FTDI USB Controllers from Alpha Micro Components

Dec. 11, 2012 - PRLog -- Alpha Micro Components has announced the release of its FTDI FT12 series of high performance USB controller ICs designed to facilitate mass data transfer from embedded systems applications including medical, industrial data-logger, power-metering and test instrumentation, to peripheral devices fitted with old style serial connectors.  Featuring native drivers present in the operating system, they are also ideal for isochronous support for video applications in security, industrial control and quality inspections.

Operating at 12 Mbits/s and designed to the USB 2.0 specification, the new controllers support direct memory access (DMA) operation, while providing system interfaces for 8-bit parallel bus and SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) Slave. The FT12 series is configurable as a standard device class and as such there is no need to add USB drivers. They have been designed specifically so that engineers can quickly understand the device functionality and architecture, as well as take advantage of application software and standard class drivers currently available and installed within the market.

“With the FT12 family of parts, FTDI is expanding the choice for engineers’ USB implementations,” said Maxine Hewitt, Director of Marketing, Alpha Micro Components. “These ICs enable the standard drivers of an operating system to be used, while providing flexibility on the device side to optimise the development of a broad range of applications. FTDI continues to strive to achieve its goal of ‘USB Made Easy’, by architecting the devices in a familiar fashion and at the same time providing high quality support through development tools, application notes and worldwide one-on-one technical assistance.”

Composed of three members and inspired by the industry standard D12, the FT12 series offers unique features like battery charging detection, numerous interface options and optimised device footprints - allowing the designer to choose the best-fit chip. A serial interface engine (SIE) built into each FT12 handles the USB protocol, as well as carrying out packet recognition, checking and sequencing.  Multiple USB transfer modes are supported, enabling bulk and isochronous data transfer activity, as well as supporting interrupt protocol.

The FT120 and FT122 are both supplied in TSSOP-28 and QFN-28 packages, while the FT121 is offered in TSSOP-16 and QFN-16 package options. All of these advanced USB controller ICs have an operating temperature range of -40 °C to 85 °C.

Development tool support is provided through 4 evaluation modules that are all available through Alpha Micro Components

For further information please visit www.alphamicro.net