240 W USB PD reference design options with highest energy capabilities

The USB Energy Supply (PD) commonplace continues to evolve. The latest USB PD 3.2 specification now helps sourcing and sinking as much as 240 W (48 V, 5 A). This text will focus on the principle tendencies in USB PD and discover why implementing USB-C in 2024 is now not thought-about an innovation, however a very good strategy to staying aggressive with new designs. Lastly, the article will present an summary of a supply and sink resolution that helps 240 W utilizing Infineon’s primary- and secondary-side controllers, EZ-PD™ PMG1 excessive voltage microcontrollers with built-in USB-C PD and Infineon’s CoolGaN™ energy transistors.

USB is presently a well-recognised set of requirements in client and automotive functions and is quickly increasing into the economic and e-mobility sectors. Beginning with the primary official USB 1.0 revision in 1996, which supported as much as 1.5 Mbps knowledge switch and as much as 2.5 W of energy, it has developed to help an unimaginable 80 Gbps and 240 W by a single USB-C cable. However, about half of all of Arrow’s sales space guests at a latest present, had been stunned to study that USB requirements already help 240 W.

USB Kind-C connector

Let’s dive deeper into the small print of the USB Kind-C commonplace connector. The massive benefit of this connector is that the interface is plug-agnostic because of its symmetrical design – it features no matter which manner it’s linked. This connector helps energy supply as much as 240 W and accommodates protocols like HDMI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, and others by its Alternate Mode, referred to as Alt Mode. These options collectively have had important affect on the trade.

Trying on the connector pins, proven in Determine 1, the CC1 and CC2 pins – referred to as cable configuration pins – are used to manage the orientation and decide their roles: Downstream Going through Port (DFP) for the supply energy function, Upstream Going through Port (UFP) for the sink function, and Twin-Position Port (DRP) for each supply and sink roles. One other perform of the CC pins is to facilitate knowledge switch when negotiating Energy Supply contracts between the supply and sink.

4 differential pairs labelled RX/TX for USB 5 Gbps or larger speeds, had been used beginning with USB 3.1. These strains function in full duplex mode, whereas the 2 pairs of legacy pins, D+/D-, positioned within the centre, function in half duplex mode. Pins labelled as SBU, or SideBand Use, are utilised for Alt Modes, equivalent to enabling video output for DisplayPort or Thunderbolt. The V_BUS pins are used to ship energy as much as 240 W. All 4 exterior floor (GND) pins are supposed for grounding. Correct grounding is important for USB-C at excessive knowledge charges and in instances of high-power supply over the connector.

USB Energy Supply specification

Taking a deep dive into the USB Energy Supply commonplace, as talked about earlier, the preliminary variations of the USB commonplace allowed the utmost energy of two.5 W (5 V@500mA) over V_BUS. With USB 3.0, this elevated barely to 4.5 W (5 V@900mA), but it surely was nonetheless not enough for a lot of functions.

With the introduction of USB Kind-C and Energy Supply in 2014, the USB energy capabilities had been considerably elevated. By default, with the technique of the USB Kind-C, the utmost energy out there elevated to fifteen W (5V@3A). With the complete implementation of the USB PD, it grew to become attainable to ship as much as 100 W (20V@5A) from a single USB supply.

Ranging from the USB Energy Supply 3.1, the specification permits for as much as 240 W (48V@5A). All voltage ranges larger than 20 V at the moment are categorised as Prolonged Energy Vary (EPR). The specification additionally consists of help for an Adjustable Voltage Provide (AVS) mode, which permits the voltage to be adjusted in steps of 100 mV for voltages above 15 V.

Market tendencies evolution

USB is an virtually 30-year-old commonplace, however essentially the most important enhancements in pace and energy capabilities had been noticed only in the near past. Over the past eight years, USB-C has been adopted by mainstream machine producers, equivalent to laptop computer and smartphone makers.

Now, most laptops function no less than one USB-C port. Moreover, many different cellular units have switched to USB-C, alongside a noticeable enhance in USB-C energy adapters available on the market. Concurrently, automotive producers have added extra USB-C ports of their autos to supply enhanced charging choices for drivers and passengers. Following this development, the adoption of USB-C within the embedded and industrial sectors is anticipated to extend considerably within the subsequent few years.

The imaginative and prescient for 2025 and past is that many digital units, presently powered at as much as 240 W, will undertake USB-C as a typical port for knowledge communications and charging.

Among the many key components additional driving USB adoption are the race in battery applied sciences, the shift to industrial functions, and the rising worldwide acceptance of USB. Native rules can even have a big affect: USB Kind-C and USB PD will develop into necessary throughout all European Union international locations for a lot of functions by the tip of 2024. Comparable discussions are presently underway within the USA and different international locations.

Following these tendencies these days isn’t nearly staying on the chopping fringe of expertise — it has develop into an vital aggressive function that secures a place out there.      However what are the principle benefits of the expertise driving such speedy adoption of the usual in recent times?

Key expertise drivers

Mixed knowledge and energy functionality: one of the vital drivers of USB-C’s quick development is its capability to transmit high-speed knowledge, video, and energy by a single, slim connector. This function permits the design of smaller and thinner units.

