USB-C is the next big thing in hardware interfacing. Intel’s ThunderBolt 3 design ecosystem features USB-C ports and connectors capable of transmitting data at up to 40 Gigabits per second (Gbits/s) while decreasing power consumption by half. Cypress Semiconductor Corp. recently announced its own programmable, two-port USB-C controller compatible for use with the Thunderbolt 3 platform.

According to Cypress, the EZ-PD CCG5 is the first two-port USB-C controller on the market that supports Thunderbolt 3 controllers. It boasts built-in protection against shorts and electrostatic discharge while helping with bill-of-materials (BOM) integration to simplify design and inventory. The device also includes 128 KB of flash memory to support a fail-safe boot-up and firmware upgrades.

The EZ-PD CCG5 supports downstream, upstream, and dual-role ports and fully supports the Power Delivery 3.0 specification. Two timers, counters, PWMs, and up to 28 GPIOs are also fully integrated. The device also includes 20-V regulators, sideband and USB high-speed muxes, high-voltage FET gate drivers, and hardware dedicated to protecting the system from overvoltage, undervoltage, and overcurrent fault conditions to form a one-chip solution for USB-C integrated platforms.