This page is where you specify some basic parameters that HIDmaker FS will need in order to correctly generate your USB Human Interface Device project software.

Set the location for the project software files that HIDmaker FS will create for you, and enter some information that describes your device. If you check the box next to many of the text boxes on this page, the string you enter into that box will be placed in your device firmware in a way that can be read by the PC when your USB HID device operates.

A Note About Vendor IDs and Product IDs

Every USB device must have a Vendor ID and a Product ID in order to be recognized by the PC host, so there are places on this page of the HIDmaker FS wizard for you to enter these. But how do you obtain these numbers?

Strictly speaking, if you plan to manufacture your device, you’ll need a unique combination of a Vendor ID number and a Product ID number for your device before you can sell it. Depending on what you are trying to do, there may or may not be a cost involved.

If you are planning to make a number of high-volume products, you'll need to apply for an official Vendor ID from USB Implementers Forum. There is a cost for this, so see their web site at http://www.usb.org for details. They will provide you with a 16-bit Vendor ID number, which gives you the right to sell as many as 65536 different USB designs. For each distinct design, you would enter the official Vendor ID that you have purchased, in the Vendor ID text box shown above. You can enter any 16-bit Product ID number that you want (as long as you pick one that you haven't already used for a different product).

If you are only experimenting with a device connected to your own PC in your own lab, and you are not attempting to sell or distribute your USB device, you can use an existing Vendor ID such as the one Microchip uses in its examples, and use any convenient Product ID number that doesn't conflict with any other USB devices that your PC recognizes.

There is a third alternative available for small commercial projects. If you plan to manufacture your device in modest production quantities, you can apply to Microchip for permission to use Microchip's Vendor ID, along with a Product ID that Microchip will assign to you, free of charge for your product. See the Microchip web site for details.

Please do not attempt to sell or distribute your USB device without permission to use a valid Vendor ID / Product ID combination.

Next: Step 4: Define Configuration and Interface Info >>

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