NEC Electronics Announces New USB 2.0 Host and Peripheral Controller

Integrated host/peripheral controller chip facilitates development of versatile electronic equipment

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NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723) today announced an integrated USB2.0 host and peripheral controller designed to enable high-speed digital data sharing among electronic equipment such as digital cameras and printers.
On a single chip, the µPD720150 integrates communications functions that formerly required separate USB host and controller chips. In addition to reducing the device count and saving board space, it facilitates software development by implementing numerous functions in hardware, and features a general-purpose CPU bus interface for connections to a wide variety of embedded CPUs. As the newest product in the ECOUSB^TM series, it delivers dramatically lower power consumption, both through the reduced device count and through advanced power management techniques.

The USB interface was originally designed as a convenient, standardized interface between personal computers and peripherals such as printers and keyboards. But as the standard developed, its high speed and relatively low cost made it a natural choice for a wide range of data transfer applications. For example, it is now commonly used to transfer images and video from digital cameras to other devices. Devices such as printers, which were formerly regarded as peripherals, are now often provided with USB host functions, allowing data to be transferred without connecting a computer. USB ports are also commonly used to add functionality by updating the embedded software of electronics equipment.
The µPD720150 is an ideal solution for such USB-enabled systems. In addition to enabling data transfers at rates up to 480 megabits per second (Mbps), it contributes to lower costs and space-efficient design by integrating host and peripheral control functions on a single chip, and supports rapid software development by hardware implementation of basic USB functions.

The principal features of the µPD720150 are as follows.

1. Integrated host and peripheral control functions
Register settings enable four different configuration patterns for the two USB ports, including one or two hosts, one peripheral, and one host and one peripheral. The chip supports simultaneous host and peripheral control, and the number of ports can be increased by connecting an external hub.

2. Hardware implementation of basic USB operations
The µPD720150 features on-chip hardware to handle basic USB operations, including many operations that formerly had to be handled in software. For example, audio and video data transfers can be scheduled automatically. By taking advantage of these on-chip functions, designers can provide USB features without increasing the software development burden.

3. General-purpose CPU bus interface
The new chip integrates a 16-bit CPU interface with selectable timing modes. This allows direct connections to embedded system CPUs and eliminates the need for timing control device, for lower device counts and further savings in board space.

4. Low power consumption
Technology developed for the ECOUSB series of low-power USB products enables lower power consumption at standby mode, for example by completely stopping the clock when USB functions are not in use, with the ability to activate the clock in response to an external signal event. The chip integrates a regulator to reduce internal voltage from 3.3 V to 1.5 V. This lowers operating power consumption without requiring additional devices.

NEC Electronics has an outstanding track record as a supplier of USB technology. As a member of the USB Implementers Forum since 1996, it helped to define the USB standard. With its host, peripheral, and hub controllers, including the µPD720100 host controller launched 2000, it is a leading supplier of controllers for the current USB 2.0 specification. USB 2.0 defines both a 12 Mbps transfer rate for keyboards and other relatively low-speed peripherals, and a 480 Mbps transfer rate for high-speed data transfer.
For the sake of high speed data transfer and low cost, USB comes to be used widely from PC and peripherals to large volume data transfer between digital camera and printer. Printer, which used to have USB peripheral controller only, comes to have host controller too for the advent of integrated function printer.
NEC Electronics views the new µPD720150 host/peripheral controller as a key component for the next generation of USB-enabled electronic equipment. To serve the growing USB market, it plans to continue expanding its lineup of USB products with a range of innovative devices, including microcontrollers with integrated USB functions.

See the annex for the specifications of the µPD720150.

Pricing and Availability
The µPD720150 is available now in sample quantities. Volume production of 500,000 units per month will commence in August 2008.

About NEC Electronics

NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) specializes in semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the high-end computing and broadband networking markets, system solutions for the mobile handset, PC peripherals, automotive and digital consumer markets, and platform solutions for a wide range of customer applications. NEC Electronics Corporation has subsidiaries worldwide including NEC Electronics America, Inc. (www.am.necel.com) and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH (www.eu.necel.com). For additional information about NEC Electronics worldwide, visit www.necel.com.

ECOUSB is a registered trademark of NEC Electronics in Japan, the United States, and other countries. All other registered trademarks or trademarks are property of their respective holders.