One of the greatest features of USB-C besides the bidirectional, reversible connector is USB Power Delivery. USB-PD is something I’ve been interested in since the USB Implementers Forum released the specifications for it. It allows devices to negotiate for a higher voltage VBus, as well as providing information around current limits. It’s a great way to get flexible, high-power projects powered up. However, getting it set up could be a pain. But with this awesome FUSB302B Breakout Board you can quickly and easily add USB-PD to any project you’re working on.
Your microcontroller will communicate to the FUSB302B via I2C, allowing fine-grained control over the USB connection. This chip can act as a sink or a source, meaning you can also use this breakout to build a beefy USB-C power supply if you want! There are lots of libraries out there to make communication with this chip easy. Seller WaffleBomb also has their own library for communication with the device being prepared for release and additionally has the schematic available.
But if you want to dig into the nitty gritty details of USB Power Delivery (which I highly recommend) you can start with the FUSB302B datasheet. Note that this datasheet has lots of terms that are defined in the USB-PD specification, so it’s good to have both documents handy if you’re jumping in feet first. This breakout also has the USB 2.0 data pins broken out, so your device can also communicate over traditional USB if connected to a device that supports it. So with one single board, you can take care of most of your power supply and USB communication at the same time!
