The USB-C-Switch is a 4:1 software-programmable USB TypeC port selector and multiplexer switch, designed for demanding industrial environments where advanced control and monitoring of USB Type-C ports is required.
The USB-C-Switch can be used to selectively switch a USB connection from one common port to one of 4 mux ports, conduct Type-C cable flip operations, measure current and voltages on VBUS and VCONN lines of all ports, and independently control USB data and power connections on each port.
Programmable 4-Port USB Switch for Type-C
A 4:1 software-programmable USB TypeC port selector and multiplexer switch, designed for demanding industrial environments where advanced control and monitoring of USB Type-C ports is required.
USB-C-Switch is a programmable, bi-directional 4-channel USB type-C port selector used by major OEMs and CMs throughout the world. The USB-C-Switch automates testing and validation in manufacturing and test environments and enables control in any complex type-C or USB system.
Automate testing of USB Type-C functions and lower the cost of testing next-generation products. Software-controlled, programmable, and bi-directional 4:1 or 1:4 multiplexing switch. Supports power delivery (USB-PD), Apple CarPlay, Android Automotive, and Alt-Modes. Designed to withstand ±15kV ESD strikes.
Uses for USB type-C multiplexer
- Manufacturing testing of USB Type-C ports
- USB device validation and development
- USB functional testing
- USB peripheral management
- USB Alt-mode testing
- USB PD profile testing
- Regression test environments
- Automating USB Type C port “flip”
- Automating USB plug/unplug operations
- Automation of Apple CarPlay® or Android Auto® testing
Why choose Acroname’s industrial 4-Port USB-C Switch?
The USB-C-Switch gives engineers advanced control of USB connections in testing and development applications. The USB-C-Switch consists of several layers of internal switches to achieve the 4:1 selector and USB line control functionality. Without any hub or other directional intermediary devices, the USB-C switch is can behave “like a cable” to connected devices. USB2, USB3, power, CC, Vconn, and SBU, are passed through the USB-C-Switch between the common-port and the selected mux port. Data link, power negotiations and power between USB devices are provided by the attached devices themselves, allowing the USB-C-Switch to be used bidirectionally in either a 1:4 or 4:1 configuration.
Power and software control connections to the USB-C-Switch are established and maintained over a dedicated USB-C control port.
Each USB-C-Switch is uniquely addressable and controllable from a host PC via USB-C control port which also provide power. Built on top of Acroname’s BrainStem® platform, the USB-C-Switch is easily controlled over USB with simple highlevel APIs in C, C++, Python and LabVIEW.
Includes:
- one 1.5ft USB-C male-to-male full-featured, e-marked cable
- one 1.5ft USB-C to A male-to-male cable
- one 1.5ft Acroname Universal Orientation Cable (UOC)
Passive and Redriver models are available
- Passive: Best for emulating off the shelf cables and connections.
- Re-Driver: Best for general connectivity or longer cables; allows USB signal tuning to compensate for insertion and other losses.
This product may expose you to chemicals which are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. A list of specific chemicals can be found in the product documentation.
- Enable/Disable any port
- Automate type-C hot-plug / unplug actions
- Automate type-C connector flip actions (using C38-USBC-UOC cable)
- Customize USB signal equalization settings (Redriver option only)
- Monitor voltage on all ports
- Monitor current on the common port
- Monitor voltage and current on CC and VCONN
- Individually enable/disable SuperSpeed and HiSpeed data, CC, SBU and power connections for any port
- Maintain software control through a dedicated control port
- Separate or combine USB lines between Mux Channels using advanced SPLIT mode
- MacOSX 10.8+, Linux, ARM6, ARM7, and Windows 7, 8 and 10 (32bit and 64bit) platform support
- Python, C, C++, LabVIEW APIs (C# coming soon)
- Selectively connect one USB Type-C® (USB-C) connection to any one of 4 channels
- Bidirectional 1:4 or 4:1 configurations
- All ports support USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 link speeds up to 10Gbps1
- All ports support USB PD profiles up to 100W (20V, 5A)2 – Execute USB-C cable flip via software control3
- Supports pass through of USB Alt-Modes
- Available in Passive or Redriver versions
- DIN rail mountable using C31-DINM-1
- Certified to withstand ±15kV ESD strikes
Cable Flip
A key feature of the USB-C connector is its symmetric design allowing for insertion in either orientation. This makes the USB-C connector user-friendly yet complicates the development of devices using the USB-C standard. The orientation is defined by the cable or downstream device in the system; more specifically, by components inside of the USB-C male plug of a connection. The USB-C specification makes determining connector orientation a responsibility of the active devices in the system.
Figure 11 shows example block diagrams of the flip feature when connecting a host through a full-featured, non-marked cable to a direct-connected downstream device. Related USB SS, HS and SBU lines are also routed appropriately, though omitted from the diagram for clarity.
Keep-Alive Charging (KAC)
It is common to use battery powered devices on either side of the USB-C-Switch. When these devices are not in the active path, either on the common or mux side, the device battery may discharge. The USB-C-Switch has the unique feature of Keep-Alive Charging (KAC) for the mux channel connections. When KAC is enabled, the KAC circuit connects power from the control port VBUS to all non-selected mux channel VBUS lines. KAC power is applied only to inactive mux channels and is not applied to the actively selected mux channel since the actively selected channel has a power path to the common port. KAC is automatically disabled when mux split mode is enabled.
Mux Split Mode
The default behavior of the USB-C-Switch is to act as a port selector, where all USB-C lines are connected between the common port and one selected mux channel. In some cases, it is desirable to split the connections in a USB-C cable and route them to different mux paths. A common application is to be able connect a USB device to a host machine for USB data while connecting VBUS charging from a device specific charger.
Split mode gives control over individual signal groups, allowing each group to be connect to a mux channel. VBUS can be connected to any combination of mux channels or disabled on the mux channels. Signal groups under Split control assignment are: VBUS, SSA (TX1+/-, RX1+/-), SSB (TX2+/-, RX2+/-), HSA (D+/-, Side A), HSB (D+/-, Side B), CC1, CC2, SBU1, and SBU2.
Typical Performance Characteristics
Specifications are valid at 25°C unless otherwise noted. Indoor use only. Sample rates are typically limited by the USB throughput of the host operating system except where bulk capture is supported.
| Parameter | Conditions/Notes | Min | Typ. | Max | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VBUS common to mux port ON | 200 | 250 | 350 | mΩ | |
| VBUS current measurement resolution | - | 1.95 | - | mA | |
| VBUS current measurement accuracy | - | ±0.5 | - | %FS | |
| VBUS voltage measurement resolution | - | 8 | - | mV | |
| VBUS voltage measurement accuracy | - | ±0.2 | - | %FS | |
| CCx current measurement resolution | - | 976 | - | µA | |
| CCx current measurement accuracy | - | ±0.5 | - | %FS | |
| CCx voltage measurement resolution | - | 4 | - | mV | |
| CCx voltage measurement accuracy | - | ±0.5 | - | %FS | |
| Keep-alive charge (KAC) voltage | Sourced from control port VBUS | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | V |
| Keep-alive charge (KAC) current limit | Constant current mode short circuit to ground | 600 | 800 | 1000 | mA |
| A5 common to A5 mux DCR | 1.0 | - | 1.1 | Ω | |
| B5 common to B5 mux DCR | 1.0 | - | 1.1 | Ω | |
| A5 common to B5 mux DCR | Software flip condition | 1.0 | - | 1.1 | Ω |
| B5 common to A5 mux DCR | Software flip condition | 1.0 | - | 1.1 | Ω |
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