Intel Corporation (Intel) and leading companies in the industry jointly established the USB 3.0 Promotion Group, aiming at developing ultra-efficient USB interconnection technology, which is 10 times faster than today. This technology was jointly developed by Intel, Hewlett-Packard (HP), NEC, NXP Semiconductors and Texas Instruments. Its applications include fast, synchronous and instant transmission of personal computers, consumer products and mobile products. With the increasing popularity of digital media and the increasing number of transmitted files-even more than 25GB, fast synchronous instant transmission has become a necessary performance requirement.

USB 3.0 has backward compatibility standards, and has both the ease of use and plug-and-play function of traditional USB technology. The goal of this technology is to introduce products that are 10 times faster than the current connection level, and adopt the same architecture as wired USB. In addition to optimizing the USB 3.0 specification to achieve lower energy consumption and higher protocol efficiency, USB 3.0 ports and cables can also achieve backward compatibility and support future optical fiber transmission.

"Logically, USB 3.0 will become the most popular wired interconnection method for the next generation of personal computers," said Jeff Ravencraft, a technology strategist at Intel. "The digital age needs high-speed performance and reliable interconnection to realize the transmission of massive data in daily life. USB 3.0 can meet this challenge well and continue to provide the USB usability experience that users have become accustomed to and continue to expect. "

At the beginning of the establishment of the USB 3.0 promotion group, Intel hoped that USB Design Association (USB-IF) could serve as the industry association of USB 3.0 specification. The complete USB 3.0 specification is expected to be launched in the first half of 2008, and USB 3.0 will initially take the form of discrete chips.

The USB 3.0 promotion group, including HP, Intel, NEC, NXP Semiconductors and Texas Instruments, is committed to protecting the existing USB device driver infrastructure and investment, the appearance of USB and its convenience in use, while continuing to carry forward the function of USB as an outstanding technology.

Phil Schultz, vice president of consumer inkjet solutions at HP, said, "Our support for USB 2.0 and wireless USB technology shows that HP is committed to providing customers with reliable ways to connect peripheral devices. "Now with USB 3.0, we will create a better experience for our customers and connect printers, digital cameras and other peripheral devices with personal computers."

Patrick Gelsinger, Intel's senior vice president and general manager of the digital enterprise department, said: "Intel is at the forefront of the industry in developing and adopting two generations of USB technology, and USB has now become the most popular peripheral interface for computing and handheld electronic devices. "Because the market development supports customers' demand for storing and transmitting huge data, we hope to develop the third-generation USB technology, which can use the existing USB interface and optimize it to meet these needs. "

"NEC has been a supporter of USB technology since the first installation of wired USB," said Katsuhiko Itagaki, general manager of NEC's electronic SoC system division. "It is time to further develop this successful interconnection interface to meet the higher demand of the market for huge data transmission speed, thus minimizing the waiting time of users."

Pierre-Yves Couteau, Director of NXP Semiconductor Business Line Interconnection Entertainment Strategy and Business Development Department, said, "NXP is pleased to join hands with other top companies to promote world-leading interconnection technology to meet the needs of next-generation peripherals. "As a leading supplier of USB semiconductor solutions, NXP is committed to promoting the standardization and application of ultra-high-speed USB."

"With the popularity of high-speed USB in various market segments such as personal computing, consumer electronics and mobile, we expect that USB 3.0 will quickly replace USB2.0 and become the de facto standard in high-bandwidth applications," said Greg Hantak, vice president of global ASIC of Texas Instruments. "Texas Instruments is very excited, and the excellent performance of USB 3.0 will further expand the application field of USB and bring better experience to users."

Universal serial bus implementer forum.

The non-profit organization USB Design Forum (USB-IF) was established to support the development and popularization of USB technology. Through its identification and certification project, USB-IF provides assistance for developing high-quality and compatible USB devices, and also vigorously promotes the advantages of USB and the quality of products certified by USB.

[Edit this paragraph] The most comprehensive interpretation in history] USB 3.0

[Edit this paragraph] δ What is USB 3.0?

