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Realtek Releases Multi-Port USB4 Hub Controller, with Power Delivery Support

Nomad76

Nomad76

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Realtek Semiconductor Corp., one of the world's leading network and multimedia IC providers, launched the world's first multi-port USB4 hub controller (RTS5490), integrating USB Type-C/PD functionality and passing USB-IF full certification (TID: 11930).

Realtek's RTS5490 boasts a revolutionary speed upgrade, increasing the bandwidth from USB 3.2's 20 Gbps to USB4's 40 Gbps. It integrates protocols such as USB 3.2, USB-C, USB PD, PCIe, and DisplayPort while remaining backward compatible with existing USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 devices. With the RTS5490 USB4 hub controller, users can effortlessly expand their computer's ports with just a USB-C cable, offering ultra-fast data transfer, multi-display capabilities, and 240 W rapid charging.



Realtek's RTS5490 highly integrated USB4 solution provides customers with unmatched design flexibility and compatibility with existing Thunderbolt 3 devices and includes:
  • One upstream USB4 port, two downstream USB4 ports
  • Two USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 downstream ports
  • DisplayPort 2.1 with one input port and one output port

Benefiting from the downstream port's support for USB4, the RTS5490 enables emerging applications such as AI acceleration using USB4/Thunderbolt external graphics cards and high-speed data sharing between computers using inter-domain transfer technology. This highly integrated SoC solution features a high-performance 32-bit processor, a USB 2.0/3.2 hub, a DisplayPort controller, a PCIe switch, and a USB 3.2 host controller. The RTS5490 is currently one of the most competitive USB4 hub controller solutions on the market.

"Our RTS5490 is the only fully USB-IF Certified USB4 hub product on the market to integrate USB Type-C and USB PD 3.2 controllers. This significantly simplifies the complexity of design in products like PCs, docks, and displays, greatly shortening the product development cycle," said Yee-Wei Huang, Realtek's Vice President and Spokesman. "We will continue to innovate and drive continuous progress and development of data transfer technologies."
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View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source
 
Only took them a year and a half...

Realtek Demos First USB4 Hub Controller at Computex 2023

So far it has been very quiet on the market when it comes to USB4 hubs, with most products being based on Intel Thunderbolt hardware costing Thunderbolt money. Realtek was demoing its RTS5490 "hub router controller" at Computex and it's as far as we're aware, the first USB4 hub IC that has been...
www.techpowerup.com
 
TheLostSwede said:
Only took them a year and a half...

Realtek Demos First USB4 Hub Controller at Computex 2023

So far it has been very quiet on the market when it comes to USB4 hubs, with most products being based on Intel Thunderbolt hardware costing Thunderbolt money. Realtek was demoing its RTS5490 "hub router controller" at Computex and it's as far as we're aware, the first USB4 hub IC that has been...
www.techpowerup.com
Click to expand...
And it'll probably take another 1.5 years for devices using this chip to appear.
 
Any pic of the product and expected price?
 
Assimilator said:
And it'll probably take another 1.5 years for devices using this chip to appear.
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Nah, I give it 3-6 months, as their partners would already have validated the design with early chips.
This is just an announcement that you can buy the chips now, which means their partners are ready to start producing their products based on them.
The docking station companies normally gets their gear out in the channel pretty quickly, as long as we're not talking about the notebook manufacturers.

Wirko said:
Can you put a link to the product page or the PR page rather than the Realtek main page? (Although the available info is scarce in any case)
Click to expand...
Realtek really doesn't want to share too much product information about their chips for some odd reason...

csendesmark said:
Any pic of the product and expected price?
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See the link I posted above? It's just a chip, not a consumer product, so pricing depends on the quantity you want to buy.
I'm guessing the first docking stations with this chip will be sub US$200, but should end up somewhere around US$100 within six months, depending on what other features are added.
The demo board at Computex in 2023 was pretty basic and I wouldn't expect initial products to be quite that feature light, as I expecting the docking station makers to use on of the two USB4/TB3 interfaces to add more interfaces via, so maybe something with an internal M.2 slot or maybe a 10 Gbps PCIe Ethernet interface.
 
TinyRK said:
Here more info and diagrams... and that is 2 years old: https://dancharblog.wordpress.com/2023/06/05/realtek-rts5490-controller-downstream-port-analysis/
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Yeah, he was apparently at Computex as well, forgot he had the block diagram.

Assimilator said:
This review uses this chipset: https://dancharblog.wordpress.com/2025/02/19/surface-usb4-dock-for-business-teardown-and-review/
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I guess you didn't have to wait long then. A bit surprising that M$ was first.
 
TheLostSwede said:
Realtek really doesn't want to share too much product information about their chips for some odd reason...
Click to expand...

They really don't! It's so annoying hunting for datasheets for their stuff :shadedshu:

TheLostSwede said:
I'm guessing the first docking stations with this chip will be sub US$200, but should end up somewhere around US$100 within six months, depending on what other features are added.
Click to expand...

That would be really good! I'm used to everything bellow 200$ being just old USB-C with alt-modes which is very limited in bandwidth.
 
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