USB 3.0 Specification Completed -- Promising 4.8 Gbps Local Connections

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group, which is backed by Intel, HP, Microsoft Corporation, NEC Corporation, ST-NXP Wireless and Texas Instruments among others, announced the completion of the USB 3.0 specification.


Otherwise known as SuperSpeed USB, the new spec offers data transfer rates up to ten times faster than Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) -- roughly 4.8 Gbps -- along with backwards compatibility with the billions of USB-enabled PCs and peripheral devices currently in use.


It is anticipated that initial SuperSpeed USB discrete controllers will appear in the second half of 2009 and consumer products will appear in 2010, with adoption continuing throughout 2010. The first SuperSpeed USB devices will likely include data-storage devices such as flash drives, external hard drives, digital music players and digital cameras.


The group now has transitioned the specification's management to the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the managing body of USB specifications. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group is now accepting adopters of the USB 3.0 specification, which has been finalized at the 1.0 level.http://www.usb.org