Posted on 03/19/2019 11:18:55 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
USB 4.0 (to be called "USB4") has officially been announced, with the final specification being released later this year. It will include notable changes such as 40 Gbps speed, and two-lane data transfer. For example, this means it will be able to transfer regular data, and send video data for a monitor simultaneously. It also implements features of Thunderbolt 3, which Intel has provided royalty free! | USB 4: Oh LAWD it Comin' | ThioJoe | Published on Mar 6, 2019
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Well, now, funny you should ask.
As it happens in the mid-late 90's I was working on the cutting edge of USB (then 1.0) development, designing the reference circuit boards and drivers for the new USB chips from outfits like Lucent (AT&T/Bell/WE). My company was one of those who helped develop the initial USB standards. So my thoughts on USB, including USB4, go WAAAAAAAY back.
USB has evolved through a combination of market pressures (for higher speeds, better reliability, symmetrical connectors, etc.) and technological improvements in silicon and software, to the point where it's no longer (in my opinion) anything like what USB started out as -- a way to connect keyboards and mice that was better than serial ports and cheaper than FireWire.
Now it's become a ubiquitous, generalized connection technology, so it's not at all surprising that they'd be shooting for still-higher speeds.
As for USB4, I'll wait-and-see how it pans out. 40Gbps is awful d@mn fast. I find it nearly inconceivable that they'll be able to do that reliably, using inexpensive cables, in Joe Lunchbox's living room. 10x the clock rate of the fastest CPU cores? A new data bit every 25 picoseconds? Holy Blue Light, Batman!
Those are my thoughts.
Great. Now I’ll need a new set of cables...
Intel just needs to increase the bandwidth on the pci lanes next. We’re starting to max out the 40Gb/s barrier pretty quickly. You add a second M.2 or video card to your system and boom she’s at capacity.
Thanks dayglored, great personal history there, also great comment about cabling etc. I just saw a $199 4K Roku TV (3840x2160, or 8,294,400 pixels, times number of colors, times the FPS, that's a lot of data right there), and the data movement required means, uh, I've got to switch to fiber. And get more exercise.
The new Macbook Pro has a few shortcomings... One feature that I have missed is the Magsafe charger from previous versions. This USB-C magnetic charge cable brings magnetic connectivity back to the Macbook Pro (or Macbook or any other USB-C capable device). Turns out there are a few of these cables on the market so I've linked them above. The cool thing about magnetic charging for laptops is the safety aspect. When the cable is kicked or tripped over it simply disconnects without damage to the laptop or charger. | The $26 Upgrade That Could Save Your Laptop... | Unbox Therapy | Published on Sep 9, 2017
Trilobi Magnetic : The World's First 3 in 1 Common Tip MAG Cable for all Devices. iPhone, Android and Phone to Phone charging. | Trilobi MAG Unbox Therapy | Unbox Therapy | Published on Apr 9, 2017
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