Parade Technologies Expands USB 3.0 Product Line

Parade Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parade Technologies, Ltd, and a video display and interface IC supplier, announced the expansion of its USB 3.0 Repeater/Redriver IC product line. Parade’s new PS8720 is a Dual USB 3.0 Repeater/ Redriver that supports two bi-directional USB ports on a single device. The PS8720 is housed in a 32-pin 3x6mm TQFN package, the smallest Dual Repeater/ Redriver package on the market.

"Parade entered the USB 3.0 market last fall and our single-port device has been well received by system OEMs," explains Jimmy Chiu, VP of Marketing at Parade Technologies. "The need to support multiple USB ports led us to develop our new Dual Redriver product, and the OEM requirement for board layout efficiency led us to utilize the smallest package possible for this new part."

At 5 Gb/s, USB 3.0-also known as SuperSpee" USB-delivers a ten-fold speed increase over the widely adopted USB 2.0 HighSpeed standard. The transition to 5Gb/s challenges system designers to maintain signal integrity in notebook, docking station and other system designs. PC board traces longer than 5 inches (127mm) from the USB host controller will require USB Repeater/Redrivers for signal reconditioning. System boards frequently require multiple Repeater/Redriver in order to position USB ports at convenient locations on the system’s external interface.

Lowest Power Dual USB 3.0 Repeater/Redriver
The PS8720 includes automatic detection of LFPS (Low Frequency Periodic Signaling) as well as normal SuperSpeed USB data. LFPS is used for out-of-band signaling for device initiation and power management. The device is compliant with USB 3.0 signal specifications for LFPS and SuperSpeed USB data at 5Gbit/s.

Parade is offering two versions of its Dual bi-directional USB 3.0 Repeater/Redriver. The PS8720A uses a single 1.5V power supply; the PS8720B uses a single 3.3V power supply. The 1.5V PS8720A is the lowest power Dual USB 3.0 Repeater/Redriver IC available. Both Parade Dual Repeater/Redrivers support all four USB 3.0 power management modes, which allow for power saving, suspend and power down modes when the device is not active.

Leading market research firms estimate that more than three billion USB-enabled systems will be sold this year, increasing to more than four billion per year by 2012. The USB 3.0 interface is now incorporated into some personal computer chip sets, and wide chip set adoption is expected within the next twelve months.

Price and Availability
The PS8720A/B is sampling now, and production volumes will be available September 2011. Both devices are available in a 3x6mm 32-pin TQFN package. The PS8720A/B will be available for $2.00 /ea. in high volume.