Oct 27, 2021   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Acroname Launches the World’s First Programmable USB Type-C Hub Designed for USB-PD Debug and Validation

Acroname, Inc., — Today, Boulder, Colorado-based Acroname launched the world’s first industrial and programmable USB Type-C Hub, Power Delivery Analyzer, and Tester. Called the USBHub3c, it is designed specifically for mobile device test labs, USB-PD validation testing, USB-C device production testing, end-of-line battery-charging, and for testing dual role data (DRD) and dual role power (DRP) devices.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211027005382/en/

The Acroname USBHub3c: USB-C Hub with Power Delivery Analyzer + Tester (Photo: Business Wire)

The Acroname USBHub3c: USB-C Hub with Power Delivery Analyzer + Tester (Photo: Business Wire)

Building on Acroname’s successful series of industrial and programmable USB hubs, the USBHub3c is fully programmable, so engineers can control USB-PD profiles, real-time measurements, and USB connectivity. And it’s the only USB-C hub with AnyPort™ which allows all ports to be fully functional, 100W capable, upstream (UFP) or downstream (DFP) ports.

“We built the Acroname USBHub3c to be the most capable and reliable USB hub in the world. We then bolted on the advanced power-delivery analyzer and debug and validation tools,” said Justin Gregg, Acroname’s chief executive officer. “It is optimized for manufacturing and validation environments. And it is the perfect solution to mitigate overcharging in large mobile device test labs.”

In 2015, Acroname invented the programmable USB hub concept and successfully launched a series of USB Hubs that are used by some of the biggest tech companies in the world. Building on past innovations, the USBHub3c ports can be enabled and disabled independently, and each functional signal group can be independently controlled. Each port can also be dynamically configured for upstream or downstream data at speeds up to 10Gbps, and the USBHub3c will also report established link speed.

A robust and user-programmable power budgeting system allows the USBHub3c to be the only bus-powered USB hub that supports PD sourcing. The power budgeting system also allows engineers to fine-tune power sourcing when connected to high-current sink devices. The USBHub3c boasts the ability to automate cable “flipping” with manual interaction, edit USB-PD power data objects (PDOs), and override voltages and current limits. All programmable features are controlled with simple, robust APIs in Python, C, C++, .Net, and LabVIEW®.

“Our vision was to create a USB-C hub that made automated testing easier, predictable, safer, and cheaper than anything on the market,” Gregg said. “Our talented engineering team was successful. Life just got easier for test engineers working with USB-C devices.”