Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

Ramakrishna Venigalla

Anup Nayak

Derwin W Mattos

Hemant P Vispute

Arnab Chakraborty

Vaidyanathan Varsha

Gerard Kato

Arun Khamesra

Kiran Kumar Reddy Maley

V M Saravanan

A Universal Serial Bus Type-C (USB-C) controller with a floating ground architecture for fault detection is described. A USB-C controller includes a floating ground circuit and a fault detection circuit coupled to a power converter. The floating ground circuit provides a floating ground voltage based on a supply voltage of the power converter. The fault detection circuit includes a comparator with power rails coupled to the supply voltage and the floating ground voltage. The fault detection circuit measures a differential signal across a first terminal and a second terminal, the differential signal representing a current of the power converter. The fault detection circuit compares the differential signal against a threshold using the comparator and outputs an indication of a fault condition in response to the differential signal satisfying the threshold.

Floating ground architectures in USB type-C controllers for fault detection

A dual-integrated gate-driver with reverse current protection (RCP) fault protection is described. A Universal Serial Bus Type-C (USB-C) controller includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a dual-gate driver. The dual-gate driver drives a first power field effect transistor (FET) coupled to the first terminal and a second power FET coupled to the second terminal. The first power FET and the second power FET are connected in series between a voltage bus (VBUS_C) terminal of a USB Type-C connector and a voltage supply to deliver power to the VBUS_C terminal. A breakdown voltage of each of the first power FET and the second power FET is less than 20 volts. The dual-gate driver controls the first power FET and the second power FET in response to at least one of a short circuit event or a reverse current event.

Dual integrated gate-driver with reverse current fault protection for USB Type-C and USB power delivery

In an example embodiment, a universal serial bus (USB) Type-C controller comprises a current detector circuit configured to provide over-current protection on a voltage bus (VBUS) line. The current detector circuit comprises a current sense amplifier, a reference voltage generator, and a comparator coupled to the current sense amplifier and to the reference voltage generator. The current sense amplifier is configured to receive a pair of input voltages from the VBUS line and to output an indicator signal responsive to an input voltage difference between the pair of input voltages. The reference voltage generator is configured to generate a reference voltage in response to a voltage selector signal. The comparator is configured to output an interrupt signal responsive to the indicator signal exceeding the reference voltage.

Adjustable over-current detector circuit for universal serial bus (USB) devices

Techniques for power-Field Effect Transistor (power-FET) gate drivers are described herein. In an example embodiment, a method for an USB-enabled system with an integrated circuit (IC) controller comprises: determining, by the IC controller, whether a first power path or a second power path is coupled to the IC controller, where the first power path comprises an external N-channel power-FET and the second power path comprises an external P-channel power-FET; turning and maintaining ON the external N-channel power-FET by the IC controller, when the first power path is determined as being coupled to the IC controller; and turning OFF the external N-channel power-FET and turning and maintaining ON the external P-channel power-FET by the IC controller, when the second power path is determined as being coupled to the IC controller.

Configurable and power-optimized integrated gate-driver for USB power-delivery and type-C SoCs

In an example embodiment, a device comprises a gate driver and a current detector circuit. The gate driver is configured to be coupled to a power switch on the VBUS line of a USB connector. The current detector circuit is configured to be coupled to the VBUS line and comprises a current sense amplifier, a reference voltage generator circuit, and a comparator. The current sense amplifier is configured to receive a pair of input voltages and to output an indicator signal responsive to the input voltage difference. The reference voltage generator circuit comprises a digital-to-analog converter configured to generate a reference voltage signal based on a received voltage selector signal that is a binary input signal comprising multiple bit values. The comparator is configured to receive the indicator signal and the reference voltage signal and to output an interrupt signal responsive to the indicator signal exceeding the reference voltage signal.

An electronic device includes a power switch configured to receive a voltage on a first terminal. The first terminal is coupled to a voltage regulator. The power switch is also configured to provide the voltage to a second terminal. The second terminal is coupled to a VBUS terminal of a Universal Serial Bus Type-C (USB-C) connector. The electronic device also includes a protection circuit comprising a comparison component coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal. The comparison component is configured to detect a first voltage at the first terminal detect a second voltage at the second terminal. The protection circuit is configured to determine whether the second voltage is within a threshold voltage of the first voltage and adjust operation of the power switch in response to determining that the second voltage is within the threshold voltage of the first voltage.

Current control and protection for universal serial bus type-C (USB-C) connector systems

Techniques for power Field Effect Transistor (power-FET) gate drivers are described herein. In an example embodiment, a USB-enabled system comprises a first and second power paths and an IC controller coupled to control the first and second power paths, where the first and second power paths are external to the IC controller and the IC controller is configured to operate both an N-channel power-FET in the first power path and a P-channel power-FET in the second power path.

A current detector circuit includes a current sense amplifier, coupled to a sense resistor, to receive a pair of input voltages and to output a first indicator signal responsive to a sensed input voltage difference produced by a sensed current passing through the sense resistor. The current detector circuit includes a comparator coupled to the current sense amplifier, the comparator to compare the first indicator signal to a reference voltage signal and output an interrupt signal responsive to the first indicator signal exceeding the reference voltage signal; and a reference voltage generator circuit coupled to the comparator, the reference voltage generator circuit to select the reference voltage signal from a plurality of reference voltages according to a first selector signal received from a configuration channel of a serial bus connector device.

Techniques for power Field Effect Transistor (power-FET) gate drivers are described herein. In an example embodiment, a device comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) subsystem that is disposed in a monolithic integrated circuit (IC). The USB subsystem comprises a gate-driver circuit configured to selectively control an external N-channel power-FET or an external P-channel power-FET.

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Bengaluru, India

Ramakrishna Venigalla