USB Type-C Controllers Support PD 1.2 Standard

Fairchild today announced that its FUSB302 family of USB Type-C controllers are the industry's first to be compatible with the latest updates to the USB Type-C standard, including Power Delivery (PD) specification. This enables manufacturers using the FUSB302 to easily support all current and previous versions of the USB Type-C specifications in their products.

The USB Implementer Forum (IF) recently released updates to the USB Type-C, USB Type-C Cable and Connector, and USB Power Delivery specifications. The updates resolve known issues and add important new features, including support for new IEC power supplies.

Unlike other USB Type-C controllers, the FUSB302 was designed for use with existing microprocessors via the I2C protocol. This flexibility allows changes to the various USB Type-C specifications to be easily supported via firmware rather than hardware.

“Our FUSB302 line of USB Type-C controllers addresses manufacturers’ concerns over updates to the specifications, so they can easily add the next generation of USB functionality to their smartphones, tablets, PCs and other mobile devices,” said Myron Miske, Interface and Protection Product Line Director at Fairchild. “The FUSB302’s combination of small size, low power consumption and ‘investment protection’ advantages have made it a popular solution used in many products shipping today.”

“With Fairchild’s FUSB302 family of controllers, you can update your device along with the specification updates and changes. The FUSB302 controllers are designed to be the Type-C and PD interface between the current system and the new Type-C connector. With this new approach, we have intentionally split the Type-C/PD system architecture into two separate components, hardware and software,” added Fairchild’s Tony Lee in a blog posting.

“On the hardware side, we have built everything developers need to implement a Type-C design, including the Pull up (Rp), Pull down (Rd) and Vconn switches to fully support the Type-C specification. Additionally, the FUSB302 integrates the BMC transmitter and receiver to support PD applications. On the software side, we provide generic Type-C and PD firmware to support all types of applications. With this dual approach, users are able to continuously update their devices to the latest specifications,” Lee concluded.

The new FUSB302B is the latest addition to the FUSB302 family. It is the smallest USB Type-C controller with PD capability currently available, measuring a mere 1.2 mm x 1.3 mm in a 9-ball WLCSP package. Its small size is complimented by its ultra-low power consumption of 25µA, a critical advantage for battery-powered devices. FUSB302B also supports data role swap, power role swap, hard reset, soft reset, active cables and vendor defined messages (VDM) packet transmission.