Unification and reuse benefit: Conventional energy adapters include mounted voltage and present ranges and sometimes function distinctive barrel connectors, which implies they’ll solely be used with their supposed machine. Such adapters are sometimes not suitable with different units.

In distinction, USB-C energy adapters are universally suitable, providing a USB Kind-C connector that works throughout many units. Furthermore, with the 240 W USB PD adapter, it’s attainable to barter voltages and currents as much as 240 W (48      V     @5      A). This allows charging any USB machine as much as 240 W, together with 5 V or 15 V units, 45 W telephones, and 160 W laptops. Even your future units, e.g. energy instrument, e-Bike or client 3D printer might be probably charged utilizing the identical adapter. A single USB energy adapter can be utilized to cost many units, thereby saving prices for customers.

Saving R&D and manufacturing prices: personalized energy provides, whether or not built-in or utilizing a personalized connector, usually require further investments in design, manufacturing, and testing, particularly when manufacturing portions aren’t very excessive.

Adoption of USB-C energy adapter as a substitute of a customized energy provide together with applicable Infineon USB-C PD controller to sink energy will assist to lower the price per watt ratio. This can naturally occur as a result of enormous competitors amongst chargers’ producers on the mass market.

Enhancing time-to-market: along with the upper prices for the exterior or embedded charger design, personalized options usually require way more time for R&D and additional assessments. Whereas the straightforward sink USB implementation together with the licensed USB charger permits quicker time to market in most of utility instances.

Lowering dependence from OEMs: one other state of affairs arises when the ability provide or built-in AC/DC energy module comes from an OEM producer. On this case, the way forward for the challenge could extremely depend upon the third-     get together’s manufacturing plans. As soon as the USB sink perform is applied, all licensed USB adapters with related energy capabilities from the buyer market might be used, thus lowering dependence on a single OEM provider.

E-waste discount: at first look, it might not be evident, however the unification of chargers has a big affect on environmental safety. Whereas every particular person charger is small, the environmental penalties are substantial when contemplating the tens of millions of chargers discarded annually.

Enhancing model notion: the truth that the design firm retains up with tendencies at all times provides further enchantment to your potential prospects. Think about how you’ll really feel if your organization purchased fashionable and costly measurement tools that got here with a CD for putting in drivers and the software program instruments.

USB Kind-C connector:  moreover all of the USB driving components and benefits talked about beforehand, an important function itself was the introduction of the 24-pin USB Kind-C connector in 2014 (see Determine 1).

240 W USB PD sink reference design

Following the most recent tendencies within the trade, Arrow and Infineon launched the brand new 240 W PD 3.1 sink reference design utilizing Infineon’s EZ-PD™ PMG1-S3 excessive voltage microcontroller supposed to help excessive energy USB functions. The brand new reference design helps as much as 48V@5. A Energy Supply Object (PDO) sink mode, which is the best degree achievable with the most recent USB PD requirements.

The reference design additional extends the present energy sink capabilities of Infineon’s EZ-PD™ PMG1 household of high-voltage microcontrollers from 140 W to 240 W, which is vital for a lot of power-demanding and fast-charging functions.

This 240 W sink reference design board REF_ARIF240WS3, proven in Determine 4, enhances the lately launched Infineon’s USB PD 3.1 supply analysis board REF_XDPS2222_240W1. This mix permits engineers to be among the many first available on the market with an entire 240 W USB PD 3.1 source-sink resolution.

Infineon’s 240 W USB PD supply reference design

The complementary design for 240 W energy supply, Infineon’s REF_XDPS2222_240W1 primarily based on CoolGaN™ expertise, is a excessive effectivity form-factor USB PD 3.1 reference design, with 25 W/in³ energy density, utilizing the XDP™ digital energy XDPS2222 PFC + hybrid flyback (HFB) combo IC (Determine 5).

The inner handshaking between the PFC and HFB controller and the adaptive bus voltage setting make the XDP™ XDPS2222 controller good for functions with vast AC enter and really vast output voltage vary, equivalent to USB PD prolonged energy vary (EPR) adapters and battery chargers. The primary options, embrace HFB ZVS high- and low-side operation, quick response HFB peak present management, harmonised PFC and HFB operations, pulse skipping at mild masses, computerized PFC allow/disable management, and self-adjusting PFC bus voltage degree.

These reference designs are supposed to help a broad vary of functions, like mild electrical autos (e-bikes, e-scooters and different private e-mobility units), drones, cellular robots, 3D printers, skilled AV tools, energy instruments, medical tools, residence home equipment, residence leisure units, and extra.

However typically, any utility requiring 0 to 240 W may benefit from adopting USB-C for energy, and the excellent options of USB PD supplied by these superior designs.

Supporting providers

Each reference designs can be found on request. Along with technical help, Arrow provides a spread of technical help providers, together with schematic customisation and PCB modifications, serving to to maximise the potential of consumers’ designs and scale back time-to-market. Scan the under QR Code, for extra info.