Renesas Electronics Introduces USB 3.0 Hub Controller With Industry-Leading Low Power Consumption and Small Mounting Area

TOKYO & SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the availability of its SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) hub controller system-on-chip (SoC), the μPD720210, for use in hubs that enable connection of multiple devices supporting the USB 3.0 standard, such as PC peripherals and digital TVs.

The USB interface standard has been widely adopted worldwide. The recent proliferation of video content and large-capacity recording media has increased demand for interfaces capable of handling higher data transfer rates. In response, new products are coming to market with support for USB 3.0, which delivers speeds 10 times faster than the 480 megabits per second of USB 2.0 speeds. Adoption of USB 3.0 in non-PC products, such as digital consumer electronics, is growing due to factors such as the appearance of solid state drives (SSDs), which allow reading and writing of data at faster speeds than conventional hard disk drives (HDDs), and chipsets with a built-in USB 3.0 host controller.

A USB 3.0 hub device supports the proliferation of USB 3.0–compatible peripheral devices by allowing multiple such devices to connect to a single host device, enabling consumers to have a more efficient and intuitive experience with their electronics. Products with built-in USB 3.0 hubs are beginning to appear, including docking stations, monitors, and digital TVs, enabling high-speed data transfer with a variety of peripheral devices. Featuring compact packaging and integrated peripheral components, the new μPD720210 hub controller SoC was designed to meet the need for hubs with low standby power consumption and small board size.

Key features of the μPD720210 hub controller:

(1) Excellent interoperability

The new uPD720210 Hub provides perfect compatibility with Renesas widely adopted USB 3.0 host controllers. This new device builds the over ten-year track record of Renesas µPD720114 USB 2.0 Hub controller. The μPD720210 also received Windows 8 connectivity Hardware Certification from Microsoft. In addition, Renesas intends to receive USB-IF Certification, when a USB 3.0 hub certification program is available by USB-IF.

(2) Industry-leading low power consumption

In addition to technology implemented on Renesas’ existing products that reduces power consumption when all the ports are in an unconnected state, the new hub controller has an improved circuit design that dramatically lowers current leakage when a connected peripheral device is in low-power mode. As a result, the μPD720210 achieves very low power consumption of 5 milliwatts (mW) in power saving mode, which makes it easier for system designers to develop systems that are qualified for stringent power efficiency standards such as Energy Star. Also the μPD720210 achieves industry leading 350 mW as the power consumption even in USB 3.0 active mode.

(3) Industry-leading small mounting area

With the new USB 3.0 hub controller, Renesas has chosen a compact 9 x 9 millimeter (mm) quad flat no-lead (QFN) package to reduce the mounting area by 20 percent from the previous devices.

The μPD720210 hub controller also integrates on-chip peripherals such as step-down regulators that lower the 5 V power supply voltage to the 3.3 V and 1.05 V and charging support functionality conforming to battery charging standards.

The resulting size reduction provides an industry-leading total mounting area (the total mounting area including the peripheral components required by the system), allowing system designers to realize compact systems.

These key features make it easy and inexpensive to add ports allowing SuperSpeed data transfer via a USB 3.0 interface to products such as monitors, docking stations (function extension units that connect to notebook PCs), and TVs. In addition, the μPD720210 hub controller offers substantially reduced power consumption when devices are in standby mode or not in use, which is an important consideration in view of environmental regulations in many countries. Finally, the Renesas Electronics host controller driver stack for Microsoft Windows and device drivers supported by Linux may be used free of charge with the μPD720210.

The μPD720210 hub controller also makes it possible to build mobile docking stations that previously would not have been possible due to constraints on power or mounting area. It also enables USB universal charging features at a minimal additional cost, which were previously quite expensive to implement.

With the new hub controller, Renesas hopes to contribute to the realization of USB hub systems that are more compact and power efficient, thereby enabling faster data transfer in PCs and digital consumer electronics. Also, Renesas plans the products expansion along to the prediction of increasing data traffic in other communication devices and office automation equipment, positioning USB 3.0 as an important technology.

Refer to the separate sheet for the main specifications of the μPD720210 hub controller.

Exhibition at Intel Developer Forum 2012 and DevCon 2012

Renesas' μPD720210 hub controller will be showcased and demonstrated at Intel Developer Forum, to be held in San Francisco, from September 11 to September 13, 2012.

Likewise, Renesas Electronics America will highlight technologies that are enabling a Smart Society at the Renesas Electronics DevCon 2012 being held in Orange County, Calif., October 22-25. For the latest Renesas DevCon details and activities, visit www.Renesas.com, follow @RenesasAmerica on Twitter or join the DevCon community on Facebook.

Pricing and Availability

Samples of Renesas' µPD720210 hub controller are available now, priced at US$3.50 per unit. Mass production is scheduled to begin in September 2012 and is expected to reach a combined volume of 1,000,000 units per month by April 2013. (Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.)

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world’s number one supplier of microcontrollers, is a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad-range of analog and power devices. Business operations began as Renesas Electronics in April 2010 through the integration of NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723) and Renesas Technology Corp., with operations spanning research, development, design and manufacturing for a wide range of applications. Headquartered in Japan, Renesas Electronics has subsidiaries in 20 countries worldwide. More information can be found at www.renesas.com.

(Remarks)

Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation of America in the United States and other countries. Linux is a trademark or registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in Japan and other countries. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. ENERGY STAR is a registered U.S. mark owned by the U.S. government. Other product names and service names that appear in this press release are all trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Product Specifications of the μPD720210 Hub Controller

Compliant with Universal Serial Bus 3.0 Specification Revision 1.0, which is released by USB Implementers Forum, Inc
Supports the following speed data rate: Low-speed (1.5Mbps) / Full-speed (12Mbps) / High-speed (480Mbps) / Super-speed (5Gbps)
µPD720210 supports up to 4 downstream ports for all speeds
- Configurable port number up to 4
Supports individual or global over-current detection and individual or ganged power control
Configurable for the compound device with non-removable port setting
CLKOUT function (24MHz/12MHz) to reduce total BOM cost
Low power consumption suitable for products requiring Energy Star
5v to 3.3v and 5v to 1.05v integrated voltage regulators
System clock: 24 MHz crystal or clock generator
Supports USB Battery Charging Specification Revision 1.2 and other portable devices
Optional ROM enables the additional flexibility
- Each customer’s information configuration such as Vendor ID, Product ID, UUID
- Firmware update in the future avoiding interconnection problem
Small and low pin count package with simple pin assignment for PCB layout
Suspend Output is available