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We are releasing the second hardware revision for our USB3.0 loopback plugs today.
Hardware revision 2 is being introduced to double the memory on the device, reduce power usage, provide better electrostatic protection (ESD) & reduce electrical noise. This should reduce error rates when used with marginal host controllers or marginal cabling. Otherwise the high level functionality of Rev 1 and Rev 2 are identical. There is also no change in the price.
The below table summarizes the main differences across revisions.
In addition to the above-mentioned differences, in the new revision:
Hardware revision 2 is being introduced to double the memory on the device, reduce power usage, provide better electrostatic protection (ESD) & reduce electrical noise. This should reduce error rates when used with marginal host controllers or marginal cabling. Otherwise the high level functionality of Rev 1 and Rev 2 are identical. There is also no change in the price.
The below table summarizes the main differences across revisions.
| Feature | HW Revision 1 | HW Revision 2 |
| Memory | 256KB | 512KB For additional functionality in future firmware |
| Clock | 19.2Mhz (crystal) | 19.2Mhz (oscillator) For reduced electrical noise |
| ESD Protection on VBUS | ESD, IEC 61000-4-2, 8kV contact, 5kV air discharge | ESD, IEC 61000-4-2, ±30kV contact, ±30kV air discharge EFT, IEC 61000-4-4, 40A (5/50ns) |
| ESD Protection on USB2 lines | ESD, IEC61000-4-2 level 3A, ± 6kV contact, ±8-kV air discharge ESD, IEC61000-4-2 level 4C, ± 8kV contact, ±15-kV air discharge |
ESD, IEC 61000-4-2, ±20kV contact, ±30kV air discharge EFT, IEC 61000-4-4, 40A (5/50ns) |
| ESD Protection on USB3 lines | ESD, IEC61000-4-2, ±20kV contact, ±20kV air discharge | ESD, IEC 61000-4-2 Level 4, ±12kV contact, ±15-kV air discharge EFT, IEC 61000-4-4, 80 A (5/50 ns) |
| Voltage Protection | ±28V | ±26V |
| On board voltage regulators | 1.2 (linear regulator), 3.3 (linear regulator) | 1.2 (switching regulator), 3.3 (linear regulator) |
| Power Consumption | 115mA (Typical USB 2.0 operation) 170mA (Typical USB 3.0 operation) |
75mA (Typical USB 2.0 operation) 90mA (Typical USB 3.0 operation) |
- The on-board power supply is redesigned to achieve better stability and less sensitivity to noise on VBUS
- The board stackup is changed and signal integrity is improved
- An optional ground point is added to provide a low-impedance path when the plug is exposed to ESD/EFT events (ESD/EFT testing is not recommended as the protection chips degrades when they are exposed to ESD/EFT events)
- LCD connector is moved to the bottom layer to prevent damage to the LCD caused by components attached to the FPC cable
- Different model coloured LEDs, as the previous componenets were no longer available.
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