How to Update or Reinstall the CH340C Driver on MacOS

How to Update or Reinstall the CH340C Driver on MacOS

How to Update or Reinstall the CH340C Driver on macOS

Common Causes of Issues:

The CH340C driver is commonly used for USB-to-serial communication, allowing your Mac to communicate with devices that use the CH340 chip (e.g., certain Arduino boards, serial adapters, and other embedded systems). If you're experiencing issues such as the device not being recognized or failing to establish a serial connection, it’s often due to outdated or missing drivers.

Some common causes of issues are:

Outdated Driver: If the CH340C driver hasn't been updated in a while, it may not be compatible with newer versions of macOS. Corrupted or Missing Driver Files: A corrupt or incomplete installation can prevent proper communication with the connected hardware. macOS Version Compatibility: Newer macOS versions may have different security settings or driver requirements, which can interfere with the correct installation of third-party drivers like CH340C. Permission Issues: macOS may block third-party drivers by default due to security settings, especially after system updates. Steps to Solve the Problem: Uninstall Previous CH340C Driver (if applicable) Before installing a new driver, it's important to remove any old versions to avoid conflicts. Open Finder and go to your Applications folder. Look for a CH340 or CH341 folder or installer. If you find one, use it to uninstall the driver. Alternatively, you can check /Library/Extensions/ for any CH340-related files (e.g., CH340.kext) and delete them. Empty the Trash to ensure all old driver files are completely removed. Download the Latest CH340C Driver for macOS Go to a reliable source to download the latest version of the CH340C driver. A common trusted location is the official site or GitHub repository where you can find the CH340 driver (make sure it's compatible with your macOS version). You can download the driver in the form of a .dmg or .pkg file. Install the Driver After downloading the driver, double-click the installer file to begin the installation. Follow the on-screen instructions. If your macOS is running macOS Catalina or later, you might need to approve the installation in the Security & Privacy settings. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General and click Allow for the CH340C driver if macOS has blocked it. The installation process should complete successfully. Grant System Permissions (if required) On newer versions of macOS, drivers need to be manually approved for use. If you see a prompt asking you to grant permission for the CH340 driver, make sure to approve it. If you missed this step, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, and click Allow for any blocked software. Reboot Your Mac After installation and permission changes, restart your computer to ensure that all changes are applied properly. This step is important because macOS may not load the driver until the system is restarted. Verify Installation After rebooting, connect your CH340-based device (e.g., Arduino) to your Mac via USB. Open System Information (Apple Menu > About This Mac > System Report) and look under USB to check if the device is recognized. If your device shows up, the installation was successful. Testing the Device Open a terminal or serial communication application (e.g., Arduino IDE or CoolTerm) and attempt to connect to the device using the appropriate serial port. If successful, your CH340C driver is correctly installed and functioning. Troubleshooting: Driver Not Detected: Ensure that you have installed the correct driver version for your macOS. macOS security settings can sometimes block third-party drivers, so be sure to check the Security & Privacy settings for any prompts. Device Not Recognized: After driver installation, check whether the correct serial port is selected in your serial terminal program. Permission Errors: If permissions are causing problems, try disabling System Integrity Protection (SIP) temporarily (for advanced users) or check that you've given macOS the necessary permissions in Security & Privacy.

By following these steps, you should be able to update or reinstall the CH340C driver on macOS and resolve common issues related to device recognition and communication.