SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps Now Ready for Development

[Cristian_25H]

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group today announced the completion of the USB 3.1 Specification which adds enhancements to enable SuperSpeed USB to operate at up to 10 Gbps. This latest release of the specification will be available today for download from the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) website.

SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps uses a more efficient data encoding and will deliver more than twice the effective data through-put performance of existing SuperSpeed USB over enhanced, fully backward compatible USB connectors and cables. Compatibility is assured with existing USB 3.0 software stacks and device class protocols as well as with existing 5 Gbps hubs and devices and USB 2.0 products.





Developers interested in implementing the new USB 3.1 Specification have the opportunity to learn technical details during three developer conferences currently being planned. The international conferences planned in Europe and Asia will offer more advanced system design training as breakout sessions on the second day. For more details and conference registration instructions, please visit the USB-IF website.

1. USB 3.1 Developers Day US - August 21, 2013 in Hillsboro, Ore.
2. USB 3.1 Developers Days Europe - October 1-2, 2013 in Dublin, Ireland
3. USB 3.1 Developers Days Asia - Two day conference scheduled for early December 2013, more details to follow

"The USB 3.1 specification primarily extends existing USB 3.0 protocol and hub operation for speed scaling along with defining the next higher physical layer speed as 10 Gbps," said Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group Chairman. "The specification team worked hard to make sure that the changes made to support higher speeds were limited and remained consistent with existing USB 3.0 architecture to ease product development."

"We recognize this advancement in USB technology is an important development for our customers," said Tom Bonola, Chief Technology Officer, Business PC Solutions, HP. "The USB 3.1 Specification enables us to meet the growing needs of our customers for faster data transfer while maintaining backwards compatibility with existing devices."

"The industry has affirmed the strong demand for higher through-put, for user-connected peripherals and docks, by coming together to produce a quality SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps specification," said Alex Peleg, Vice President, Intel Architecture Group. "Intel is fully committed to deliver on this request."

"While maintaining backward compatibility, USB continues to advance to meet customer's growing need for higher speed data," said Roland Sperlich, TI Consumer and Computing Interface Product Line Manager. "The 10 Gbps data rate allows designers across many industries to do more with a universal standard."

"In this multi-device world, the USB 3.1 updates will enable end-users to move content across devices quickly, conveniently and without worrying about compatibility," said Emile Ianni, Corporate Vice President of Platform Solutions Engineering, AMD. "AMD thanks our engineers as well as the other technology contributors for bringing to market robust innovation that is designed to work seamlessly with new and existing solutions."

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Fourstaff]

Can we run 1080p off USB3.1? Would be a good start to unify everything under one port.

 

[cheesy999]

Can we run 1080p off USB3.1? Would be a good start to unify everything under one port.

I imagine it could be done, but you would have to have a screen that would do it first, which isn't too far fetched, as there was a 1366x768 one on this sites news page a few days ago

USB has always been so popular it probably still has a better chance then thunderbolt does

 

[Brusfantomet]

single link DVI is 3.94 Gbit/s data, a 60 Hz 24 bit 1920 x 1080 video stream is 2.98 Gbit/s. eeaven with the abysmal efficiency of USB you shuld be able to get uncompresed 1080p video in usb 3.1 latency is tho a completely different aspect.

 

[xvi]

Is new hardware required? Could "old" USB 3.0 controllers be given a firmware update to bring them up to 3.1?

 

[1c3d0g]

Is new hardware required? Could "old" USB 3.0 controllers be given a firmware update to bring them up to 3.1?

Also, will new USB 3.1 cables be required, or will the current 3.0 cables suffice?

 

[birdie]

Can we run 1080p off USB3.1? Would be a good start to unify everything under one port.

Cannot you calculate?

Even if we send raw RGB data:

1920x1080x3 (24 bit color) x 30 (fps) = 186 624 000B/sec or 1 492 992 000bits per second, i.e. given 50% efficiency, USB3 is enough to send one uncompressed FullHD stream.

 

[birdie]

Also, will new USB 3.1 cables be required, or will the current 3.0 cables suffice?

Cannot you read the press release?

New cables are not required. In fact all existing USB3 hardware can be (theoretically) upgraded to USB3.1 via a software update.

 

[HammerON]

birdie - please do not double post. Use the Edit, Multi-Quote and Quote buttons.
Also I suggest that you do not start your posts by challenging a member's ability to calculate or to read properly.

 

[Gradius2]

I have:
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/intensity/

And it was limited to 1080p30, now there is no excuse to have 1080p60 with USB 3.1

 

[Hood]

"SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps uses a more efficient data encoding and will deliver more than twice the effective data through-put performance of existing SuperSpeed USB over enhanced, fully backward compatible USB connectors and cables.
The 3 key words in this press release are in italics above - the cables and both ports have to be 3.1 spec, as in EXTENSIVE NEW HARDWARE REQUIRED. So no, a firmware/software update will NOT make your existing 3.0 ports into 3.1 ports.
This means that the device end will probably look different for 3.1 devices, and the host end will look the same, just as in the jump from 2.0 to 3.0, to ensure backwards compatibility.

 

[Fourstaff]

Cannot you calculate?

Even if we send raw RGB data:

1920x1080x3 (24 bit color) x 30 (fps) = 186 624 000B/sec or 1 492 992 000bits per second, i.e. given 50% efficiency, USB3 is enough to send one uncompressed FullHD stream.

I can calculate alright (didn't spend 3 years doing a maths degree for no reason), but I am more concerned with things like input lag, stuttering and other bugbears pointed out by cheesy999. Those problems don't show up until implementation, even if the port is theoretically capable (eg signal degradation)

 

[Thefumigator]

Can we run 1080p off USB3.1? Would be a good start to unify everything under one port.

Considering a SATA III interface reaches a max theoretically of 6Gbps then 10Gbps is better than a SATA III port, lets see if reality numbers show the improvement.

I would really like to see an actual USB3.0 port upgraded to a USB3.1, but I can see the PCIe bus limiting if its 1x

 

[haswrong]

so the relatively intensive cpu utilization of usb mechanism is due to data compression on a driver level before its funneled through the cable? (implying lesser responsiveness as opposed to firewire)

 

[remixedcat]

Can't wait to also see this on routers and adapters!!

 

[Deadlyraver]

Ah, now THIS is a huge improvement.