Fujitsu Compact MB86C31 Earns USB-IF Compliance Certification

Fujitsu Semiconductor America, Inc. (FSA) announced that the latest series of the Fujitsu USB 3.0-SATA bridge IC, the MB86C31, has passed USB-IF compliance testing conducted by the USB Implementers Forum and is now certified as compliant with the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed standard.  

The Fujitsu MB86C31 USB 3.0-SATA bridge IC builds on the functionality of the MB86C30 series released last year. Key new features include support for the state-of-the-art UAS (USB attached SCSI) protocol, Native Command Queuing (NCQ) functionality, and hot-plugging of ATA devices. Other enhancements include improved USB PHY connectivity and lower power consumption as well as support for PWM and plural SPI devices. The MB86C31 is available in two small packages – a 64-pin LQFP (7mm x 7mm) and a 48-pin QFN (6mm x 6mm) – for greater flexibility.

With its enhanced features, available high-speed encryption hardware and data-transfer rates up to 5Gbps, the MB86C31 USB 3.0-SATA bridge IC series is a robust solution to enable secure, reliable, and super-fast connectivity between host PCs and external SATA storage devices such as HDDs, SSDs, and Blu-ray drives.

"SuperSpeed USB offers compelling advancements to the popular USB technology, and we’re excited to witness the growing momentum behind SuperSpeed USB technology," stated Jeff Ravencraft, president and chairman, USB-IF. "The hard work of manufacturers bringing certified SuperSpeed USB products to market is a clear indication of strong industry support for SuperSpeed USB."

"Over the past several months, we have improved our USB 3.0-SATA bridge IC series, increasing the data-transfer rates and reducing the footprint. Today we welcome the IC’s formal certification by the USB Implementers Forum," said Yoshi Masuda, senior manager of marketing, Fujitsu Semiconductor America. "We are experiencing design wins for the device across the industry, and view the SuperSpeed USB specification as ideal for external drives and consumer mass storage systems."

The MB86C31 follows in the successful footsteps of its predecessor, the MB86C30A USB 3.0-SATA bridge. Released last July, the MB86C30A passed USB-IF compliance in December 2009. Electronic Products Magazine named the MB86C311 a 2009 Product of the Year.

To complement the specification and enable measurement of compliance in real products, the USB-IF has instituted a compliance program that provides reasonable measures of acceptability. Products that demonstrate this level of acceptability are added to the Integrators List and have the right to license the USB-IF logo.