USB 3.0 is the latest USB specification, initiated by big companies such as Intel. At present, USB 2.0 has been widely recognized by PC manufacturers, and the interface has become a battleground for hardware manufacturers. Just look at the motherboards commonly used at home.

With the continuous development and progress of hardware equipment, people pay more and more attention to higher transmission speed and wider bandwidth. The transmission speed of 2/300M per second will make it more and more difficult for people to meet the status quo. In 2007, Intel released SuperSpeed on IDF.

USB 3.0 logo

USB is an important topic. The USB 3.0 standard was officially completed and released in June165438+1October 65438+July 2008.

USB 3.0 interface size standard

At the same time, the new USB Implementer Forum (USB-IF) officially began to take over and operate the specification, and published detailed technical documents, so that hardware manufacturers in the industry can develop USB 3.0 related products accordingly.

The brief specification of USB 3.0 is as follows:

Provide a higher transmission speed of 4.8Gb per second.

Provide better support for devices that need more power support and maximize the power supply of the bus.

New power management functions have been added.

Full duplex data communication provides faster transmission speed.

Backward compatibility with USB 2.0 devices

[Edit this paragraph] Is δ faster than USB 2.0?

USB 2.0 provides sufficient bandwidth for various devices and applications. However, with the emergence of high-definition video, TB( 1024GB) storage devices, gigabit digital cameras, large-capacity mobile phones and portable media players, higher bandwidth and transmission speed become necessary.

Two-way transmission, don't you think?

The transmission speed of 480Mb per second may not be fast, not to mention that no USB 2.0 device can reach this theoretical maximum speed limit at present. In practical application, it is very good to achieve an average speed of 320Mb per second.

Similarly, in fact, USB 3.0 can't reach the theoretical value of 4.8Gb, but even if it can only reach 50% of the theoretical value, it is close to 10 times of USB 2.0.

[Edit this paragraph] How did δ USB 3.0 do it so fast?

The reason why USB 3.0 has "overspeed" performance is entirely due to the improvement of technology. Compared with the current USB 2.0 interface, USB 3.0 adds more physical buses in parallel mode.

Miniature b interface

Readers can pick up a USB cable around them and look at the interface part. On the basis of the original four-wire structure (power supply, ground wire and two pairs of data), USB 3.0 adds four wires for receiving and sending signals. So whether on the cable or the interface, there are always 8 wires. As shown in the figure below:

Internal structure of data transmission cable in USB 3.0 specification

USB3.0 line

Physical photo of USB 3.0 cable

It is the extra four (2 pairs) wires that provide bandwidth support for "ultra-high-speed USB" and realize "overspeed". Obviously, two lines (1 pair) on USB 2.0 are not enough.

In addition, the mode of signal transmission is still controlled by the host computer, but it is changed to asynchronous transmission. USB 3.0 uses bidirectional data transmission mode instead of half-duplex mode in USB 2.0 era. Simply put, data only needs to flow in one direction, which simplifies the time consumption caused by waiting.

In fact, USB 3.0 doesn't adopt any advanced technology that we seldom hear about, but it theoretically increases the bandwidth by 10 times. So friendlier, friendlier. Once the SuperSpeed USB product comes out, more people can easily accept it and make better customized products.

What are the more advanced places of USB 3.0?

Type a interface

The improvement of "ultra-high-speed USB" is far more than the improvement of transmission rate. In USB 3.0, how to cooperate more harmoniously between devices and computer hosts is also regarded as a key research direction. On the basis of inheriting the core architecture of USB 2.0, how to make use of the advantages of dual-bus mode and how to let users directly experience the advantages of USB 3.0 over USB 2.0 has become the focus:

Provide more power when needed.

USB 3.0 can provide 50%-80% more power to support those devices that need more power to drive, while those devices that are charged through USB mean that charging can be completed faster.

The new Powered-B interface consists of two additional lines, providing power support up to 1000 mA. It can completely drive the wireless USB adapter, and get rid of the necessity of connecting the traditional USB adapter through cables. Usually wired USB devices need to be connected to the hub or the computer itself, but with the support of high power, there is no need to have a "wire".

Composite interface

Automatically reduce power consumption when not needed.

