Powering human interface devices

Paul Boughton

Cypress Semiconductor has introduced its fourth-generation 2.4GHz WirelessUSB radio-on-a-chip that promises a three-year battery life for interface devices.

The new WirelessUSB NX transceiver delivers the ultra-low power consumption through a 2Mbit/s data rate to limit time spent transmitting and receiving. This enables three years of battery life for wireless mice, keyboards, trackpads, remote controls and other Human Interface Devices (HIDs). Cypress is the only supplier to offer a complete HID solution, supporting advanced features and streamlined designs with WirelessUSB NX, low-power microcontrollers and best-in-class capacitive touch sensing technology.

The WirelessUSB NX operates at 900nA in sleep mode where HIDs spend most of their time, and it offers low active current of 12mA in transmit mode and 15mA in receive mode. 

As with other Cypress WirelessUSB families, the NX radio offers superior performance in the presence of common 2.4GHz interference from sources such as WiFi, Bluetooth, cordless phones and microwaves.

WirelessUSB NX is complemented by Cypress’s highly-integrated enCoRe VI microcontroller, PSoC 4 system-on-chip devices and complete trackpad modules for sleek, robust touch interfaces, offering manufacturers a single source of supply and support.

“Cypress provided a complete solution for our ZTM600 touch mouse, which is bundled with the Lenovo High-End All-in-One series of PCs,” said L M Ding, project manager at Lenovo. “The WirelessUSB NX transceiver provided low-power wireless connectivity while the enCoRe VI controller integrated touch sensing and system control, thereby reducing BOM cost.”

“Our WirelessUSB NX solution delivers an industry-leading combination of low power consumption, robust connectivity and support for advanced features,” said Jayant Somani, Senior Marketing Director of Cypress’s HID Business Unit. “Cypress is the only supplier that can provide a complete wireless HID solution, with top-quality, low-power wireless radios, flexible microcontrollers and world-class capacitive touch sensing.”

WirelessUSB NX offers compatibility with common RF devices that are currently designed into wireless HIDs. Compatibility with these solutions enables customers to reuse existing firmware to reduce development time. 

The Received Signal Strength Indicator feature on WirelessUSB NX supports a 5-bit reading for signal strength and a 4-bit reading for noise strength. This provides more accuracy and finer control for wireless systems.

The WirelessUSB NX transceiver is offered in an RF-tested 24-QFN package (CYRF9935) and is available now in production volumes.

For more information, visit www.cypress.com