Thursday, February 28th 2019
USB-IF Rebrands USB 3.0 and 3.1 With New USB 3.2 20Gbps Standard
You would have thought that the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) would have learned their lesson the first time around with the rebranding of USB standards; however, that doesn't seem to be the case. At MWC 2019, they announced that the USB 3.2 standard would include the previous USB 3.0 and 3.1 specifications, but with a twist. USB 3.0, which has a data rate of 5Gbps, had already been rebranded as USB 3.1 Gen 1, will now once again be rebranded as USB 3.2 Gen 1. Meanwhile, USB 3.1 Gen 2 with a data rate of 10Gbps will be renamed USB 3.2 Gen 2. Finally, the new kid on the block which has a data rate of 20Gbps will be officially named USB 3.2 Gen 2x2.
While there is a reason for these names, the fact remains that it doesn't do consumers any favors. USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 gets its name from the two high-speed 10Gbps channels it uses to achieve the new data rate. Keep in mind that previous USB standards only allowed for one channel, and only USB Type-C connectors allow for dual channels. This, as you may have guessed by now, means USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 is only usable via USB Type-C connectors. To try and reduce confusion, USB-IF has suggested that vendors use marketing terms on top of the current naming scheme to help consumers understand what is what in the world of USB. <s>USB 3.0</s> <s>USB 3.1 Gen 1</s> USB 3.2 Gen 1 will be marketed as SuperSpeed USB, and USB 3.2 Gen 2 will be marketed as SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps as per our sources. Finally, the newest standard will use SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps as its marketing term, not that it will do much if implementation of the new standard will take as long as it took for USB 3.2 Gen 2 and the Type-C connector.
Sources:
Computer Base, via Toms Hardware
While there is a reason for these names, the fact remains that it doesn't do consumers any favors. USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 gets its name from the two high-speed 10Gbps channels it uses to achieve the new data rate. Keep in mind that previous USB standards only allowed for one channel, and only USB Type-C connectors allow for dual channels. This, as you may have guessed by now, means USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 is only usable via USB Type-C connectors. To try and reduce confusion, USB-IF has suggested that vendors use marketing terms on top of the current naming scheme to help consumers understand what is what in the world of USB. <s>USB 3.0</s> <s>USB 3.1 Gen 1</s> USB 3.2 Gen 1 will be marketed as SuperSpeed USB, and USB 3.2 Gen 2 will be marketed as SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps as per our sources. Finally, the newest standard will use SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps as its marketing term, not that it will do much if implementation of the new standard will take as long as it took for USB 3.2 Gen 2 and the Type-C connector.
42 Comments on USB-IF Rebrands USB 3.0 and 3.1 With New USB 3.2 20Gbps Standard
USB A/B = 1 link
USB A/B SS = 3 links (1 legacy, 2 SS)
USB C = 5 links (1 legacy, 4 SS) Yeah...DisplayPort, sadly, is getting the same way. It's like everyone wants to be that one connector everyone else uses but in the process, they're making controllers complicated and doing a terrible job at informing consumers of what the installed controller can do. DisplayPort I think is keeping it under control better than USB is but still... Even though a DisplayPort cable could theoretically have a USB signal on it, we don't know that the DisplayPort controller in the host device actually has a USB host, we don't know if the monitor we're plugging in that has USB ports understands that it can use the DisplayPort cable to carry the USB signal, and if the USB ports on the monitor fails, it's not clear where the failure was at.
USB video has the same problem. The assumption should be that USB video is handled by basically a USB powered video card inside the cable itself. It shouldn't be pulling a video stream from a video card because now you're making the how that message routes through PCIE and the like convoluted.
I can understand why DisplayPort would want to carry USB because that means only one cable between monitor and computer. I don't understand why USB-IF thought it was a good idea to put video/thunderbolt streams in USB. USB-IF should focus on one thing and that is connecting peripherals to computers as it always did. Yes, increase bandwidth, no, don't expand beyond the scope of doing exclusively what it needs to do. If other interfaces want to carry USB, so be it, but it shouldn't be the other way around because USB isn't supposed to be one connector to rule them all. It doesn't have enough pins to and usually isn't connected to a high enough speed bus internally to either. Now GPUs are having to fight USB controllers for PCIE lanes. It makes no sense for something that's predominantly used to drive mice and keyboards.
For being standards, they aren't very standard.
There was that joke that an USB (type A) port needs to be inserted 3 times EVERY TIME:
- first you get it right but you don't know that you got it right because you just bump into the "tongue"
- 2nd attempt is reversed and obviously won't work
- finally 3rd time you pay more attention and it finally goes in (That's what she said!)
Type C resolves this annoyance by being reversible, while ALSO allowing for channel doubling due to it's inherent nature.
I certainly love it on my Samsung phone, or on the laptop...
... buuuut, it's a bit not Ok on the big-ass PC case, that Type-C is so tiny and it feels out of place.
I'd think USB 3.1 on Type A, at 10Gb/s, would be plenty fast enough. It's faster than SATA 3. It's faster than most wired Ethernet connections. It's also got a connector sturdier than a wet noodle. What kind of device today needs a connection faster than 10Gb/s?
USB-C is far more robust in that sense, albeit a bit on the tiny side.
Right now with them predominantly on the back of our cases, they kinda suck - but soon enough type C hubs in monitors and keyboards will be all over the place, and we'll care less
Hell i have a type C case, and i cant connect it to my mobo cause the same geniuses that came up with the screwy names, forgot to make an adaptor between the two types
Have you ever wondered why USB speeds differ in between motherboards? Why do reviewers even bother to test it? That's the reason why, how shoddy the PCB design is and how far everything is located.
But the naming... yea... as usual... no connection to reality.
USB (1) - SLOW
USB 2.0 - 480Mbps
USB 3.0 - 5Gbps
USB 4.0 - 10Gbbs
USB 5.0 - 20Gbps
Would have so much simpler instead of all this renaming cr*p.
This planet is overpopulated enough without need to waste resources for feeding them. At least then you knew that thing you were trying to connect was going to work.
Now you can't be anymore sure.
At this rate soon only thing missing from USB-C is holes for cooling water...
And can't exactly keep tiny connector with miniscule very tightly spaced contacts as good idea for durability.
www.usb.org/about
Naming, Branding should all be standard enforced and unified if you're making a standard after all.