When switching to USB 3.0, power consumption is also a very important issue to be considered, so effective power management is needed to ensure that devices can reduce power consumption when idle.

A large number of data streams need faster performance support, and at the same time, when the device is idle, it can be turned into a low-power state. You can even freely receive other instructions and complete other actions.

How long will it take?

In fact, not everything has been updated in USB 3.0, such as the length of the cable. In some applications, when the throughput is as high as possible, cables still often become bottlenecks. Although the length of USB cable is not clearly specified in the USB 3.0 specification, the cable material and signal quality still affect the transmission effect. Therefore, when transmitting hundreds of megabytes of large data streams, the cable length is best not to exceed 3 meters.

Cable section

In addition, some hardware products that support "ultra-high-speed USB", such as hub, may be much more expensive than USB 2.0, which is just like a truth of active power hub and passive power supply now. Because a real "ultra-high-speed hub" should have two interfaces, one is to play the role of a real "ultra-high-speed hub" and the other is to play the role of an ordinary high-speed hub.

There are some unofficial comments on the Internet that USB 3.0 can use optical fiber. In fact, this is exactly what the USB specification organization is considering. It may be introduced in the next revision, and some capable third-party companies may try it.

[Edit this paragraph] δ Can my existing peripherals work normally?

The good news is that USB 3.0 has been cautiously hoping to save with USB 2.0*** from the beginning of planning.

USB 3.0 uses a new physical interface and a new cable to ensure a higher-speed connection with new devices, but the new interface maintains the same specifications as 4-wire USB 2.0 and can be completely connected to the existing USB interface. Only when the hardware of the device itself supports "ultra-high-speed USB", five independent cable groups can realize the real USB 3.0 and complete the function of sending and receiving data.

The new USB 3.0 interface is fully compatible with USB 2.0 hardware.

[Edit this paragraph] When will the Δ USB 3.0 product go on the market?

Cables, interfaces and hubs related to USB 3.0 will be launched in the second half of 2009, and consumer devices supporting USB 3.0 will also be launched. It takes 20 10 years for the mass production of peripheral products to go on the market.

The news from Microsoft is that Microsoft will gradually promote the research and development of USB 3.0 devices from 20 10.

At present, there are not many manufacturers to follow up. The main reason is that it takes time to develop USB 3.0 related bus control chips and equipment products. In addition, manufacturers need to wait for the final specification of USB 3.0 before they can design with confidence.

From the prototype product to the evaluation version to the final development version, it has been delayed for a certain time to get it from the manufacturer and then do research and development, so we will not see the first version of the specification become popular overnight. The degree of market acceptance and adoption needs to be gradually cultivated.

[Edit this paragraph] Where will δ USB 2.0 go?

At least in the next five years, we will not see USB 2.0 related products withdraw from the market.

Devices with high bandwidth requirements, such as digital cameras and large-capacity mobile hard disks, will be the first to transition to "ultra-high-speed USB" because of demand. But because of the cost, the industry also depends on the output and market demand. Therefore, it also limits the popularity of USB 3.0 in the high-end market.

The 20 10 motherboard will be replaced with USB 3.0 interface first, and the interface with "SuperSpeed" specification will become the standard on the new PC. At the same time, equipment manufacturers are not allowed to passively switch to USB 3.0.

Finally, USB 2.0 will be eliminated like USB 1. 1. However, at present, even in the foreseeable future, USB 2.0 related devices are still within reach.

[Edit this paragraph] δ What operating system can support USB 3.0?

At the "SuperSpeed" developer conference held in June 5438+065438+ 10, 2008, Microsoft announced that Windows 7 can provide support for USB 3.0, but it is not the current version, but a service pack patch or some specific upgrades. Not only Windows 7, but also Vista may support "ultra-high speed", of course, as long as Microsoft is willing. At least for now, many Microsoft partners still hope that Vista can support USB 3.0.

As for Windows XP, it is still unknown. After all, XP was a product seven years ago, so whether it is supported or not is probably not so important.

Windows 7 support

As for the open source system, Linux explicitly supports USB 3.0, provided that the Extended Host Controller Interface (xHCI) specification is officially released. The current non-public version number is 0.95, which is still to be finalized.

