USB 3.0 Announced

kurtowns · 09-21-2007, 04:52 AM

One of the announcements to come out of the IDF keynote this afternoon was Pat Gelsinger's discussion and demonstration of USB 3.0 technology. Although still in the prototype stage, USB 3.0 is aiming for 10 times the bandwidth of current USB2.0 solutions, or approximately 5Gbps. Since this requires fiber optic cabling, USB 3.0 will add a length of optical data cable to the mix, though USB 3.0 will retain full compatibility with USB 2.0 (and, one assumes, USB 1.0 as well).

Gelsinger expects the final version specifications to be finished by the first half of 2008, with USB 3.0 peripherals realistically appearing in 2009 or 2010. There are an increasing number of devices that could potentially take advantage of the additional bandwidth, including external hard drives, flash readers, video cameras, and the all-new USB-compliant llama expected to be genetically delivered from the Andes sometime in late 2011. Obviously a USB llama wouldn't be much use without a USB 3.0 device—ever tried downloading from a llama over an old 10BaseT network? Yeah. It'd be worse.

As for the other, official features of USB 3.0, there remains quite a bit of information we don't know, and it would have been nice for Intel to have included additional information. USB has long been criticized for relatively high CPU usage. This has inevitably become less of an issue as CPU performance has improved, but devices capable of using USB 3.0's higher bandwidth capabilities could make CPU usage a problem again unless the issue is addressed during spec development. Issues like cable length, available power provided, and the number of devices per channel are all unrevealed as yet, and possibly unresolved. The Inquirer has a few more details on the spec (and the rest of the keynote) if you're interested.

As far as future market competition, its target of 5Gbps puts USB 3.0 ahead of current eSATA (3Gbps), which is really the only other device protocol under active development that might challenge it as a peripheral interconnect. Although an IEEE 1394c protocol has been developed and published as of June 8 2007, no company has announced an intent to produce a product or chipset that utilizes the standard. FireWire remains supported in certain sectors, but I'd personally be surprised if the combination of USB 3.0 and eSATA doesn't push FireWire out of the market completely. As for the nascent specification, the proposed 5Gbps speed is great and all, but hopefully the development committees will acknowledge some of the other concerns regarding the USB 2.0 protocol and incorporate solutions for them, rather than carrying them over into another product generation.

Intel announces, demonstrates USB 3.0

mssssee2 · 09-21-2007, 01:26 PM

I've read that yesterday. Awesome indeed! I've also heard about USB wireless.

TheOtis · 09-21-2007, 03:22 PM

Wow, USB 3.0, 5Gbps. Sounds great to me, that'll be a great thing for external hard drives, digital cameras and camcorders, and USB video cards for laptops.

jesspren6 · 03-05-2008, 07:38 PM

Ya, but usb video cards better come down before you ever get one. For the price of them, you might as upgrade the internal card.

Saxon · 03-05-2008, 07:59 PM

Good news every one I have invented a device that will make all other devices obsolite. - sorry I have been watching futurama most of today.

Keyboard Cowboy · 03-05-2008, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesspren6

Ya, but usb video cards better come down before you ever get one. For the price of them, you might as upgrade the internal card.

Yeah, but think about the possiblities of that with notebooks.

Oreo · 03-05-2008, 11:05 PM

Good, except stuff like cameras the only support USB 2.0 means we would have to go out and spend £900 on a new camera if we want to use USB 3.0 Yey...

luke992006 · 03-05-2008, 11:35 PM

looks pretty good. 5gbps XD

Greg · 03-05-2008, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oriox

Good, except stuff like cameras the only support USB 2.0 means we would have to go out and spend £900 on a new camera if we want to use USB 3.0 Yey...

You're right, they should have stopped coming out with new technology after they invented the parallel interface.

nitestick · 03-06-2008, 05:13 AM

USB 3.0 is specced to provide backwards compatibility.....where is the problem? you would only buy a USB 3.0 camera for the sake of using USB 3.0 if you were an idiot.

