Intel Chipset to Finally Embed a USB 3.0 Controller

[btarunr]

Nothing in the PC platform really becomes an industry standard before Intel embraces it. Same is the case with USB 3.0, which, over an year after its entry into the industry, has seen limited market adoption and motherboard integration, driven mostly by 2-port PCI-E controllers. Internal presentation slides sourced by Heise show that the Panther Point chipset, which drives Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, embeds a 4-port XHCI compatible USB 3.0 SuperSpeed controller. The controller sits aside two EHCI USB 2.0 controllers, and shares 4 ports over a USB hub. So, out of the 14 USB ports from the chipset, 4 will be SuperSpeed capable.

Panther Point is the codename of Intel's 7-series platform controller hub (PCH) chipset, which could carry the common market model names P77 and H77. The chipsets will drive Intel's Ivy Bridge processors. Ivy Bridge is a die-shrunk Sandy Bridge, which will be fabricated using the 22 nm lithography. It will form the back bone of Intel's 3rd generation Core processors slated for release at CES 2012.



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[AndreiD]

Q2 2012

A tad late intel, don't you think?

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I think the primary reason why they are prolonging the release is because they want Light Peak out at the same time. Frankly, I think that's a bad decision because USB 3.0 is already pretty popular as implemented in a 3rd party chip. Light Peak will ultimately superceed USB but it won't be USB 3.0 that it supercedes (which is what Intel was aimming for).


Light Peak dates are lining up with X68 launch. Q2 2012 lines up with Ivy Bridge architecture.

 

[btarunr]

Q2 2012

CES 2012 is first week of January, 2012.