SMSC intros industry’s first 7-port USB 3.0 hybrid hub controller family

HAUPPAUGE, USA: SMSC, a leading semiconductor company enabling content rich connectivity systems, announced the USB553x, a family of USB 3.0 hub controllers consisting of 7-port and a 4-port offerings. These 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. 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.

SMSC has been a leading provider of USB 2.0 solutions over the past decade, having shipped over 200 million USB enabled devices. Our low power, small footprint design expertise has made SMSC a valued partner to many of the industry’s top designers of USB-enabled computing, consumer and automotive platforms and makes us a natural design partner for SuperSpeed USB.

“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 GM 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 5 Gbps, 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.”