USB 3.0-SATA bridge certified SuperSpeed compliant

The newest member of Fujitsu's USB 3.0-SATA bridge IC family, the MB86C31, has been certified as USB 3.0 SuperSpeed compliant, which means it is capable of data-transfer rates of up to 5Gbit/s using multiple data streams. Fujitsu Semiconductor America Inc. (FSA) said the MB86C31 passed the USB-IF compliance testing conducted by the USB Implementers Forum.

The key features of the MB86C31 include support for the USB attached SCSI (UAS) protocol, Native Command Queuing (NCQ) functionality, hot-plugging of ATA devices, improved USB PHY connectivity, lower power consumption, and support for PWM and plural SPI devices. It is available in 64-pin LQFP (7mm x 7mm) and 48-pin QFN (6mm x 6mm) versions.

Yoshi Masuda, senior manager of FSA marketing, welcomed the MB86C31's certification from the USB-IF. "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... 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 USB-IF's president and chairman, Jeff Ravencraft, said, "The hard work of manufacturers bringing certified SuperSpeed USB products to market is a clear indication of strong industry support for SuperSpeed USB."