A standard universal serial bus or USB connection is the industry's dominant means of transferring data between two devices. The massive addition of electronic components to automotive, industrial and consumer applications has stimulated the demand for remote USB wiring products. In order to bring remote and reliable USB solutions to the market, Microchip Technology announced the launch of two new clock restorer/signal repeater devices. The automotive EQCO510 and industrial EQCO5X31 clock restator/signal repeater devices extend USB coverage up to 15 meters for maximum coverage and are compatible with USB 3.2 first generation ultra high speed protocol.
"Our customers now have the ability to implement fast, reliable and long-distance USB connection solutions that support up to 15 meters, extending the 3-meter standard to fivefold," said Matthias Kaestner, corporate vice president of Microchip's Automotive Infotainment Systems Business Unit. These devices also provide customers with a more comprehensive selection, with reduced board footprint due to on-chip clock and small profile size."
The EQCO510 and EQCO5X31 are USB clock restator/signal repeater devices capable of sending high-speed data signals at a bi-directional rate of 5 Gbps. Clock recovery features include a Bit-level clock Data Recovery (CDR) to restore signal timing and prevent jitter accumulation. The relay function compensates for signal attenuation due to cable degradation by restoring signal levels and shapes transmitted to the next segment, such as cable or printed circuit board (PCB) routing.
The EQCO510 and EQCO5X31 integrated circuits support shielded twisted pair and coaxial cable. Both devices include an integrated crystal-free CDR, which reduces the need for additional components and overall board space. Both USB devices come in a 20-pin, 4mm QFN wettable wing package. Automotive EQCO510 conforms to the automotive reliability standard AEC-Q100 Class 2, operating temperature range of -40℃ to 105℃.
These USB devices are equipped with EyeOpen cable compensation in the receiver to automatically adjust frequency losses in the cable and to adjust signal strength between 0 and 24 dB in 1 dB units. These devices also feature MarginLink signal integrity testing, which allows real-time assessment of the integrity of the entire signal path. Microchip's USB devices can be used in a wide range of automotive applications, such as infotainment systems, data communication modules, and real-time video systems. Other use cases in industrial applications and consumer products include machine vision, gaming accessories, and smart cables.
