New Industry Products

Charge-Centric USB Type-C Connectors for Fast Charging Designs

September 19, 2019 by Paul Shepard

The ionex® range from Global Connector Technology (GCT) provides the fast charging capabilities of USB Type-C at a cost-effective price point.  For applications where charging is the primary function for a USB connection, the ionex range truly makes Type-C a real option over other popular USB types.

Following the success of GCT's USB4085 horizontal through-hole Type-C receptacle launched last year, the new USB4110 surface mount variant joins the ionex product line up and is expected to be more popular since it is the prevalent mount type for USB.  The ionex range achieves its competitive price point by simplifying its engineering.

Modifications made to the connector's PIN structure by removing the SuperSpeed differential pair contacts creates a 16-pin variant of USB Type-C, providing ionex connectors all the required charge capabilities of Type-C with USB 2.0 functionality.

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Micro USB remains a popular USB choice for charging applications primarily for its low cost, small footprint and the fact it is a well-established and widely used connector to fulfil this task.  But with new technology demanding quicker charge times and better ergonomics, USB Type-C is the ideal alternative.

"There is a clear desire from engineers to adopt the latest version of USB for new designs but costs still remain a key barrier," states Eren Ozkan, EMEA Project Manager at GCT.  "By engineering Type-C connectors to meet the requirements for charging focused products, we have been able to reduce the costs for our customers making it a compelling alternative over Micro USB for these applications."