Is that a Konqueror screen i see minimized? NICE! KDE rocks my socks!
I wouldn't risk it. I would order a USB to SERIAL adapter on eBay for a buck.
If you are hellbent on this continue reading.
The FT232RQ chip is a DB9 serial to universal serial converter with a few "extra pieces". That being said:
A quick look at Mouser and it looks like the FT232RQ Integrated Circuit (IC) should work. Make sure you pull your voltage from a different supply and not the IC I/O. If you are forced to use the IC, PIN 19, 18, and 1 (use any one, although all three would be safe but extra work for nothing) look like they would give you 5V DC @ 500mA (make sure you jump on to the trace after the fuse and before the IC), however, it will probably cause problems with the IC.
"At 2.6V DC the PWREN# pulsed during enumeration and RESET pulled up to VCCIO instead of VCC." In other words it will FUBAR (F**k Up Beyond All Repair) stuff. Especially when flashing a LiteOn. (Imagine your converter "rebooting" (term used loosely) in the middle of your flash... OUCH!)
Lacking another power source I would grab a USB cable and cut it in half and jump off of that Vcc. Make sure you cap the Rx, Tx, and ground lines to prevent shorts. Use a different USB hub. (Connect the converter to the front and the power source to the back of your rig or the other way around. Don't use the same hub for both as they share the same Vcc and will (possibly) cause problems.)
Make sure you get an NPN trans and not a PNP (I've made that mistake too many times and kick the crap out of myself trying to figure out why something won't work.)
Just remember: your idea, not mine. I am only offering an analysis of a chip set, not a guarantee of functionality!
It SHOULD work, however, unless you are very experienced in dealing with electronics I HIGHLY RECOMMEND a $1.00 DB9 to USB adapter. Your choice.
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning ~ Rich Cook
