VIA Labs Announces Launch of USB4 Device Silicon

[btarunr]

VIA Labs, Inc. (VLI), a leading supplier of SuperSpeed USB, USB Power Delivery Controllers, and now USB4 controllers today unveiled the VIA Labs VL830 USB4 Endpoint Device. USB4 is a major update to the USB architecture, enabling multiple simultaneous data and display protocols to share a single high-speed link with support for a maximum aggregate bandwidth of 40 Gbps. VL830 offers both USB and DisplayPort functionality and operates at full performance when used with Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 systems, and is also backward compatible with previous-generation devices such as laptops, tablets, and phones that support DisplayPort Alternate Mode over USB Type-C.

"VIA Labs VL830 represents a culmination of our experience in developing USB Type-C, USB Power Delivery, and USB 3.2 products, an industry leader in time to market, and contribution and participation in standards development," said Terrance Shih, Business Development Director, VIA Labs, Inc. "USB4 is based on Thunderbolt technology and we are very excited to deliver these capabilities at new price points."



The VIA Labs VL830 USB4 Endpoint Device offers up to double the video bandwidth compared to DisplayPort Alternate Mode over USB Type-C and can simultaneously support up to a single 8K 60 Hz high-dynamic-range display and several USB 3.2 Gen2 devices, depending on the host system's capabilities. When paired with a DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport hub, multiple 4K or high-refresh-rate displays can be supported while still enjoying fast SuperSpeed USB data transfers.

VIA Labs VL830 Availability
The VIA Labs VL830 features an integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2 hub with five downstream ports and a DisplayPort 1.4a output, and it can fully utilize the full 40 Gbps of bandwidth offered by USB4. VL830 comes in compact FCCSP 10 mm x 10 mm package.

The VIA Labs VL830 is already seeing early adoption in USB-C docking station, multi-function adapter, and other product categories. VIA Labs VL830 will be begin shipping to select partners in Q4, 2021.

For more information about the VIA Labs VL830, please visit this page.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Nanochip]

Finally, a non-intel usb4 controller is making it to market! Looking forward to more of these on the market, the lowering of the price of 40 Gbps peripheral devices, such as nvme enclosures and ducks. Long live USB and thunderbolt.

 

[Tardian]

Two Speeds of USB 4
Though it can hit theoretical speeds of up to 40 Gbps, not all USB devices or hosts will support that standard. Expect Smaller and less-expensive devices such as phones and Chromebooks to use the 20 Gbps version of USB 4, which is still a lot faster than the USB 3.x 5 Gbps connection you get from most laptops today (though 10 and 20 Gbps USB 3.2 connections do exist). Make sure to look at the specs if you want the fastest USB 4 connection available.
USB 4 Labels Won't Use Version Number
So how will you know if the device you're buying is USB 4 compatible? Manufacturers may mention USB 4 in their spec sheets, but the USB-IF's logo program focuses purely on the connection's transfer speed, which is either 20 or 40 Gbps.

USB 4: Everything We Know So Far

USB 4 promises a host of benefits that include faster transfer speeds, better management of video and optional compatibility with Thunderbolt 3.

www.tomshardware.com

It has already started. Universal?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Finally, a non-intel usb4 controller is making it to market! Looking forward to more of these on the market, the lowering of the price of 40 Gbps peripheral devices, such as nvme enclosures and ducks. Long live USB and thunderbolt.

Except this is not a host controller, but rather an endpoint device controller.
This would be used as a dock, except you only have one USB4 input and no outputs, as it outputs four 10Gbps USB 3.2 ports, one USB 2.0 ports and one DP 1.4 port.

 

[Nanochip]

Except this is not a host controller, but rather an endpoint device controller.
This would be used as a dock, except you only have one USB4 input and no outputs, as it outputs four 10Gbps USB 3.2 ports, one USB 2.0 ports and one DP 1.4 port.

The key point is it’s a non-intel usb4 solution. Yes it’s for docks, but it can fully utilize the full 40 Gbps of bandwidth offered by USB4 according to the article. Many of the early “USB4” docks on the market are based on intel Goshen Ridge which of course is TB4 controller chip. A non-Intel solution bodes well for market. It’s just a matter of time before a 40 gbps non-Intel host controller makes it to market as well. Intel uses Maple Ridge for hosts.

