STMicroelectronics reveals cost-effective cable-free connectivity for eUSB accessories, devices and industrial applications

New short-range wireless point-to-point transceiver ICs from STMicroelectronics remove the need for cables and connectors in consumer-friendly accessories and personal electronics like digital cameras, wearables, portable hard drives, and small gaming terminals. They also address data-transfer challenges in industrial applications such as rotating machinery.

As a cost-effective cable replacement, ST60A3H0 and ST60A3H1 transceivers let designers create products with slim, aperture-free cases that can be stylish, water-resistant, and allow convenient wireless docking. Self-discovery with instant mating saves pairing, while low power consumption preserves battery runtime. They operate in the 60GHz V-band and provide eUSB2, I2C, SPI, UART, and GPIO tunneling.

Consuming 130mW in eUSB rx/tx mode and just 90mW for UART, GPIO, and I2C modes, and with a 23µW shutdown mode, energy demand is minimal. As the devices can handle exchanges at up to 480Mbit/s, consistent with the USB 2.0 High Speed specification, wireless connections can deliver cable-like speed and low latency.

The ST60A3H1 has an integrated antenna that eases final system design. It comes in a compact 3mm x 4mm VFBGA package. The ST60A3H0 is designed for connecting an external antenna, giving flexibility to address diverse applications. It has a smaller, 2.2mm x 2.6mm footprint.

In industrial environments, wireless connections with these transceivers deliver benefits including safe galvanic isolation and immunity to environmental hazards such as dust and humidity. The devices are also ideal for rotating machinery and instruments such as radars and lidars, as well as mobile equipment like robotic arms. Being free from mechanical wear, their lifetime is not limited by the number of rotations. This ensures greater reliability than slip rings, particularly for high data rate signals, at a lower cost than fiber-optic rotating joints (FORJ).

The transceivers are easy to use without installing software drivers or protocol stack. In addition to enhancing end-user experiences, they enable fast, efficient contactless product testing and debugging, including loading firmware over the air (FOTA), during manufacture and after sales.

The ST60A3H0 and ST60A3H1 are in full production and are covered by ST ‘s10-year product-longevity program that ensures long-term support and availability. Samples are available now priced at $5.00. Detailed technical data, evaluation kits, and production pricing are subject to a non-disclosure agreement.

Unlicensed 60 GHz RF millimeter-wave band usage opens new opportunities for short-range contactless connectivity by enabling unprecedented multi-Gigabit data rates.

The ST60 RF Transceiver for the 60 GHz band provides a very power-efficient wireless link with a high data rate, eliminating the need for physical cables and connectors for short range (a few centimeters), point-to-point communications.

ST60 offers best-in-class wireless performance with transfer speeds up to 6.25 Gbps along with very low power consumption.

ST60’s unmatched efficiency, very small form factor and innovative architecture for an optimized bill of materials, make it ideally suited for a wide range of applications in personal electronics, industrial applications, computers and peripherals.

Enabling connector-free solutions with our innovative ST60 transceiver

This tiny, optimized wireless link transceiver with a high data rate is a breakthrough for short-range, point-to-point contactless communications, as it offers:

• Board-to-board contactless connections
  • to remove flex cables in electronics devices
  • to remove cables in industrial electronic systems that undergo mechanical stress due to flexing and bending
• Connector-free solutions
  • for water- & dust-proof wireless devices
  • for seamless docking and on-the-go, device-to-device data synchronization
  • for harsh industrial environments, to avoid exposing connector ports to environmental disturbances
• Contactless connector solutions for industrial applications

Here are some examples of innovative applications that can be designed using ST60 transceiver:

• Industry 4.0: for electronic systems operating in harsh industrial environments and undergoing mechanical stress that could break wired connections.
  • to replace costly hardened connectors in equipment operating in harsh environmental conditions (dust, salt, vibration)
  • to enable connections while ensuring physical or electrical insulation
  • to allow machinery to be moved thanks to contactless connection, for example in rotating joins and hinges for robots
• Next-generation automated factories, such as smartphone production lines, to increase productivity and reliability, using machine-to-machine ST60 link to remove connector wear & tear, and speed up device testing with wireless connections, instead of manual cables
• Video surveillance cameras with 360° rotation
• Truly connector-less personal electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops and wearable devices to offer worldwide consumers sleek designs, improving user experience thanks to a wide range of contactless accessories, and bringing innovative features such as ‘Tap & Sync’ between devices for fast and seamless exchanges of large multimedia content.
• Digital signage and LED displays such as display walls, Out-Of-Home (OOH) advertising displays, large-format displays, where current costly and inconvenient cables can be replaced with contactless connected display tiles and cabinets, which are easy to assemble by customers.
• Contactless medical equipment to reduce the spread of diseases.

And many more!