Reference designs simplify the development of USB PD and USB-C battery-charging applications

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

Renesas Electronics Corp. has released the first in a series of new reference designs that simplify the development of USB Power Delivery (PD3.0) and USB-C battery-charging applications. These include USB-C computing hubs, power banks, car chargers, SSD enclosures, point-of-sale (POS) printers, and desktop displays.

The two reference design kits — the RTK-251-1PowerBank3 and the RTK-251-BuckBoostConverter2 — are USB-IF PD3.0-certified design kits. These fully tested and complete solutions are ready to be dropped into any new project, speeding up the designer’s development time.

The RTK-251-1PowerBank3 board is a three-cell (series-connected) Li-ion battery power bank reference design that consists of the R9A02G011  USB PD3.0 controller and ISL95538B  buck-boost narrow voltage direct charging (NVDC) battery charger. Targeting USB-C multi-battery-cell power banks, the reference design board includes one USB Type-C port that supports the dual role power (DRP) feature, delivering power in both directions via power source and power sink modes. In sink mode, the power bank requests 5 V, 9 V, 15 V, or 20 V from a USB PD3.0 provider such as an AC adapter. In source mode, the Li-ion battery supplies 5 V up to 20 V requested from a PC, tablet, or smartphone.

Key features of RTK-251-1PowerBank3:

• One-port USB-PD power bank reference design board includes:
  • R9A02G011 power delivery controller supports dual role operation
  • ISL95538B buck-boost battery charger up to four cells (default three-cell setting)
• Type-C port supporting PD3.0 with PPS ×1 and DRP with bypass mode
• Supports OVP, OCP, OTP, and UVLO protections
• Supports USB-C authentication
• SDK sample code and parameter settings configured through Renesas USB Power Delivery Controller Flash ROM Image Generator software tool

Suited for USB-C hubs as part of the USB-PD AC adapter connection, the RTK-251-BuckBoostConverter2 is a DC/DC module that consists of the R9A02G011 USB PD3.0 controller and the ISL95338  bi-directional buck-boost voltage regulator. The board supports programmable power supply (PPS) and has two USB Type-C receptacles for V_BUS  power output.

Key features of RTK-251-BuckBoostConverter2:

• 2-port DC/DC Module reference design board includes:
  • Two R9A02G011 power delivery controllers
  • Two ISL95338 buck-boost voltage regulators
• DC/DC: For 3 V, 5 V, and PD out = ISL95338 ×2
• Type-C port supporting PD3.0 ×2
• 12 V to 19 V for DC IN
• Supports PD output voltage
  • Fixed = 5 V, 9 V, 15 V, 20 V, and additional user setting 3 PDOs
  • PPS = 20 V programmable (3.3 V to 21 V)
• Supports USB-C authentication
• SDK sample code and parameter settings configured through Renesas USB Power Delivery Controller Flash ROM Image Generator software tool

Both reference design kits are available now through Renesas’s global catalog distributors. Recommended resale prices for the RTK-251-1PowerBank3 and RTK-251-BuckBoostConverter2 are $119 and $127, respectively. Both reference design kits can be downloaded here .