Diodes adds USB Type-C PD controller

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

Diodes Inc. introduced the AP43770  USB Type-C power delivery (PD) controller, an integrated solution for implementing PD over USB in fixed and portable devices and offline power adapters. The device can be used in a range of applications including AC adapters, power hubs, battery banks, and USB PD converters.

The AP43770 features an embedded microcontroller running firmware compliant with the latest USB Type-C specification and USB PD Revision 3.0 V1.1 and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge (QC) 4/4+. The device also supports QC3.0, QC2.0, and Battery Charging (BC) revision 1.2 and other legacy protocols with auto-detection, which translates into backward-compatibility for existing equipment.

The device also includes the programmable power supply (PPS) feature introduced in the latest revision. The PPS feature allows the output voltage to vary based on the load requirements. Support for PPS with augmented power data object (APDO) is implemented in the AP43770 through a constant-current and constant-voltage (CC/CV) output driver that is adjustable in 50-mA steps up to 6 A and 20-mV steps between 3 V and 20 V, respectively.

The AP43770 includes support for USB eMarker technology, used in active cables, to detect and identify cables before power is delivered. Cable compensation is also supported.

When used with a suitable PWM controller, such as Diodes’ AP3108L, the AP43770 provides a total PD solution. Available in a TSSOP-16 package, the AP43770 is priced at $1.35 each in quantities of 1,000.