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USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed) update. Best-leveraged by upcoming solid-state drives

by Tarinder Sandhu on 3 April 2008, 05:14

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Speaking in terms of standards, USB 3.0 Promoter Group Chairman, Jeff Ravencraft, detailed that SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) is on track for initial deployment in 2009. The 1.0 specification is expected to be passed in Q3/4 2008, and companies will ship discrete products in Q2 2009

Noting that backwards-compatible SuperSpeed USB 3.0 can potentially transfer at 5Gbit/s - translating to downloading a 27GB HD movie in just 70 seconds - we wonder which hard drives can possibility handle that kind of traffic now. Ravencraft commented that SuperSpeed USB is architected for a five-year lifespan, where, in the same timeframe, flash-based drives will comfortably surpass magnetic drives' transfer speeds. SuperSpeed USB, then, will primarily be best-leveraged with flash drives that can comfortably sustain transfers over 50MB/s.

Thinking about power, incumbent USB 2.0 continuously polls the host, evaluating whether there's traffic, wasting energy, he noted. SuperSpeed, however, is interrupt-driven, meaning that it only talks to the host when ready to transfer, reducing the power profile. This protocol won't change as SuperSpeed scales higher in speed.

Further, SuperSpeed uses two differential pairs to scale to 5Gbit's transfer speed, and that's available on cables up to three metres long. Initial SuperSpeed cables will feature both optical-fibre and copper wires at launch, but we suspect that due to keeping costs down, copper-based wires will be more widely used.





HEXUS Forums :: 16 Comments

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Awesomeness… Its about time though, USB 2.0 is ancient technology!
That is amazing, next best thing since that mass produced flying car isn't what i'm driving.
USB2 may be old but there is no need to change it, your keyboard mouse and any other similar periferals dont need any more bandwidth than it offers, the only thing that would is hard drives which brings USB3 into E-Sata territory?
Modern external hard drives that run of usb are often P-ATA or S-ATA drives with a converter so they run USB. I would say ESATA which disables the need for the converter is more likely to be worthwhile than a new USB standard.

The biggest gripe i have with USB is its flimsy connection, if they should do anything it should be ruggardise the connection.
To a certain extent I would agree with you Biscuit.

The only drawback of eSATA is the lack of host power. This is being remedied in the next iteration though.

I would say the standard USB connector is probably the most hard wearing of all the current conectors. Firewire is a rubish connector and liable to fall out. All the rest have pins rather than contact points or are mainly plastic. I've recovered a USB cable that had been run over by a 3 ton fork lift truck (long story) by just bending the outer metal ground/shield and jamming it in the laptop. Worked flawlessly :)
I think the USB plug and socket is great. I've never worn one out, not on a gadget or a mobo.

Unlike SATA which comes off if I look at it in a funny way.

And those transfer speeds….man that's fast. Wasted….but fast!