{"id":1422,"date":"2013-07-30T08:03:12","date_gmt":"2013-07-30T08:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/electronicsmaker.com\/?p=1422"},"modified":"2013-07-30T08:03:12","modified_gmt":"2013-07-30T08:03:12","slug":"charging-mobile-devices-from-shutdown-pcs-becomes-reality-with-unique-usb-chips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/electronicsmaker.com\/charging-mobile-devices-from-shutdown-pcs-becomes-reality-with-unique-usb-chips","title":{"rendered":"Charging Mobile Devices from Shutdown PCs Becomes Reality with Unique USB Chips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geneva,\u00a0July 30, 2013\u00a0\u2013 STMicroelectronics<\/strong>, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has perfected advanced features in its latest\u00a0PC USB chips<\/a>\u00a0that significantly reduce the environmental impact of charging mobile devices.<\/p>\n

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As smartphones and media players typically connect to a PC for data exchange, users are tending also to charge their devices from PC USB ports. Indeed, the International Electrotechnical Commission\u2019s (IEC) universal phone-charger standard[1]<\/a>\u00a0promotes USB charging by making use of the USB interface specification. The IEC says[2]<\/a>\u00a0the standard could help reduce the 51,000 tons of redundant chargers produced each year and cut the mobile industry\u2019s annual greenhouse gas emissions by 13.6 million tons.<\/p>\n

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ST\u2019s new STCC5011 and STCC5021<\/a>\u00a0go a step further in saving energy and reducing CO2<\/sub>\u00a0emissions by allowing users to charge mobile devices from a USB port even when the computer is in software-controlled shutdown mode. Using a unique attach-detection feature, which is patented by ST and operates when the PC is shut down, the chips (called charger emulators) can detect when a mobile device has been connected. This enables the PC\u2019s power supply to be activated for charging. The chips also monitor current to turn the power supply off when charging is complete and thereby maximize the energy savings. Other charger emulators require the PC to be in working or sleep mode to charge the device, which consumes more power than when the PC is in shutdown mode.<\/p>\n

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Charging in PC shutdown mode with the STCC5011 or STCC5021 improves the energy efficiency of USB charging and makes it more convenient for end users. Moreover, when the USB port is active and waiting for a device to be connected for charging, ST\u2019s chips consume only 1\/16 of the power of other charger emulators. This allows PCs to offer convenient USB charging with minimal impact on power consumption or PC battery life during normal use. Both chips have circuitry to avoid discharging the PC\u2019s battery, which allows even the most mobile of users to charge devices safely while using the PC on battery power alone.<\/p>\n

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The STCC5011 has a 1A charge-current limit suitable for Apple iPod\u00ae and iPhone\u00ae. The STCC5021 has a limit of 2A for charging iPad\u00ae as well as iPod and iPhone. Both chips are compatible with the USB battery charging standard BC1.2, USB2.0, USB3.0, and Chinese telecommunications standard YD\/T 1591-2009, which mandates use of USB charging to reduce electronic waste and protect the environment. They also support proprietary chargers such as BlackBerry\u00ae charging mode, as well as Apple\u00ae divider mode (for 1A and 2A charging, as described above).<\/p>\n

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Major features of STCC5011\/5021:<\/strong><\/p>\n