LAS VEGAS--At the Consumer Electronics Show, Jeff Ravencraft of Intel talked about the status of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and how fast it really is.
The most salient benefit of SuperSpeed USB is the 10X improvement in data transfer speed over current USB, version 2.0. So, for example, transferring a 25GB HD movie will take 70 seconds instead of almost 14 minutes.
Transfer of a 25GB HD movie:
- USB 1.0: 9.3 hours
- USB 2.0: 13.9 minutes
- USB 3.0: 70 seconds
In the video below, Ravencraft, who is president of the USB Implementers Forum, discusses the merits of SuperSpeed USB and the schedule for commercial rollout.
25GB in 70 seconds. That's the torrid transfer rate consumers can expect with devices based on the USB 3.0 specification, which debuted Monday.
USB 3.0 SuperSpeed logo as shown at WinHEC 2008.
(Credit: Brooke Crothers)As reported previously, the USB Promoter Group finalized the "SuperSpeed" USB 3.0 specification today and is doing a "comprehensive review" of the technology at a conference in San Jose, Calif.
Intel, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, and NEC are the leading players in the group.
Among the initial devices, external solid-state (flash) drives and hard drives are expected to be popular. "The first SuperSpeed USB devices will likely include data storage devices such as flash (solid-state drives), external hard drives, digital music players, and digitial cameras," the group said.
Products aren't coming until 2010, however. "It is anticipated that initial SuperSpeed USB discrete controllers will appear in the second half of 2009 and consumer products will appear in 2010," according to the group.
"The USB 3.0 Promoter Group is now accepting adopters of the USB 3.0 specification, which has been finalized at the 1.0 level," the group added.
As its name (SuperSpeed) implies, USB 3.0 is all about speed. About 10 times more speed, to be exact, than the 2.0 specification.
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The next-generation USB specification is slated to be introduced later this month.
USB 3.0 SuperSpeed logo as shown at WinHEC 2008
(Credit: Brooke Crothers)On November 17 the SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) Developers Conference, hosted by the USB Implementers Forum in San Jose, Calif., will unveil the USB 3.0 specification to the industry, according to a statement Wednesday from the Implementers Forum.
The USB 3.0 specification, a next-generation high-speed connection standard due in 2009, is significant because all future PCs and devices will use connectors based on it. The spec is also expected to offer 10 times the speed of USB 2.0--used in virtually all PCs introduced in the last few years--or roughly 5 gigabits per second.
Hewlett-Packard, Intel, NEC, NXP Semiconductors, Microsoft, and Texas Instruments are all backers of SuperSpeed USB.
Speaking at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Los Angeles, USB-IF President Jeff Ravencraft said he expects the final specifications to be made public on November 17.
Intel and Nvidia had been skirmishing over the standard but resolved their differences.
Intel has released a specification revision for next-generation USB 3.0 technology that resolves a dispute with Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, which had threatened to develop their own USB 3.0 standard.
USB 3.0--also known as SuperSpeed USB--is a next-generation high-speed connection standard due in 2009. It is significant not only because all future PCs and devices will use connectors based on the standard but because it will offer 10 times the speed of USB 2.0--used in virtually all PCs introduced in the last few years--or roughly 5 gigabits per second.
On Wednesday, Intel released what it calls the Extensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI) draft specification revision 0.9 in support of the USB 3.0 architecture. The draft specification provides a standardized method for USB 3.0 hardware to communicate with USB 3.0-specific software.
"Interoperability among devices from multiple manufacturers is important for consumer adoption of SuperSpeed USB products," Intel said in a statement. The draft specification revision will make it easier to develop software support for the industry, according to Intel.
The updated specification is being made available under royalty free licensing terms to all USB 3.0 Promoter Group and contributor companies "that sign an xHCI contributor agreement," Intel said.
A statement from Advanced Micro Devices was included in the announcement: "USB 3.0 is an answer to the future bandwidth need of the PC platform. AMD believes strongly in open industry standards, and therefore is supporting a common xHCI specification."
Microsoft and Dell also voiced support.
Nvidia and AMD had claimed previously that Intel was not giving the specification to companies that compete with Intel in the processor and chipset business and both companies had threatened to develop their own USB 3.0 specification. Intel, at that time, denied that it was withholding the specification.
Now the dispute is resolved--however tenuously--allowing the USB 3.0 specification to go forward. "They have both signed the agreement to use our spec instead...and will not develop and alternate version," an Intel spokesperson said Tuesday. The fact that AMD and Nvidia will not pursue a separate specification would, in effect, resolve the dispute.
AMD's support came with a qualifier, however. "Its a shame that it took the reality of an alternative spec to make this come true. Intel should have opened it up without this. One has to question a monopolist leading a spec like this in the future," a source close to AMD said.
Intel said it plans to make available a revised xHCI 0.95 specification in the fourth quarter. The updated revision of the specification will also be released under royalty-free licensing terms via an xHCI adopter's agreement.
Intel said the specification is "90 percent" complete at this point.
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