Build with FT4232H — Datasheet Specs & AI Design Help

00 — Overview

What the FT4232H does

The FT4232H is a quad high-speed USB to multipurpose UART/MPSSE IC featuring four independent serial channels. It supports USB 2.0 High Speed at 480Mb/s with a single 3.3V supply, 12Mbaud transfer rates, and 12MHz clock multipliers. The device handles the entire USB protocol internally, eliminating the need for specific firmware programming. Engineers typically use it to interface microcontrollers or FPGAs to USB systems, emulate protocols like JTAG, SPI, or I2C, and create field-upgradable USB products for industrial control, instrumentation, or data transfer applications without requiring custom driver development.

Next step

Start building with FT4232H → Every number above is cited straight from the datasheet — ask what they mean for your design, and the assistant answers from the same source documents.

01 — Key specifications

Datasheet parameters

Datasheet parameters for FT4232H
Parameter	Min	Typ	Max	Conditions	Source
quiescent current	—	30 mA	60 mA	High-speedoperation at 480MHz; iccphy; I/O Pin Characteristics (except USB PHY pins)	FTDI datasheet, p. 26 — Table 5.3 I/O Pin Characteristics (except USB PHY pins)
output current (abs max)	—	—	16 mA	Absolute Maximum Ratings	FTDI datasheet, p. 25 — Table 5.1 Absolute Maximum Ratings
supply voltage range	2.97 V	3.3 V	3.63 V	OSCI Input characteristics	FTDI datasheet, p. 32 — Table 6.1 OSCI Input characteristics
operating temperature (abs max)	-40 °C	—	85 °C	Ambient Operating Temperature (Power Applied)	FTDI datasheet, p. 25 — Table 5.1 Absolute Maximum Ratings
propagation delay	1 ns	—	7.15 ns	CLKOUT to TDI/DO delay, MPSSE	FTDI datasheet, p. 21 — Table 4.1 MPSSE Signal Timings
data rate	—	12 Mbps	—	RS232/RS422/RS485 UART interface	FTDI datasheet, p. 17
channel count	—	4	—		FTDI datasheet, p. 17

02 — Alternatives

Closest matches to FT4232H

RS0102 2.0× higher supply voltage range, 1.9× higher data rate, 1.1× lower propagation delay

SP3485E 2.1× higher output current, 2.0× higher propagation delay, 1.8× higher supply voltage range

GM3232E 3.8× higher output current, 2.5× higher propagation delay, 1.8× higher supply voltage range

PCA9509 2.4× higher supply voltage range, 1.2× higher output current, similar operating temperature

PCA9557BS 2.2× higher supply voltage range, 1.6× lower output current, similar operating temperature

SP3485 17.2× higher propagation delay, 2.1× higher output current, 1.8× higher supply voltage range

GM3485E 4.9× higher propagation delay, 3.2× higher output current, 2.4× higher supply voltage range

MAX232 3.8× higher output current, 3.0× lower quiescent current, 1.4× higher operating temperature

03 — FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the channel count of the FT4232H?

The channel count is 4.

What is the data rate for the FT4232H when using the RS232/RS422/RS485 UART interface?

The data rate is 12 Mbps.

What is the maximum ambient operating temperature with power applied for the FT4232H?

The maximum ambient operating temperature with power applied is 85 °C.

What is the absolute maximum output current for the FT4232H?

The absolute maximum output current is 16 mA.

What is the propagation delay from CLKOUT to TDI/DO in MPSSE mode?

The propagation delay from CLKOUT to TDI/DO in MPSSE mode is 7.15 ns.

What is the quiescent current for the FT4232H during high-speed operation at 480MHz?

The quiescent current is 30 mA under high-speed operation at 480MHz for the I/O Pin Characteristics (except USB PHY pins).

What is the supply voltage range for the FT4232H under OSCI Input characteristics?

The supply voltage range is 3.3 V.