FTDI basic breakout modification

Archive SparkFun Site Questions/Comments
1

I want to modify an [FTDI Basic Breakout for 5 volts, but the instructions previously posted in the comments seem to be unnecessarily complicated. It should be possible to do it like this:

http://whosawhatsis.com/paraphernalia/ftdi_basic_5v.jpg

However, I don’t know if it is necessary to disconnect C1, and I would rather keep it in the circuit if possible. It should not be necessary to remove it if C1 is rated for the voltage, but the tiny part doesn’t seem to have any markings to indicate its rating. Is there some way (short putting 5V across it and seeing if it pops) to know if this capacitor can handle 5 volts, or can someone at sparkfun check the specs for the part being used?

Also, it would be really nice if a future version of this board could include a selectable solder jumper to switch between 3.3V and 5V.](FTDI Basic Breakout - 3.3V - DEV-08772 - SparkFun Electronics)

2

Well, I got impatient and tried it. Apparently the capacitor on my particular board can handle the voltage, but I’d still like to know if the capacitor is rated for 5V+ or if the one on my board just happens to be a bit above spec.