
USB-C controllers support PD 3.0 spec
The USB Power Delivery (PD) 3.0 specification enabling more robust end-to-end power delivery and charging solutions for laptop and mobile devices with a number of enhancements for power sources, sinks and cables.
The EZ-PD CCG3 and CCG4 USB-C port controllers are the industry’s first solutions to support the USB PD 3.0 specification from the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). This provides the ability for an accessory to change modes from sourcing to sinking power quickly, preventing data corruption during a sudden disconnect of its power source.
This feature, called fast role swap, enables charge-through dongles and docks. USB PD 3.0 is fully backwards compatible with USB PD 2.0 but introduces an extended messaging capability that enables faster USB PD performance for firmware updates and offers a more-efficient mechanism to exchange security certificates. The extended messages can carry data payloads of up to 260 bytes, more than nine times the 28 bytes allowed in USB PD 2.0.
The current EZ-PD CCG2 device, the smallest programmable USB-C solution, will add PD 3.0 support via a firmware upgrade later this year.
USB Type-C standard is gaining rapid support with top-tier laptop and electronics manufacturers by enabling slim industrial designs, easy-to-use connectors and cables, and the ability to transmit multiple protocols and deliver up to 100W of power. The USB Type-C standard’s 2.4-mm-high connector plug is significantly smaller than the current 4.5-mm USB Standard-A connector. In addition to the transport of USB signals, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt signals can be delivered over the same connector via the USB Type-C standard’s Alternate Mode capability.