As for Apple, according to the "convention", whether MacOS X supports "ultra-high-speed USB" remains silent. However, once USB 3.0 achieves the same "plug and play" as USB 2.0, a large number of "ultra-high-speed" devices will emerge like mushrooms after rain on the market. At that time, how could Apple not succumb to this trend and trend?

As for whether it interferes with the firewire signal, it is still unknown, but in any case, if everyone is optimistic about this interface standard, Apple needs to support "SuperSpeed".

At first, in terms of USB 3.0 support, neither the operating system nor the device will be in place in one step. Initially, it will be simply tried on small devices, and then there will be such a problem that the advantages of USB 3.0 cannot be fully exerted. However, with the passage of time, these will gradually improve.

[Edit this paragraph] What kind of application can δ USB 3.0 drive?

Simply put, all high-speed USB 2.0 devices can only perform better if they get USB 3.0, at least not worse.

These devices include:

External hard disk-at least twice the transmission speed, not to mention the problem of insufficient power supply.

High-resolution webcam and video monitor

Video monitors, such as products using DisplayLink USB video technology.

Digital camera and digital video camera with USB interface

Blu-ray drive, etc.

In addition, our most commonly used card reader equipment, especially when multiple types of flash cards are used in the equipment at the same time, or when the card reader is connected to the USB Hub and there are multiple card readers on the USB Hub, the transmission speed is simply unbearable torture. USB 3.0 provides more space for solving this problem, and it is not a problem to provide 5- 10 times the bandwidth.

Another thing is predictable. In theory, the transmission speed of 4.8Gb per second is enough for USB to invade areas such as disk array systems that have never dared to set foot in before.

[Edit this paragraph] What about the competitors of δ USB 3.0?

Farr interface

When it comes to competitors, we have to say "firewire" (we are familiar with IEEE 1394, which is of course incorrect). Neither Firewire 400 nor 800 finally popularized USB 2.0. Apple is the manufacturer that initiated the IEEE 1394 "Firewire" standard. Interestingly, Apple is constantly removing firewire from the original iPod to the mainstream MacBook.

At the end of 2007, the 1394 trade association announced the Firewire 3200, which was called S3200. It is based on the existing Firewire 800 standard and uses the same interface and cable as Firewire 800. However, the S3200 itself has a problem, and the upgrading of equipment has caused confusion, so that it has not been promoted more today, even in the advantageous video image market.

Firewire interface

The advantage of Firewire lies in its high efficiency, because it transmits data in a point-to-point and full-duplex way. The data throughput is completely higher than USB 2.0, and the actual transmission speed is very close to its theoretical value of 800Mb per second. In the data continuous transmission test, Firewire 800 can provide an average speed of 90MB/s, while USB 2.0 only has 40 MB/s. ..

As for the impact of S3200, it remains to be seen.

Esata

ESATA entered the market in 2004 and competed in the external storage market as a consumer interface, USB 2.0 and Firewire solution. It can be regarded as a relatively successful solution to the bottleneck problem and the performance advantages of the hard disk itself. ESATA supports the transmission rate of 3.2Gb per second, which far exceeds the transmission limit of hard disk. It is faster than USB 2.0 and has more advantages than Firewire 800.

ESATA interface (right)

ESATA itself has no shortcomings, however, the cable length of 2 meters restricts its further development, and at the beginning, it itself cannot directly supply power to ESATA equipment through the bus. In recent years, eSATA began to eat into the market share of USB and Firewire, especially in the field of data storage. Frankly speaking, its application scope is still limited, and it is not convenient in the portable market.

Express card 2.0

ExpressCard 2.0 was basically released at the same time as the USB 3.0 specification, which mainly promised to improve the transmission speed of the existing standard of ExpressCard. ExpressCard 2.0 is closely related to the specifications of PCI Express and USB 3.0, and provides a variety of application modes to solve the bottleneck of large-throughput data transmission at present. Maintain backward compatibility with ExpressCard and coexist with USB 3.0.

