Cypress Semiconductor introduces demo of integrated programmable USB Type-C port controller

     Cypress Semiconductor introduces the industry's first prototype integrated programmable USB Type-C port controller. The USB Type-C standard is rapidly gaining support among top PC vendors, with its small, easy-to-use connectors and cables capable of transferring data over multiple protocols and the ability to deliver up to 100 watts of power - a significant improvement over the previous 7.5-watt standard. These manufacturers are eagerly awaiting the introduction of this controller solution to bring a revolutionary new generation of cables, power adapters, notebooks and displays to market.

     The CCG1 Type-C port controller is based on Cypress's PSoC 4 programmable system-on-chip architecture. This architecture allows Cypress to quickly integrate the transceivers needed for Type-C communications, quickly launch products in a matter of weeks, and seize the beachhead of the Type-C port controller market. The market is expected to be worth $65 million in 2015 and $350 million by 2019, with a CAGR of 40%. The CCG1 USB Type-C controller integrates voltage monitoring and current monitoring circuits, which are critical for power adapters. The controller also offers design flexibility and can be upgraded during development, on the production line or in the field. In order to adapt to future changes in the USB-IF standard, this feature is particularly important, and only a simple firmware modification is required to meet the compatibility requirements.

     The plug height of the Type-C standard connector is only 2.4mm, significantly less than the existing 4.5mm USB Type-A standard connector. And it also allows USB signals to be transmitted over the same connector, as well as PCIe or display port signals.

     Badri Kothandaraman, Executive vice president of Data Communications at Cypress, said: "The unparalleled flexibility of our PSoC architecture has enabled us to quickly develop our CCG1 controller to meet the market demand for an integrated solution. The CCG1 provides a single connector and cable solution for the next generation of PCS and laptops that will be available later this year. It expands our USB product line and continues Cypress's 20-year role as an innovator in the USB business."

     "The USB 3.0 team surprised the industry last August by launching Type-C and Power Delivery 2.0 standards at the same time, because it was a completely new approach to implementation," says John Hyde, author of USB Design Examples. What's amazing is that Cypress had a working prototype at the first USB 3.1 developer day in September."

     Cypress's PSoC 4 architecture integrates the low-power ARM® Cortex™-M0 core with PSoC's unique programmable analog and digital peripherals to create the industry's most flexible, scalable low-power mixed-signal architecture. PSoC's forward-thinking design allows it to adapt to last-minute specification changes. It enables firmware-based modifications at any point in the design cycle, even in the field. All PSoC devices can be dynamically reconfigured, and designers can convert internal resources online to perform the same task with fewer ics.