the driver documented here WILL crash on OSX Sierra.

Make sure to use this one instead: https://github.com/MPParsley/ch340g-ch34g-ch34x-mac-os-x-driver

I can personally not test on MacOS and can not vouch for the above drivers at github, but there you go.

Mac Arduino Driver

See uninstalling information at the bottom of the page if the driver causes problems for you.

Here is an older version of the Mac driver, NOT FOR 10.12 Sierra

(V1.0) Download the CH340 Macintosh Signed Driver for Mavericks (10.9), Yosemite (10.10) and El Capitan (10.11)

Linux

(Manufacturer’s Chinese Info Link)

Drivers are almost certainly built into your Linux kernel already and it will probably just work as soon as you plug it in. If not you can download the Linux CH340 Driver (but I’d recommend just upgrading your Linux install so that you get the “built in” one).

Uninstalling From Macinstosh

A couple of Mac users have said “the driver crashes my mac Sierra how do I uninstall”.

Firstly regards the crash make sure you installed the 1.3 version of the driver, not the old one. You could download it directly from the Manufacturers Website in case they have issued an update since I wrote this page.

Secondly a quick google search reveals that this is how you uninstall:

  1. Open a terminal and type: cd /Library/Extensions/
  2. Verify that the .kext file is present: ls | grep usbserial.kext
  3. Output should be: usbserial.kext
  4. Then type: sudo rm -R usbserial.kext
  5. Verify that the .kext file has been removed: ls | grep usbserial.kext
  6. Output should be empty.
  7. After you should remove the files stored in receipts folder: cd /private/var/db/receipts/
  8. Find the enties: ls | grep usbserial*
  9. Output should be: codebender.cc.ch34xinstaller.usbserial.pkg.bom codebender.cc.ch34xinstaller.usbserial.pkg.plist
  10. Remove each one of the files of the above list: sudo rm -r filename`

So I bought some Arduino Nano (https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardNano) over Amazon lately and was amazed that I got 5 boards for only ~15 EUR by some chinese retailer. When I finally found some time and wanted to start programming with the Nano modules I couldn’t manage to connect them to the Arduino IDE.

Driver

If connected via USB you normally have to make the USB connection first, start the Arduino IDE and finally have to select the model and mainly the port over the Tools menu. I did so on my OSX 10.11 ( El Capitan ), but the Nano module didn’t show up on the ports list. Only /dev/cu.Bluetooth-Incoming-Port was listed.

After some days of random Google researches and several driver installations without fixing the problem, I finally found out that there are two main USB to UART converter chips used which need different drivers.

Official boards use FT232 some chinese boards use a CH340 Chip

First have a look at the USB modules on your board and read if it says something like „CH34*“ or „FT232“. You could with the chip on the backside of the Arduino board like this:

First of all be sure that your board is still working and is detected at the USB Port. So go by „Apple Logo top left“ > „About This Mac“ > „System Report“ > „Hardware / USB„. Try this once without the Arduino board connected and once with the board connected. There should be an additional USB device listed. With the original Arduino boards you might directly get the board name, like „Arduino Leonard“. With the cheaper models it maybe just say „USB Device 2.0“.

For the official Arduino boards with the FT232 chips you need the FTDI Driver. Those drivers are officially signed by Apple too. No further problems to be expected. Do the following steps:

Mac Arduino Driver
  • Download the drivers ( Version 2.3 and later ) from here: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
  • Install the downloaded .pkg file
  • restart the computer
  • You should find a new port listed within the Arduino IDE, like /dev/tty.usbserial-xxxxxxxx

For other boards using the CH34x chip you need those drivers. The problem here is, that they are currently not signed by Apple ( and probably will never ). So we have to switch of the security mode. This is of course officially not recommended. WARNING: This will not work with OSX 10.12 (macOS / OSX Sierra). For macOS 10.12 or later you could use the following solution. Please do not do this with those versions as this will stop the boot process and you have to unset this via recovery mode.

Esp8266 arduino mac driver

For OSX 10.9 – 10.11. you could do the following steps:

  • Download the drivers from here: http://www.wch.cn/downfile/178
  • Install the downloaded .pkg file
  • restart the computer
  • run the following command within the terminal sudo nvram boot-args='kext-dev-mode=1'
  • after confirming this with your admin password, restart the computer
  • You should find a new port listed within the Arduino IDE, like /dev/cu.wchusbserial1d10

Mac Arduino Driver Update

If you want to remove those drivers later remove all file like „FTDIUSBSerialDriver.kext“ or „usbserial.kext“ from the /Library/Extensions directory.

Mac Arduino Nano Driver

cheers.
Sebastian