ExpressCard 2.0 expansion card

δ overview:

Bottleneck and competition gave birth to USB 3.0, which just catered to users' tastes. What is more attractive to the public is that 10 times the transmission speed and downward compatibility of USB 2.0. I don't think we need to worry about system support. Good things will naturally get the support of others. After all, it is a good thing of mutual benefit.

Under USB 3.0, relying on 8 wires, it is obvious that the existing equipment will have a further leap in transmission speed, which is worth looking forward to. In the second half of 2009, it is conservatively estimated that by the end of the year, there will probably be official USB 3.0 cables and equipment. Of course, don't expect a tornado-like sweeping situation at 20 10, or take your time. Replacing USB 2.0 is not so easy, because who will throw thousands of digital devices or even 10 thousand laptops directly into the trash can?

[Edit this paragraph] Introduction to ]usb 3.0 standard

The so-called USB 3.0 is a new generation of USB interface. Its characteristic is that the transmission rate is very fast, reaching 4.8Gbps in theory, which is 10 times faster than the current 480Mbps high-speed USB (USB 2.0 for short). Its appearance is basically consistent with the current USB interface, and it is compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1. 1 devices.

The new generation interface named USB 3.0 is ten times faster than the current USB 2.0, and faster than IEEE 1394 and eSATA, which makes it the pride of all "non-mainstream" interface mobile devices. Will you be king in the future? Will other interfaces disappear because of this?

USB 3.0: Why so fast?

Among MP3, MP4, DC, DV, printer, scanner, flash memory, mobile hard disk and motherboard, USB has long been the most common standard transmission interface. Although the theoretical data transmission rate of the mainstream USB 2.0 standard has reached 480Mbps per second, it still can't meet the needs of users, because with the increasing popularity of digital media, the capacity of high-definition video, game programs and digital photos is several GB, and there are more and more USB devices such as large-capacity flash memory, MP4 and "massive" mobile hard disk, and users will encounter several GB or even dozens of GB of large files transmitted at the same time at any time. If you still follow the USB 2.0 standard, its speed is really too slow. For example, it usually takes several minutes to transfer music to a large-capacity MP3 player. If you transfer a file with a larger capacity to a mobile hard disk, it will take tens of minutes if there is [1]. For example, to transmit a 25GB HD video, USB 2.0 takes 10 more minutes, while USB 3.0 theoretically only takes about 70 seconds if the device supports it. Time is so precious that many users don't like to wait for a long time when transferring files. Waiting is always annoying, and fast synchronous instant transmission becomes a necessary performance requirement. To this end, Intel, together with NEC, NXP Semiconductors, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Texas Instruments and other giants, launched the USB 3.0 standard. USB 3.0 adopts a new physical layer, in which two channels are used to separate the data transmission and confirmation process, thus achieving a data transmission speed of 4.8Gbps. In order to replace the alternate detection and broadcasting mechanism adopted by USB 2.0, USB 3.0 will adopt packet routing technology, and only allow terminal devices to transmit data when they have data to send. The new link standard will also enable each component to support multiple data streams, and each data stream can maintain an independent priority. This function can be used to prevent interference that causes jitter during video transmission. The transmission mechanism of data stream also makes the inherent instruction queue possible, which makes the data transmission of USB 3.0 interface more optimized.

Low cost: simple and easy to implement, and strong compatibility.

Like upgrading from USB 1. 1 to USB 2.0, USB 3.0 still adopts the same architecture as USB 2.0. The previous plug-and-play USB version is backward compatible with devices with USB 3.0 interface, whether it is USB 2.0 or USB 1. 1 devices. From the interface structure, the USB 2.0 cable adopts four wires for packaging design, so the USB 2.0 interface adopts four metal contacts, namely +5V power supply, data-,data+and GND grounding. However, USB 3.0 is not a broadcast bus. It uses the send list part in the packet header to send the packet. The uplink interface provides distributed USB 3.0 interconnection, and the downlink interface supports USB 2.0 devices, which realizes the dual benefits of high-speed transmission and compatibility in a simple way. So from the USB 3.0 interface, it has five smaller new contacts besides the four metal contacts of the USB 2.0 interface. At the same time, USB 3.0 interface and cable can support optical fiber transmission function besides using copper wire as transmission medium, and the transmission speed of optical fiber output is obvious to all. It is understood that the speed of USB 3.0 can reach 20 times or even 30 times that of USB 2.0 after using optical fiber connection. Undoubtedly, the ultimate goal of USB 3.0 standard is not limited to the data transmission rate of 4.8Gbps, but hopes to further break through this limit speed in the future. With the comprehensive application of optical fiber conductors, USB 3.0 will achieve higher transmission speed, and its extended application in mainstream products will be further demonstrated in the future. For example, it can realize USB high-speed networking or transmit radio and television program signals on PC.

