Cypress Semiconductor’s first USB 3.0 controller type EZ-USB® FX3 is targeted at video and imaging, printing, scanning, and a variety of applications that need higher throughput than USB 2.0. The new EZ-USB FX3 (CYUSB3014) device is a flexible peripheral controller with a General Programmable Interface (GPIF II) that delivers a 5-Gbps USB 3.0 data pipeline, a fully configurable ARM9™ processor core and backwards compatibility with USB 2.0. With an internal bus architecture designed to operate at 4 times the USB 3.0 speeds, EZ-USB FX3 is ideal for moving large amounts of data extremely fast. It can, for example, deliver high-definition video streaming in imaging applications, eliminating the need for compression on the peripheral side.

 

Cypress is the market leader in USB controllers, having shipped over 1 billion devices since 1996. Cypress’ USB products, including the new USB 3.0 controllers, deliver design flexibility, USB compliance and whole product support that includes software tools, development kits and reference designs. The new USB 3.0 controllers enable designers to quickly and easily customize solutions for their end markets, since the ARM9™ core is fully accessible for use as an independent microcontroller.

 

USB is the most successful peripheral connectivity standard with an installed base of billions of devices and has been heavily adopted in consumer electronics, PC peripherals and portable devices.

USB 3.0 is the next step in the wired USB market, offering the same ease of use and flexibility that users expect, but at the much higher data rate of 5 Gbps. USB 3.0 also offers better power management (20 percent of USB 2.0) and faster battery charging (charge in half the time) compared to USB 2.0. Cypress’s new FX3 controller will enable USB 3.0 adoption across a variety of platforms, just as the Cypress FX2 controller did for USB 2.0.

 

The EZ-USB FX3 CYUSB3014 controller is sampling now and full production quantities are expected in September of 2011. It is offered in 121-ball 10x10mm BGA package and in Industrial Temperature grade.