Universal charging technology with fewer cables and connectors accelerates

STMicroelectronics (hereinafter ST) is supplying embedded software solutions based on its STM32 microcontrollers for STM32 USB Type-C™ and Power Delivery (PD). With the global trend of exploring the application of new USB Type-C and PD technologies in electronic products gaining momentum, ST has introduced a new solution that enables easy implementation.

The STM32 USB-C and PD middleware stack X-CUBE-USB-PD is available for free and complies with USB Type-C 1.2 and USB PD 2.0 specifications, allowing you to quickly apply this new technology to your products as well as take advantage of the rich features of ST's STM32 ARM® Cortex®-M based microcontrollers.

This new firmware stack is based on the STM32F0 entry-level Cortex-M0 processor and helps upgrade existing USB devices, allowing product users to benefit as well. With PD technology and USB-C technology, it can transmit key data such as video or proprietary protocols through a reversible connector and charge with up to 100W of power through a USB port.


Daniel Colonna, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Microcontrollers at ST, stated, “This USB-C and PD stack is a prime example of why the STM32 family has been so successful in becoming the new standard for embedded processing, ranging from high-end smartphones and tablets to small IoT (Internet of Things) applications. As the de facto industry-standard embedded processor architecture, STM32 offers the world’s widest range of price, power, and performance options, and is supported by a broad design ecosystem that includes free software and low-cost development boards to accelerate time-to-market and maximize return on investment.”

In terms of cost and PCB footprint, a solution using an STM32 equipped with this stack requires only a simple Analog Front End (AFE) consisting of just a few passive components. This is because it can fully utilize the built-in functions of the STM32, such as comparators, ADCs, timers, and Direct Memory Access (DMA).

ST supplies the STM32 Nucleo Pack, a discovery development tool, to minimize design work for new USB-C technology. This pack consists of the NUCLEO-F072RB board, a USB-C and PD expansion board, and a USB Type-C cable without functional limitations. The expansion board features two dual-function USB Type-C power ports and a discrete AFE (Analog Front End).

The STM32F0 USB-C/PD Nucleo Pack (P-NUCLEO-USB001) is currently available for purchase at $49.90 per unit.