The ultra-small chip size package is suitable for USB 3.1 cables and cable adapters

     Cypress Semiconductor, a leader in the USB market, today announced the availability of its ultra-small integrated USB Type-C controller with power transfer (PD) capabilities. The programmable EZ-PD™ CCG2 controller is optimized for 2.4mm thick USB Type-C cable connectors and supports all USB Type-C downlink port (DFP) or Uplink port (UFP) applications. The EZ-PD CCG2 is packaged in a 3.3 mm2 wafer-scale chip-size package (WLCSP) and is the first programmable solution to fully integrate the Type-C transceiver and termination resistor required for Type-C communications.

     The USB Type-C standard is rapidly gaining support among top PC vendors, with its small, easy-to-use connectors and cables capable of transmitting 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.

     However, the Type-C standard requires electronic identification cables (EMcas) that report supported characteristics such as current carrying capacity, supported protocols, and vendor identity. Standard microcontrollers can be used to manufacture EMcas, but the design is complicated by the need for external ics and passive components.

     Cypress's EZ-PD CCG2 Type-C controller is well placed to meet this challenge because of its unprecedented level of integration, requiring only five or fewer external components and a reduced bill of materials. The product is ideal for passive and active EMCA cables, as well as cable adapters that link users' devices with Type-C interfaces to devices with display ports or HDMI ports.

     Ajay Srikrishna, vice president of Cypress USB Product Line, said, "Cypress's CCG1 controller opens the way for rapid adoption of USB Type-C by our top customers, bringing to market the standard's plug and play, multi-protocol connectivity, and power delivery capabilities. Today, our second-generation EZ-PD CCG2 Type-C controller offers an unmatched level of integration in a very small package, allowing us to offer optimized programmable solutions for electronic identification cables and cable connectors."

     The EZ-PD CCG2 controller has system-level ESD protection (8 kV contact discharge, 15 kV air discharge) in the bare chip, which eliminates the need for external components for protection, thereby reducing the size of the product and further reducing material requirements. With an ARM® Cortex™-M0 core and 32kB of flash memory, the controller has the flexibility to perform firmware upgrades during development, on the production line or in the field. This feature is especially helpful for dealing with future changes to the USB-IF specification, and compatibility can be achieved by simply updating the firmware version.