STMicroelectronics X-CUBE-USB-PD stack

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STMicroelectronics has introduced software for implementing a Type-C Port Manager (TCPM) on any general-purpose STM32 microcontroller. Compliant with the USB Type-C Port Controller Interface (TCPCi) specification, and designed to manage a separate single- or multiport Type-C Port Controller (TCPC) chip, the X-CUBE-USB-PD stack implements the protocol layer and policy engine of the USB Power Delivery Specification (USB-PD 3.0 v1.1).

The stack demands minimal STM32 resources, having a low memory footprint and using only a single I²C bus address and one alert pin per port. In addition, standard register maps ensure easy interoperability with any connected TCPC device.

The product supports all USB-PD 3.0 options, including programmable power supply (PPS) for connecting fast chargers, fast role swap (FRS) for seamless user experiences during cable insertion or removal, and authentication-message exchange to allow data or power transfer only with genuine devices or chargers.

By supporting Provider, Consumer and Dual-Role (DRP) modes, the stack enables product designers to leverage the benefits of USB Type-C in a wide variety of equipment types, such as power hubs or power banks, docking stations, game controllers, PC peripherals, multifunction accessories and small appliances such as cordless vacuum cleaners, portable speakers, lighting products, chargers and many other applications.

ST has tested the stack with ON Semiconductor’s FUSB307B, a USB-PD 3.0 v1.1-certified TCPC chip, creating a fully certified and ready-to-use solution that centralises the TCPM for multiple USB-PD ports. The FUSB307B provides a 1 Mbps I²C microcontroller interface and handles functionality such as plug-insertion/orientation detection and dead-battery power-up. Time-critical power-delivery functions that offload the microcontroller effectively enable any STM32 to manage multiport, multirole USB-PD interfaces.

The stack currently contains libraries tested on STM32 Arm Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M4 microcontrollers, giving developers a choice of over 420 different part numbers. Libraries for other STM32 series will be introduced by the end of 2018.

The stack can be downloaded now, free of charge, from the ST website.