PC Card to Dual Function Versatile Mobile Bridge Chip: VMB5000A

High Performance in a Tiny Package for Compact Flash and PC-Card Designs

Product Brief Full Datasheet Design App Note

Design Kit Package Frequently Asked Questions for Developers

The VMB5000A is a highly integrated PCMCIA / CF device that has been specially designed for chip-to-chip bridging using either serial or parallel bit-streams.

The device offers two separate functions, one aimed at high speed data streaming and the other aimed at medium speed control and bridging uses.

Single Chip solution
Tiny size
Low power consumption
16-bit for maximum stability

For ultimate flexibility Function 0 includes a unique 2 Port USB host controller that allows Full Speed (12Mbits/sec) USB target devices to be bridged via the VMB5000A to the PCMCIA / CF bus. This unique combination of a USB host controller on the PCMCIA/CF bus, avoids the need to target 32-bit Cardbus cards with their inherently more complex, technically risky and power hungry interfaces, and which preclude use in PDAs and also prevent the card from drawing 5V from the host.

Each function can also be configured as a 16550+ UART device with support for auto flow control and Smart Card modes (T=0/T=1), or as a flexible serial controller offering support for popular synchronous serial bus protocols such as SPI, SD™ and 1-Wire™.

The VMB5000A supports both 8 and 16-bit host interface transfers, making burst data moves at up to 2.6MBytes/sec (>20Mbit/sec) possible. This opens the way for PCMCIA or CF cards that can support 3rd or 4th Generation wireless data rates and beyond, even on PDAs.

To sustain such high throughput rates, the VMB5000A offers separate 16KByte TX and RX FIFOs on Function 0 for use with the UART or USB controller.

Function 0 also supports a parallel access 16550 UART mode, suitable for use with a micro controller. Function 1 allows bridging to a child CF module to make Combi card design easy, perfect for WLAN + 3G dual role cards.

Operating System Support

Windows 2K, XP
Windows Vista
LINUX
Mac OSX
Windows CE/PPC/Mobile

Technical Features

	Dual function single chip PC-Card compliant device, with choice of modes on each function
	Integrated parallel EEPROM for CIS, re-programmable in-circuit (with software un-lock mechanism)
	Ultra-thin 64 terminal QFN package, just 9mm x 9mm x 0.9mm typ., lead-free and halogen free
	Operates at 3.3V, or 5V using internal LDO (with 5V tolerant I/Os)
	Supports PCMCIA and Compact Flash interfaces with 8 or 16-bit wide host interface for very high speed
	Function 0 offers choice of 16550+ UART, Dual port USB Full Speed Host controller, SmartCard, DIO, and parallel uProcessor interface modes
	Function 0 has internal 16Kx8 data FIFO in each direction to allow efficient data streaming
	Function 1 offers choice of 16550+ UART, SmartCard, DIO, and CF Bridging modes
	Chip can also operate in single function mode (Function 0) with backward compatible features to VPU16551
	UARTs are 16550 compatible devices with support for baud rate multipliers of x1, x4, x8, x32, configurable from CIS data (no device driver needed)
	UARTs also support auto RTS/CTS, programmable thresholds and enhanced data rates, allowing baud rates up to 10Mbit/s
	ISO7816-3 SmartCard support on both UARTs, with T=0 and T=1 modes and built-in power sequencing logic
	USB Host Controller supports 12Mbit/s transfers using BULK, INTERRUPT, or ISO modes. Built-in root hub allows direct connection of 2 devices. Controller runs from 24MHz crystal for low power consumption. Includes PLL and PHY interface to allow “transceiver-less” bridging if required or can connect to standard 3rd party transceiver chips. Can bridge to any class of USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 device.
	DIO modes offer simple software bit-bashing capabilities but also include hardware acceleration features to make protocols such as SPI, I2C, SD, MicroWire and 1-Wire protocols more efficient and easy to implement. Max bit rate is up to 10Mbit/sec synchronous serial.
	Max crystal rate is 40MHz, with support for separate clock input for Function 1’s UART if required
	Built-in pull-up and pull-down resistors simplify PCB layout task
	Low power consumption, critical when every milliamp counts