Renesas Electronics announced a new Universal Serial Bus (USB) Power Delivery (PD) controller that supports USB Power Delivery 3.0. The new controller features DC power supply with safe and secure power delivery technology that implements power supply and data communications over a single USB cable. Renesas also introduced the first power supply IC supporting the power rules requirements in USB 2.0 and 3.0 Power Delivery.
The new Renesas USB PD controller (part number R9A02G011, successor of µPD720250) supports not only PC and smart phone applications, but also a wide range of devices using direct current (DC) power, including PC peripherals, AC adapters, projectors, and consumer electronics in general.
The USB Power Delivery specification from USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) increases the maximum rating of USB charging from 7.5 W (based on the earlier USB specifications) to 100W with different voltage levels up to 20V at 5A. With the arrival of USB PD and the new USB Type-C connector, the usage models of USB charging and data communication are expected to increase significantly.
The USB Power Delivery 3.0 specification adds features such as enabling authentication message exchange for USB Type-C to USB Type-C cables. For device designers and system developers, adopting the Renesas R9A02G011 controller in their devices will make it possible to develop systems with faster charging times. In addition, the new controller reduces system development costs by simultaneously supporting data communication and power supply over a single USB cable, and simplifying many connections existing between devices.
With the rapid demand growth for devices using USB charging, the potential for sub-standard and non-compliant USB accessories (e.g., cables) entering the market increases substantially. The need for identifying non-compliant USB products becomes critically important, particularly for the high-power charging designs based on the USB PD. As a long-time, key supporter of USB-IF, Renesas supports the requirements of the new USB Power Delivery 3.0 specification.
Renesas will also deliver R9A02G011-based solutions combining Renesas’ authentication processor and advanced power supply control technologies. These solutions will be the building blocks to support the safety, security, efficiency and robustness needs for the upcoming USB PD eco-systems.
Key features
The R9A02G011 supports both USB Power Delivery 3.0 and USB Type-CTM specifications. This new device includes integrated on-chip flash ROM, oscillator and power-on reset circuits, and other features, allowing the number of external components to be reduced significantly. As a result, the new USB PD controller can be used in a wide range of applications with limited board space. The R9A02G011 contributes to safe and secure structures in USB PD power supply, supporting systems as well as reduced development costs. It is provided in a small 32-pin QFN package (other package products are under consideration.)
In combination with Renesas’ power supply technology, Renesas intends to provide an extensive lineup of reference boards that makes manufacturers’ design processes even safer and easier. As with the reference boards for the earlier Renesas µPD720250, Renesas will provide an extensive lineup of power-receiving and power-supplying boards that include the new USB PD 3.0 controller. All reference boards make it possible to quickly evaluate the user's existing devices as USB PD supporting devices. By collaborating with other companies, Renesas will provide reference boards as safe and secure solutions, including cables and connectors as well as electronic components.
Samples of the R9A02G011 are now available. Mass production is scheduled to begin in May 2016 and is expected to reach a volume of 1,000,000 units per month. In addition, Renesas released multiple reference boards incorporating this new device.
Industry-First Power Supply IC for USB 3.0
Renesas also released an industry-first high-efficiency power supply IC, the RAA230161, that supports the Power Rules requirements as defined in USB Power Delivery (USB PD) 2.0 and 3.0 specifications from USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). This IC can be used with a wide variety of equipment that uses direct current (DC) power, from AC adapters and PC peripheral equipment to home and office equipment, and hub applications.
The new high-efficiency power supply IC allows system manufacturers to quickly and easily implement safe and reliable power supply equipment that is based on the USB PD 2.0 and 3.0 specifications. In particular, in addition to the maximum 7.5 W (5 V at 1.5 A) of the earlier USB standards, this new standard adds Power Rules based on 15 W (5 V at 3 A), 27 W (9 V at 3 A), 45 W (15 V at 3 A), 60 W (20 V at 3 A), and 100 W (20 V at 5 A) capacities. As a result, power supply designers are faced with challenges supporting multiple voltage levels of the USB PD standards, output voltage switching, and handling large currents as up to 3 A.
Also, as the concerns for hazards (e.g., overheating on non-compliant cables) associated with larger currents increases, new designs for USB PD power supply will need to provide a higher level of safety and reliability. Given these conditions, Renesas moved up its development of technology for “Simple DC/DC” called for by users of Renesas microcontroller (MCU) and system-on-chip (SoC) devices, and developed power supply ICs centered around DC/DC converters that can achieve an efficiency rate of up to a 95-percent leading to less power loss, as devices that can resolve the issues in the construction of power supply equipment that supports the USB PD 2.0 and 3.0 standards.
The new RAA230161 power supply IC achieves an efficiency rate up to a 95-percent and suppresses heat generation. The DC/DC converter block in this new device. The RAA230161 has a 20-pin TSSOP package with a built-in heat sink, which suppresses the heat generation associated with increased power levels. The step down DC/DC converter handles currents up to 3 A, operates at 500 kHz, and has an input voltage of 24 V and output voltages of 5 V, 9 V, 12 V, 15 V, and 20 V.
The RAA230161 monitors the output current value with a high-functionality power supply status monitoring circuit and protects the system so that current in excess of a set value is not output. Since it also incorporates various protection functions, including overvoltage protection, overcurrent protection, and short circuit protection, compared to designing a power supply circuit with discrete components, it can reduce the circuit board mounting area by 50 percent compared to earlier Renesas devices.
Renesas is deploying, in order, a sequence of reference boards that include Renesas' R9A02G011 USB PD 3.0 controller. Since existing user equipment can be immediately evaluated as USB PD supporting power supply equipment using these references, at the same time as achieving high levels of safety – patent pending. Samples of the RAA230161 are available now. Mass production is scheduled to begin in September 2016 with a volume of 500,000 units per month.
www.renesas.com
