Intel slows down USB 3.0 development
Intel is trying to nip rumors of any feet dragging on a new USB 3.0 specification. In a blog post by the company’s Nick Knupffer, the company differentiates its efforts in making a host controller versus the effort of the USB 3.0 Standards Body. Knupffer adds that Intel will make the host controller standards available in the second half of 2008 royalty-free or in his words “free, gratis, unpaid, zero dollars, free of charge, at no cost, on the house.” USB 3.0 will be a new higher-speed wired interface that several motherboard and chipset makers are just chomping at the bit to implement. Knupffer says there are two separate development efforts that some reporters seem to be confused about. The main USB 3.0 specification is being developed by the USB 3.0 promotion group which includes major companies like HP, Intel, MSFT, NEC, NXP, and TI. This spec should be available in the second half of 2008.
Intel is working on its own host controller and specification something which Knupffer says is costing the company loads of money. “Think gazillions of dollars and bazillions of engineering man hours,” he said – ok maybe he’s exaggerating just a tad on that one. He calls this specification a sort of “Dummies Guide” on how to build a compatible USB 3.0 piece of silicon. While some have accused Intel of holding back on this specification, Knupffer says the company just wants to make sure the specification is robust enough to prevent any major hardware conflicts. He adds that the entire spec will be available for free later in 2008.
Source: Zdnet, TG Daily
Comments(34)
Don’t know what to say here T_T… Anyways Intel is doing its job as usual (prioritizing their profit first)
I dont mind that Intel are prioritizing their profits.
They are going to give USB3.0 as royalty free, which means that USB 3 devices wont be more expensive than they should be. Of course, they will still be pretty expensive compared to USB 2 when they come out.
No point on hating on them for doing some good for the computing world.
I’ll have to buy a new motherboard?
lapax:
They will probably release a PCI expansion card. Like when USB 2.0 first came out.
So Intel is *not* slowing down USB 3.0 development after all. Huh, the article’s title is misleading. Again. What do you know…
USB has a great advantage: It’s Universal. But it also has one great disadvantage: It’s Universal.
why cant they do this with firewire then?
because firewire is just to good……
Why not stop usb, and start developing the hell out of wireless… the way everything is going
true pop006, but how can we ever be sure that our brains arnt getting fried enough already?
@RLSLOG
please post ‘fear itself’ episode 2!!!!!!
fear itself episode 2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! come on !!!
fear ifself is a good show
@ #4 (NoFate)
I may be wrong, but USB3 bandwidth will be much greater then a PCI slot can handle, so I wouldn’t expect a PCI USB3 card be much faster then USB2…
P.S. whoever posted comments 11 – 14 should be banned, idiots
Xyu:
I think your right. Here are some specs of varying protocols:
USB 3.0 = 4.8 Gigabits / 8 = 60 MegaByte second peak
PCIe 8x = 2,000 Gigabytes (*4GB) second peak = 3 & 1/3 times USB 3.0
PCI 132 MB/s
AGP 8X 2,100 MB/s
PCI Express 1x 250 [500]* MB/s
PCI Express 2x 500 [1000]* MB/s
PCI Express 4x 1000 [2000]* MB/s
PCI Express 8x 2000 [4000]* MB/s
PCI Express 16x 4000 [8000]* MB/s
PCI Express 32x 8000 [16000]* MB/s
IDE (ATA100) 100 MB/s
IDE (ATA133) 133 MB/s
SATA 150 MB/s
eSATA
Gigabit Ethernet 125 MB/s
IEEE1394B [Firewire 800 Mbits] 100 MB/s
couldn’t agree more with 15(Xyu) regarding the PCI expansion card. Shall see how Intel pulls this off.
I guess I’m gonna wait until new boards have usb 3 before I upgrade. I dont understand why it even exists, as eSATA can be self powered and provide way better transfer rates.
@ 16 (NoFate) those specs look very interesting. Any idea whats the rate for eSATA?
emzmansion:
eSATA is identical to regular SATA II, except with a different connector (one thats more suited for repeated removal and insertion).
Also it should be noted that eSATA devices still require external power sources.
I would be interesting to see if USB 3.0 lives up to its hype or if its only marginally better.
will it still work on windows? i have xp and i hope it will.
Thanks NoFate
USB3.0 will probably support less devices on one hub than earlier specifications. I recently destroyed firewire cable and this S**T is really heave shielded, USB3.0 cables will be probably very expensive (to support such bandwidth they will be shielded like hell).
eSATA have a very limited range less than 1 meter (for the rednecks here it’s less than 3 feet)… compared to the current USB2.0 standard which is 5 meters max (again rednecks less than 15 feet)…
by the way …a meter is more than three feet redneck, approx.
3.28 ft, lol
@16:
4.8 Gigabits / 8 = 600 MB
@25: LOL
@24
Hey Pepe LePuke, 1 meter is over 3 feet, it’s 39.xx inches. You can now get back to not bathing, Guy LeDouche.
re (@25):
3.28ft is 3ft + 0.28ft, where 0.28ft is just over 1/4 of a foot (that’s one foot split into 4 equal lengths). oh screw it… rednecks: it’s just a little over 3 feet.
LoL at the Redneck jokes..
What ever happened to this so called Wireless USB protocol?
Wireless USB (UWB)is already being sold, such as in Lenovo notebooks, like the ThinkPad X300.
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/special-offers.workflow:ShowPromo?LandingPage=/All/US/Landing_pages/ThinkPad_notebooks/2008/X300&ipromoID=nbhi00190&
Why would you ever want more than 1,8 meter cable? I am using eSata and have approx 50-70mb/sec transfer. Works incredible well, easy as USB! And the new eSata will be powered by the eSata cable!!…
I’ll wait for USB 5.0
You stick your head in the big slot on the side of the computer…
(The smaller latex slot called USB 5.0SX will be for your willy. Apple’s will be fur lined)
I read a few other articles a who;e back and USB 3.0 is supposed to pull less energy yet still faster@ That’s pretty awesome…. What do you think they’ll do about laptop interfaces?