I have nothing against intel and its Maple Ridge and Goshen Ridge solutions. I actually own such products. I just want to see competition in this space. I’m looking forward to other controllers and solutions making it to market as well. Hopefully the non-intel usb4 docks will also have support for the hubbing feature that exists in tb4, that allows for up to 3 additional downstream tb4 ports (and also can be used with Titan ridge hosts).

 

[TheLostSwede]

The key point is it’s a non-intel usb4 solution. Yes it’s for docks, but it can fully utilize the full 40 Gbps of bandwidth offered by USB4 according to the article. Many of the early “USB4” docks on the market are based on intel Goshen Ridge which of course is TB4 controller chip. A non-Intel solution bodes well for market. It’s just a matter of time before a 40 gbps non-Intel host controller makes it to market as well. Intel uses Maple Ridge for hosts.

I have nothing against intel and its Maple Ridge and Goshen Ridge solutions. I actually own such products. I just want to see competition in this space. I’m looking forward to other controllers and solutions making it to market as well.

Fair enough, it just sounded like you misunderstood what this product was.

 

[Nanochip]

Fair enough, it just sounded like you misunderstood what this product was.

Thank you for the clarifications.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I wanna say this is the first of USB4..stuff. It's early in USB4 development and prolly safe to assume we'll see the *.1 progression like we did with USB3, which likely means we'll see 60+Gbps Sooperspedds™. USB4 wireless 4k monitors yet?

 

[Valantar]

Looks like this should be a shoo-in for future semi-generic docks, which is great. The lack of TB/USB4 passthrough is perfectly fine - no doubt it keeps costs down. If that DP link supports MST, this could lead to some really great docks.

I wonder what the specific implementation of that first board is. At first I thought the second USB-C was just for PD input, but it looks wired for data as well. It also has both HDMI and DP (which far too few of these small usb-c docks have), which makes me wonder how that is wired up. MST + a DP-to-HDMI converter? Or are they just muxed, with one usable at a time?

 

[Nanochip]

I wanna say this is the first of USB4..stuff. It's early in USB4 development and prolly safe to assume we'll see the *.1 progression like we did with USB3, which likely means we'll see 60+Gbps Sooperspedds™. USB4 wireless 4k monitors yet?

I think the key thing here is usb4 is based on TB3 tech, as intel donated the tb3 spec to the usb-IF. So while usb3 has supported usb, displayport and so on since usb3-10gbps, usb4 should now also have the ability for pcie tunneling, meaning a slew of pcie peripherals such as 10 gbps lan adapters, eGPUs, or 32 gbps nvme enclosures can be hooked up to a usb host (usb4) for the first time and operate at full speed.

Only time will tell how well existing tb3 devices work with usb4 hosts. USB4 should also lower the cost for high speed peripherals over time. Tb3 Nvme enclosures for example are $120+ on Amazon. Imagine if this cost drops by half or more over time as manufacturers bring new USB4 nvme enclosures to market. Pretty exciting possibilities to me.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

10 gbps lan adapters

40gbps would make wireless devices the focus rather than (and slowly killing) lan adapters.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Looks like this should be a shoo-in for future semi-generic docks, which is great. The lack of TB/USB4 passthrough is perfectly fine - no doubt it keeps costs down. If that DP link supports MST, this could lead to some really great docks.

I wonder what the specific implementation of that first board is. At first I thought the second USB-C was just for PD input, but it looks wired for data as well. It also has both HDMI and DP (which far too few of these small usb-c docks have), which makes me wonder how that is wired up. MST + a DP-to-HDMI converter? Or are they just muxed, with one usable at a time?

It has a Synaptics DisplayLink chip for the HDMI, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Octopuss]

Oh shit, not VIA.
Not ever again.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Oh shit, not VIA.
Not ever again.

They actually make quite decent USB stuff, so I wouldn't really worry about it.
Besides, how would you know you have something like this inside one of your products?

 

[Octopuss]

Their chipsets back in 2000's were shit, and pretty much everything I saw after that was shit.
My previous motherboard had VIA USB3 controller on it and it was crap.
I just don't like it.

 

[TheGuruStud]

No pcie card with usb 4 ports no care. I'm not a loser laptop user.

 

[Valantar]

No pcie card with usb 4 ports no care. I'm not a loser laptop user.

This isn't a host controller, so ...

 

[Tardian]

IME VIA products are excellent!