Infineon Technologies CY7C68300A-56PVC

Overview

CY7C68300A-56PVC from Cypress Semiconductor is a fixed-function USB 2.0 to ATA/ATAPI bridge IC supporting high-speed (480 Mbps) and full-speed (12 Mbps) operation, compliant with USB Mass Storage Class Bulk-Only Transport and T13 ATA/ATAPI-6 specifications. It integrates a 4-Kbyte FIFO buffer, supports 48-bit addressing for large HDDs, and enables single-master/slave ATA device connectivity in self-powered USB storage enclosures.

For engineers reviewing the CY7C68300A-56PVC datasheet, CY7C68300A-56PVC pinout, CY7C68300A-56PVC application, or CY7C68300A-56PVC equivalent, key selection criteria include ATA interface enable control (ATA_EN), I²C-configurable EEPROM support, 24-MHz crystal timing, 3.3V-only operation, and dual 56-pin SSOP/QFN package compatibility.

Technical Context

The CY7C68300A implements a hardwired bridge architecture with dedicated USB 2.0 transceiver, Smart USB FS/HS engine, and ATA interface logic - no firmware or host CPU intervention required for basic mass storage enumeration. Its internal state machine handles ATA device initialization autonomously using configuration data loaded from external I²C EEPROM.

It supports PIO modes 0, 3, 4 and UDMA modes 2, 4 over a 16-bit ATA data bus, with IRQ-driven interrupt signaling (INTRQ) and DMA-ready handshake (DMARQ/DMACK#). The ATA_EN input provides hardware-level bus sharing capability by tri-stating all ATA signals when deasserted, enabling coexistence with IEEE-1394 or other host controllers on the same ATA bus.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

Package: 56-pin SSOP (CY7C68300A-56PVC) and 56-pin QFN - both RoHS-compliant, surface-mount packages with identical pin mapping and thermal performance. Requires 3.3V power distribution with decoupling capacitors per VCC pin and shortest possible AGND trace routing.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar USB-to-ATA bridge applications.

Compared with GL852G-UF and FE1.1S, the CY7C68300A-56PVC delivers deterministic, zero-firmware ATA-6 compliance with hardware-level bus sharing (ATA_EN), making it optimal for industrial enclosures and certified USB mass storage products where reliability and standards conformance are mandatory.

Availability

CY7C68300A-56PVC is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for external HDD enclosures, USB-to-IDE adapter cables, industrial data loggers, and embedded media players requiring stable component supply across extended production lifecycles.

Supply support for CY7C68300A-56PVC includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Cypress Semiconductor (now part of Infineon Technologies) is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in programmable system-on-chip solutions, USB controllers, and mixed-signal ICs for industrial, automotive, and consumer applications.

The EZ-USB AT2™ product line was engineered specifically for high-integrity USB 2.0 mass storage bridge applications, emphasizing hardware autonomy, ATA-6 compliance, and board-level testability without firmware dependencies.

FAQ

What is the role of the ATA_EN pin in system design?

The ATA_EN pin enables hardware-level sharing of the ATA bus between multiple controllers. When asserted HIGH, it activates the CY7C68300A's ATA interface; when LOW, it tri-states all ATA signals (DD0–DD15, DIOR#, DIOW#, etc.), allowing another host (e.g., IEEE-1394 bridge) to take control. This avoids software arbitration and prevents bus contention during hot-plug transitions.

Does CY7C68300A-56PVC support SATA devices?

No. The CY7C68300A-56PVC is strictly an ATA/ATAPI-6 bridge and does not support SATA signaling, command sets, or physical layer requirements. It connects only to parallel ATA (PATA) devices such as IDE HDDs, CD-ROMs, and CompactFlash cards operating in PIO or UDMA modes - not to SATA-native drives or AHCI controllers.

Can the CY7C68300A operate without an external EEPROM?

Yes, but only in Board Manufacturing Test Mode. Without a valid I²C EEPROM (first two bytes = 0x4D), the device defaults to test mode: USB enumeration succeeds, but the ATA interface remains inactive. Full ATA functionality requires EEPROM with correct signature and configuration data stored at defined addresses (e.g., VID/PID at 0x00–0x03).

What crystal specifications are required for stable USB 2.0 operation?

A 24.000 MHz ±50 ppm parallel-resonant fundamental-mode crystal with 20 pF load capacitance is required. The crystal must be placed within 5 mm of XTALIN/XTALOUT pins, with symmetric PCB traces and ground guard ring. Deviations beyond ±100 ppm cause USB packet timing violations and enumeration failure - no internal trimming or calibration is provided.