09-21-2007, 04:52 AM	#1 (permalink)
kurtowns True Techie Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Australia,Nsw Posts: 131	USB 3.0 Announced One of the announcements to come out of the IDF keynote this afternoon was Pat Gelsinger's discussion and demonstration of USB 3.0 technology. Although still in the prototype stage, USB 3.0 is aiming for 10 times the bandwidth of current USB2.0 solutions, or approximately 5Gbps. Since this requires fiber optic cabling, USB 3.0 will add a length of optical data cable to the mix, though USB 3.0 will retain full compatibility with USB 2.0 (and, one assumes, USB 1.0 as well). Gelsinger expects the final version specifications to be finished by the first half of 2008, with USB 3.0 peripherals realistically appearing in 2009 or 2010. There are an increasing number of devices that could potentially take advantage of the additional bandwidth, including external hard drives, flash readers, video cameras, and the all-new USB-compliant llama expected to be genetically delivered from the Andes sometime in late 2011. Obviously a USB llama wouldn't be much use without a USB 3.0 device—ever tried downloading from a llama over an old 10BaseT network? Yeah. It'd be worse. As for the other, official features of USB 3.0, there remains quite a bit of information we don't know, and it would have been nice for Intel to have included additional information. USB has long been criticized for relatively high CPU usage. This has inevitably become less of an issue as CPU performance has improved, but devices capable of using USB 3.0's higher bandwidth capabilities could make CPU usage a problem again unless the issue is addressed during spec development. Issues like cable length, available power provided, and the number of devices per channel are all unrevealed as yet, and possibly unresolved. The Inquirer has a few more details on the spec (and the rest of the keynote) if you're interested. As far as future market competition, its target of 5Gbps puts USB 3.0 ahead of current eSATA (3Gbps), which is really the only other device protocol under active development that might challenge it as a peripheral interconnect. Although an IEEE 1394c protocol has been developed and published as of June 8 2007, no company has announced an intent to produce a product or chipset that utilizes the standard. FireWire remains supported in certain sectors, but I'd personally be surprised if the combination of USB 3.0 and eSATA doesn't push FireWire out of the market completely. As for the nascent specification, the proposed 5Gbps speed is great and all, but hopefully the development committees will acknowledge some of the other concerns regarding the USB 2.0 protocol and incorporate solutions for them, rather than carrying them over into another product generation. Intel announces, demonstrates USB 3.0 __________________ Cpu:Q6600 GO @ 3.4ghz 1.36V Gfx:8800 Gts 640Mbs HD:500 gb SATA2 16mb OS:Windows Xp 32Bit Ram:2gb ddr2 Corsair Monitor:ViewSonic Vg2030wm 20inch Wide Screen MotherBoard:Abit Ip35 Pro !! - AWESOME Fan:Zalman 9700

09-21-2007, 01:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
mssssee2 Techoholic Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Behind you! Posts: 471	Re: USB 3.0 Announced I've read that yesterday. Awesome indeed! I've also heard about USB wireless. __________________ Mike from Greece, 15 http://michael92.deviantart.com/ <-- My DeviantART

09-21-2007, 03:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
TheOtis Ultra Techie Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 859	Re: USB 3.0 Announced Wow, USB 3.0, 5Gbps. Sounds great to me, that'll be a great thing for external hard drives, digital cameras and camcorders, and USB video cards for laptops. __________________ :: XFX 780i :: Q6600 @ 3.6ghz :: 4GB Patriot C4 800Mhz :: EVGA 9800GTX (Steppin up to 9900 in July) :: Sound Blaster Extreme Gamer :: 2x 500GB Seagate 7200.11 :: Corsair HX620W :: Philips DVD RW :: Lite-On Blu-Ray :: DD WaterBlox Plus :: MCTDX block :: DDC12V-D5 Pump :: Black Ice Xtreme II rad ::

03-05-2008, 07:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
jesspren6 True Techie Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 208	Re: USB 3.0 Announced Ya, but usb video cards better come down before you ever get one. For the price of them, you might as upgrade the internal card. __________________ Make easy money by joining http://www.cashcrate.com/index.php?ref=185982 and doing surveys. 100% free and doesn't require a credit card.

03-05-2008, 07:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
Saxon Moderator Cylon. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: On a Basestar near you! Posts: 2,614	Re: USB 3.0 Announced Good news every one I have invented a device that will make all other devices obsolite. - sorry I have been watching futurama most of today. __________________ SAY NO TO IT OUTSOURCING! I am Saxon, please don't contact me for technical support via email, PM's, IM, all messages of this nature will be ignored. You can contact me for forum issues via PM only. Saxon has a low idiot threshold please don't try an find out just how low it is.

03-05-2008, 11:05 PM	#7 (permalink)
Oreo Euphoria > Ragdoll Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 2,096	Re: USB 3.0 Announced Good, except stuff like cameras the only support USB 2.0 means we would have to go out and spend £900 on a new camera if we want to use USB 3.0 Yey... __________________ Need headphone help ?, PM me. Renting my own private CS:S Server. based in london. PM Me for server IP and Password.

03-05-2008, 11:35 PM	#8 (permalink)
luke992006 Master Techie Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sudbury, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,106	Re: USB 3.0 Announced looks pretty good. 5gbps XD __________________ Infernodeals \| My NWN2 Module Project \| Recommended PC Component's \|What To Look For When Buying computer Components\| CPU:Q6600 RAM:2gb Crucial Ballisitx Mobo:Asus P5K GPU:9600gt ssc and then some Case:NZXT Lexablackline Monitor:226bw 2ms, and acer 17" secondary PSU: Corsair 620HX \| Water cooling coming soon Crazy person: AMD is a third-world based company who use child labor extensively in their third world sweatshops

03-06-2008, 05:13 AM	#10 (permalink)
nitestick Super Moderator Join Date: May 2005 Location: Locked in a dungeon, Perth Posts: 7,726	Re: USB 3.0 Announced USB 3.0 is specced to provide backwards compatibility.....where is the problem? you would only buy a USB 3.0 camera for the sake of using USB 3.0 if you were an idiot. __________________ Get FireFox Fold for tech forums. MY COMPUTER HELPS CURE CANCER! "Sniffing Powdered Ubuntu CDs Cures Cancer!" - TuxMachines.org New Sig Coming Soon - Q6600@3.0GHz/2x1GB Kingston DDR2-800/Gigabyte P35-DS3R I'm sorry but I do not accept support requests via IM, email, or personal messages You can contact me for Forum related issues via PM only.

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