SMSC Launches 7-Port USB 3.0 Hybrid Hub Controllers

SMSC has announced the USB553x, a family of USB 3.0 hub controllers consisting of 7-port and 4-port offerings. Thee new SuperSpeed USB hubs deliver the industry’s smallest footprint, “hybrid speed” configuration with an optimized BOM cost for designers of the emerging USB 3.0 ecosystem. The devices also feature programmable flexibility for configuration of performance enhancing features, and the ability to support 2-layer PCB designs.


Click to enlarge

The USB553X family is an excellent solution for USB port expansion in docking stations, port replicators, all-in-one monitors, as well as peripheral hubs for use with ultra-mobile PCs, tablets and notebooks that are outfitted with SuperSpeed USB host connectivity.

“USB 3.0 provides up to a 10x performance increase over USB 2.0 and will usher in a new wave of applications for consumers requiring high speed downloads,” said Charles Forni, VP and General Manager of SMSC’s Connected Devices product line. “USB 3.0 fulfills a need for a multi-purpose, high performance connection that can transfer vast amount of consumer generated data from one place to another.”

In addition to moving data faster than ever, SuperSpeed USB, operating at up to 5Gbps, has the potential to change future mobile computing designs in profound ways. As mobile PCs become ever thinner and lighter, industrial designs that favor ultra mobility may shift I/O connectors to a companion docking station that specializes in expanding connectivity options.

“USB is a well designed interface for bridging virtually any I/O port found in a PC today. With the added bandwidth inherent in the SuperSpeed version, USB 3.0 is capable of aggregating audio, video, storage and human interface data over a single USB connection on a PC”, said Mark Fu, Senior Director of Marketing at SMSC. “Our 7-port hub, the USB5537, is well suited for a USB docking station requiring all of these capabilities.”

Opting for ultra mobility, more and more notebook PCs offer fewer built-in I/O ports in order to achieve a desirable portable form factor. Typical netbook PCs feature two or less USB ports, no PC card slot, and in some instances, no Ethernet port (RJ45). The emerging tablets streamline industrial designs even further. These compact designs limit display size, and exile storage options and traditional input/output ports to peripheral accessories, such as docking stations.

While these design changes promote portability, consumers continue to expect a full PC experience out of the smaller, less capable box when they transition from on-the-go to a more stationary environment like a home or office. To get equivalent desktop PC connectivity out of an ultra mobile PC, a typical user would need multiple USB ports for a full-size keyboard, a mouse, a multi-function printer, and an external HDD for increased storage or a DVD-ROM drive for loading software. Power users may need a few more free ports to synchronize portable media players, charge their mobile phones, hook up surround sound speakers, or even drive an external LCD monitor for expanded display area.

SMSC’s USB553x product family is a compelling new solution for a myriad of USB port replicators and docking stations that provide add-on USB connectivity to this new class of mobile PCs.

SMSC