Pin definition of USB 3.0 interface

Adequate power supply: simplify the connection lines of "large equipment"

We know that many USB devices do not need to use power independently, but can be used directly by plugging in the USB interface of the motherboard. This is because the USB interface has the function of current output. Unfortunately, due to the technical limitation of USB 2.0 interface, it can only provide 500mA current output at most, which can only meet the needs of low-power USB mobile devices (such as MP3, flash memory, mouse, keyboard, etc.). ). For high-power USB devices, such as mobile hard disk, USB burner, USB TV box, etc. 500mA current can't meet the normal operation of the internal motor of the device under high load. Therefore, if only one USB interface is used, there will be various failures in high power consumption, such as the mobile hard disk can not transmit large-capacity files normally due to insufficient power supply, and the external USB burner can not burn normally. Therefore, high-power USB devices often need to use auxiliary power supply to work normally, such as adding an auxiliary USB cable with a special power supply, or using the power supply independently. This not only increases the cost, but also makes it more troublesome that the convenience and ease of use of USB devices are greatly reduced by adding power cords or power adapters. The emergence of USB 3.0 standard can solve the problem caused by insufficient power supply of USB 2.0. According to official information, the next-generation USB 3.0 interface is expected to reach the power supply current above 1A, and the USB 3.0 interface has been optimized (for example, using copper wire), with faster transmission efficiency and its own energy saving function. Even high-power USB devices such as USB TV cards, USB recorders and large-capacity mobile hard disks can be directly connected to the USB 3.0 interface without worrying about power supply.

Connector of USB 3.0 cable

Giant promotion: accelerate the popularization of USB 3.0. USB is the most widely used and popular transmission interface in PC and digital electronic products. After years of development, USB standard has been recognized by consumers. Now everyone carries a digital product with him, and any computer can easily find the USB interface. In addition, USB 3.0 also has many advantages in transmission speed and expansibility. In the digital age, high-speed performance and reliable interconnection are needed to realize the transmission of massive data in daily life. USB 3.0 can meet this challenge well, and it will inevitably become the mainstream transmission interface on computers, computer peripherals and digital devices. According to past experience, USB 3.0 was promoted by giants such as Intel, NEC, NXP Semiconductors, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Texas Instruments. Whether it is technical strength, promotion effect or the support of third-party chip vendors, the popularity of USB 3.0 in the future is no longer a problem. It is understood that the complete USB 3.0 specification has been formulated, and the control chip of USB 3.0 will initially be in the form of discrete silicon, and the USB 3.0 chip is expected to be launched in the first half of 2008. In other words, it is expected that USB devices will appear in the market one after another in the first half of 2008, and a new generation of motherboard chipsets will also begin to integrate USB 3.0 interfaces. USB 3.0 is expected to be popularized in 2009, so let's wait and see. Technical tip: USB interface is widely used in various IT products, but the development trend of PC, notebook and consumer digital products is wireless. For example, Bluetooth technology can realize single-point to multi-point wireless data and sound transmission within the range of 10 meter, and its data transmission bandwidth can reach 1Mbps. Although its current transmission rate is huge compared with USB 3.0, there is still room for development. Because of its low power consumption and simple application, Bluetooth interface is widely used in many mobile phones, notebooks and other devices. With a wireless device with high transmission rate, I believe no one wants to take a cable with him and use it after connecting it. With the advantage of long-distance wireless transmission, Wi-Fi has gradually become the transmission interface on mobile phones, MP4s, notebooks and even DV machines and printers. Although USB is dominant now, in the long run, only wireless USB technology can make USB sit firmly at the top.