Power-Saving Self-Adapting USB 2.0 Signal Conditioner

Diodes Inc has recently unveiled an innovative self-adapting USB 2.0 signal conditioner that is designed to operate from a supply voltage as low as 2.3V. The new PI5USB212 chip is a self-adapting signal conditioning solution that automatically detects a USB 2.0 high-speed connection. This feature makes it ideal for a wide range of applications, including notebooks, PCs, docking stations, cable extenders, TVs, and monitors.

The PI5USB212 chip is equipped to maintain signal integrity even when driving long PCB traces or cables of up to 5 meters. By symmetrically boosting the USB D+ and D– channels for common-mode stability and applying pre-emphasis to compensate for intersymbol interference (ISI), this chip ensures reliable data transmission in various scenarios.

One of the key advantages of the PI5USB212 is its wide supply voltage range, which simplifies system design and extends the operating window of portable and battery-powered equipment. The chip can be configured using either I2C commands or pin strapping, allowing for adjustments to signal-boost and ISI-compensation levels based on specific requirements.

With two control pins (boost/SEN), users can easily control the AC gain/pre-emphasis levels by pulling the boost pin down via different resistors. The SEN pin enables the selection of high, low, or medium receiver sensitivity (DC gain) to ensure optimal signal integrity, depending on channel conditions. Additionally, the chip automatically detects the connection mode to avoid unnecessary signal compensation.

The PI5USB212 is fully compatible with USB 2.0, OTG 2.0, and battery-charging (BC) 1.2 standards. It supports various USB features such as device-attach and high-speed detection, with a 5.5V tolerance. The chip also incorporates energy-saving features, automatically reducing its supply current to 0.7mA (typical) when no USB attachment is detected, and further lowering it to 13µA (typical) when disabled via the RSTN disable pin.

For ease of integration, the PI5USB212 is supplied in a compact 12-pin, 1.6mm x 1.6mm, quad flat no-lead (QFN) package. It is currently available for purchase at a competitive price of $2.70 in 3,500-piece quantities. To learn more about this innovative USB 2.0 signal conditioner and its applications, visit www.diodes.com.