PL2303 ( PL2303RA ) features:
EEPROM Configuration
The default configuration descriptors are stored in the chip internally which will be loaded during
power-on reset or USB bus reset whenever OTPROM (One-Time Programmable ROM) is empty.
Several of the USB descriptors could be modified and stored to the OTPROM during device startup like
Vendor ID (VID), Product ID (PID), Serial Number, Product String, and other configuration descriptors.
The OTPROM can be programmed twice using the dedicated PL2303RA EEPROM Writer utility
software which can be requested from Prolific or authorized distributors
The PL2303RA supports versatile data formats and has a programmable baud rate generator. The
supported data formats are shown on Table 7-1. The programmable baud rate generator supports baud
rates up to 1Mbps and standard driver already supports several baud rate settings
PL2303RA provides a convenient solution for connecting an RS232 full-duplex asynchronous serial
device to any Universal Serial Bus (USB) capable host. Prolific provides highly compatible Virtual COM
Port drivers that simulate the traditional COM port on most operating systems allowing the existing
applications based on COM port to easily migrate and be made USB ready.
PL2303RA also integrates a high baud rate RS-232 transceiver that meets the EIA/TIA-232F and
CCITT V.28 communications interface specifications. The RS-232 transceiver is a 3-transmitters and
5-receivers device with a high-efficient charge pump circuit embedded. This high-efficient charge pump
circuit with 1uF external capacitors provides the bipolar output to the transmitters, and makes the
transmitters to deliver the RS-232 output voltage levels. Under normal operation, PL2303RA operates
at very low power consumption with guaranteed data rate up to 1000kbps. PL2303RA also has an
active-low shutdown indicating pin that can serve as a shutdown indicator for special application
purposes.
By taking advantage of USB bulk transfer mode, large data buffers, and automatic flow control,
PL2303RA is capable of achieving higher throughput compared to traditional UART (Universal
Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) ports. The flexible baud rate generator of PL2303RA could be
programmed to generate any rate between 75 bps to 1M bps.
PL2303RA is exclusively designed for mobile and embedded solutions in mind, providing a small
footprint that could easily fit in to any connectors and handheld devices. With very small power
consumption in either operating or suspend mode, PL2303RA is perfect for bus powered operation
with plenty of power left for the attached devices.

Fully Compliant with USB Specification v2.0 (Full-Speed)
UHCI/OHCI (USB1.1), EHCI (USB 2.0), xHCI (USB 3.0) Host Controller Compatible
on-chip USB 1.1 transceiver, 5V?3.3V regulator, and 96MHz Clock Generator
Built-in RS232 Transceiver
Meets EIA/TIA-232F standards with 5.0V power supply
Guaranteed 1000kbps transmission rate under loading
Three RS232 Drivers design
Five RS232 Receivers (always active)
Latch-up free
RS232 Serial Port Output Interface
Full-duplex transmitter and receiver (TXD and RXD)
Six MODEM control pins (RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR, DCD, and RI)
5, 6, 7 or 8 data bits
Odd, Even, Mark, Space, or None parity mode
One, one and a half, or two stop bits
Parity error, frame error, and serial break detection
Programmable baud rate from 75 bps to 1M bps
Provides RS232 power down indicator pin
Works with existing PC COM Port software applications
Extensive Flow Control Mechanism
Adjustable high/low watermark level
Automatic hardware flow control with CTS/RTS or DSR/DTR
Automatic software flow control with XON/XOFF
Inbound data buffer overflow detection
Configurable 512-byte bi-directional data buffer
256-byte outbound buffer and 256-byte inbound buffer; or
128-byte outbound buffer and 384-byte inbound buffer
Supports Remote Wake-up from RS232 input pin signals (RI, RXD, DSR, DCD, CTS)
Four (4) General Purpose I/O (GP0, GP1, GP2, & GP3) pins
On-chip OTP (One Time Programmable) ROM for writing startup device configurations
Provides royalty-free Virtual COM Port (VCP) drivers for:
Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and 7 (Microsoft Certified WHQL Logo Drivers)
Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2008 R2
Windows 8
Windows CE 4.2, 5.0, 6.0, and Windows Embedded Compact 7
Windows XP Embedded (XPe), Point-of-Service (WEPOS), and POSReady
Mac OS 8/9, OS X
Linux/Android kernel 2.4.31 and above includes built-in drivers
Provides Driver Customization for Customer USB VID/PID and special baud rates