USB microcontroller speeds through downloads

Cypress Semiconductor Corp has introduced the world's first 1.8V high-speed USB 2.0 programmable microcontroller.

Cypress Semiconductor Corp has introduced the world's first 1.8V high-speed USB 2.0 programmable microcontroller.

The new MoBL-USB FX2LP18 controller delivers lightning-fast downloads of music files, photos and videos in mobile handsets.

Without high-speed USB, it can take up to 30 to 40s to download a typical music file; with the new Cypress solution, that same download takes about 2-3s, depending on the cellphone architecture.

The new MoBL-USB FX2LP18 controller is part of an expanding family of MoBL-USB products from Cypress that includes the recently introduced MoBL-USB TX2 transceiver and future products with additional features.

It has a 1.8V core and supports an I/O voltage range of 1.8 to 3.3V to interface seamlessly with several generations of baseband processors, application processors, ASICs and ASSPs.

Offered in a 56-ball VFBGA (very fine pitch ball grid array) package that measures only 5 x 5mm with 0.5mm ball pitch, the new device takes advantage of Cypress's 0.13-micron C8 process technology to slash dynamic and standby power consumption by nearly 80% versus the nearest competitors, while offering much greater functionality.

"The MoBL-USB FX2LP18 is the latest example of our ability to apply market knowledge, customer relationships and technology expertise to create innovative solutions for the handset market", said Steven Larky, Vice President of Cypress's USB Product Line.

"The trend is for increased multimedia capabilities with the need to interface with PCs, and this feature will become a 'must have' for next-generation handsets".

"Cypress has identified the growing trend of multimedia in mobile handsets and has delivered a product that is well targeted for that market", said Brian O'Rourke, senior analyst at market research firm In-Stat.

"As a worldwide leader in USB controllers, Cypress is positioned to take advantage of this trend".

Cypress recently announced that it has shipped over 500 million USB controllers, including over 130 million in 2005.

The controllers, which began shipping in 1997, are used in a wide array of USB host and peripheral consumer devices.

Cypress offers the industry's most complete portfolio of USB devices, including low-, full- and high-speed controllers, hosts, hubs, bridges and wireless solutions.

The MoBL-USB FX2LP18 controller is qualified to operate with an industrial temperature rating of -40 to +85C, a critical requirement for handsets.

It has standby current consumption of just 20uA, enabling customers to maximise battery life on their cellphones.

Competing solutions typically consume 160uA.

The device is a fully integrated peripheral controller, including an 8051 microprocessor, a serial interface engine, a high-speed USB 2.0 transceiver, on-chip RAM and FIFO and a general programmable interface.

Its unique architecture handles all basic USB functions, enabling the host system's processor to focus on application-specific functions and ensuring sustained high-performance data transfer rates.

Featuring a datarate of 480Mbit/s, 16Kbyte of on-chip memory and 24 programmable I/Os, Cypress's MoBL-USB FX2LP18 solution provides world-class design flexibility.

The new MoBL-USB FX2LP18 (CY7C68053-56BAXI) is USB-IF certified and is sampling today with full production expected in August 2006.

Pricing in one million unit quantities is $2.49 each.

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