Type-C USB is coming, that’s for sure. In fact, many folks will tell you it’s already here. With the faster throughput, video over USB makes more sense. To that end, Lattice Semiconductor and MediaTek have joined forces to provide a power-efficient reference design that drives 4K UHD video over a USB Type-C connector.
Lattice’s USB Type-C port controllers and MHL transceivers can easily be paired with MediaTek’s Helio X20, the company’s mobile processor designed with its Tri-Cluster CPU architecture and 10 processing cores. The result is a solution that designers can take to implement next-generation, low-power video platforms for the growing 4K UHD market.
Applications that can take advantage of the combined reference design include smartphones and other mobile devices where low power consumption is critical. Specifically for smartphones, Lattice’s SiI8348 MHL transmitter is used to seamlessly connect to MediaTek’s Helio X20 to drive 4K video, while the SiI7033 port controller sets up MHL Alt Mode on USB Type-C, as well as power data objects (PDOs) required to quickly charge the phone. The port controller also integrates the required switches to support simultaneous MHL and USB 3.1 connectivity over the reversible Type-C connector. For docks and accessories, Lattice’s SiI7013 and the SiI9396 port controllers can establish MHL Alt Mode and convert MHL to HDMI transmission, respectively, to connect to the existing base of displays.