Intel wants USB 3.0 replaced with Light Peak cables

Intel's lack of a USB 3.0 chipset has signaled to observers that the company may be bypassing USB 3.0 in favor of optical technology. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen, but Intel has been promoting its Light Peak technology which promises transmission speeds of between 10Gbps and 100Gbps.

Light Peak technology was unveiled in 2009 and is expected to become available for manufacturers later in 2010. Devices containing the technology are expected to reach the market by early 2011.

Intel fellow Kevin Kahn discussed the technology at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, showing off a laptop with a thin Light Peak cable. Kahn's prototype had the cable running through a modified USB 3.0 port adapter. He said that the size of the port could be reduced significantly with Light Peak technology which is good news for mobile gadgets in particular.

Kahn said that Light Peak is not necessarily competitive with USB, but instead the two technologies could be complementary. USB protocols could run over a Light Peak cable.

Kahn told the crowd in attendance that Intel would like to build the "last cable you'll ever need."

Written by: James Delahunty @ 15 Apr 2010 21:51

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19 comments

DXR88

haven't they learned the world doesn't want 16000 proprietary connectors hanging out the back of there computer.

USB the one Connector to rule them all

15.4.2010 23:33 #1

cart0181

USB 3.0 is bad. Let's go with something optical.

EDIT: Okay, I should probably specify why I think USB 3.0 is bad. Well, what they don't seem to want you to know is that it uses 9 wires as compared with the nice simple 4 wires of USB 1&2. That is more than twice the wires! This is not the same standard anymore no matter what they tell you. I will believe interoperability when I see it. Anyone with any real-world experience with this? Try bringing a 3.0 device to a 1.0 system and see what happens. Try a 1.0 device in a 3.0 port. Oh! It will plug in, but what happens next is the question...

16.4.2010 03:03 #2

KillerBug

The great thing about usb 3 is that you can use your old devices with it, and it isn't more ports; just a replacement for the old ones.

16.4.2010 03:47 #3

beanos66

Quote:"last cable you'll ever need." didn't they say that about USB? Then what happened? you get about 5 different USB socket sizes all requiring different cables

16.4.2010 04:36 #4

KillerBug

Originally posted by beanos66: Quote:"last cable you'll ever need." didn't they say that about USB? Then what happened? you get about 5 different USB socket sizes all requiring different cables Perhapse; but at least all the extension cables are the same...and it is nice to know that I can get a car charger for my phone, and it will still work with my next phone. It is also nice to know that my old USB 1.1 devices will still work perfectly (and without adapters) on USB 3.0 ports. Now they add light (and I assume you need a second cable for power?)...my thinks this whole thing is becuase intel is as bad at making a USB 3.0 device as they are at making SATA 3 devices.

16.4.2010 05:54 #5

Paula_X

Originally posted by beanos66: Quote:"last cable you'll ever need." didn't they say that about USB? Then what happened? you get about 5 different USB socket sizes all requiring different cables there are 2 usb standard fittings.. regular and mini. the others which "look" like usb aren't.. they are firewire and mini-dv and proprietary fone connectors, nothing to do with usb at all.

this is just another con.. at the moment you can open up a usb cable.. it's accessible data transfer using published standards.. Optical?.. I smell hollywood and M$ drm pushing here yet again, as well as trying to con people out of yet more money for something which nobody.. and I mean NOBODY needs.

Anybody ever used the optical out on a ps2? .. ever seen a wire for it??? ever seen anything you can plug the "wire nobody has ever seen" into?? pure crap from intel and their bosses in the media cartel

http://en.windows7sins.org/

16.4.2010 06:06 #6

Sudds

Quote:Anybody ever used the optical out on a ps2? .. ever seen a wire for it??? ever seen anything you can plug the "wire nobody has ever seen" into?? Its called Toslink mate, i used it from my PS2 to hook up to my surround sound system, and still using it for PS3.
It has limitions also, bandwith isnt big enough for it to carry 5.1 PCM.

16.4.2010 06:49 #7

ZippyDSM

Meh nothing beats USB 3 right now, and I bet USB4 will has fiber optics in it on top of being able to run old devices. SO no need to wish or want for better than the USB3.0 standard right now.

Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
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16.4.2010 11:15 #8

DXR88

i want a motherboard with fiber optic traces, now that would be cool

16.4.2010 13:38 #9

ThePastor

Wouldn't a fiber cable be fragile?
I'm really looking forward to USB 3.0... If they want to make another plug for fiber then fine, go ahead. I'll upgrade when I can buy an external drive using the fiber cable for $79.99.

Unfortunately for them, all Blu-ray protections have been broken and BD rips can be found around the Internet, usually before the retail even hits shelves.

16.4.2010 13:56 #10

mike.m

Even if this is compatible with USB 3.0 through a modified adapter, wouldn't it be utterly useless because it will still be limited to the max speeds of USB 3.0 anyways? It's going to take a hell of a long time before this becomes 'universal' like USB and HDMI has, and that's only if the public embraces it.

16.4.2010 15:44 #11

DXR88

Originally posted by ThePastor: Wouldn't a fiber cable be fragile?
I'm really looking forward to USB 3.0... If they want to make another plug for fiber then fine, go ahead. I'll upgrade when I can buy an external drive using the fiber cable for $79.99. depends on the material used to put it together. there are cables capable of withstanding Severe Heat and wear.

16.4.2010 20:08 #12

jony218

Until hard drives are capable of operating at 10Gbps and 100Gbps speeds what good is optical ports? Even usb 3.0 is pushing the envelope.

You will always be limited by the hard drive, even the SSD drives are slow compared to the rest of the computer.

16.4.2010 21:11 #13

Xplorer4

Originally posted by Paula_X: Originally posted by beanos66: Quote:"last cable you'll ever need." didn't they say that about USB? Then what happened? you get about 5 different USB socket sizes all requiring different cables there are 2 usb standard fittings.. regular and mini. the others which "look" like usb aren't.. they are firewire and mini-dv and proprietary fone connectors, nothing to do with usb at all.

this is just another con.. at the moment you can open up a usb cable.. it's accessible data transfer using published standards.. Optical?.. I smell hollywood and M$ drm pushing here yet again, as well as trying to con people out of yet more money for something which nobody.. and I mean NOBODY needs.

Anybody ever used the optical out on a ps2? .. ever seen a wire for it??? ever seen anything you can plug the "wire nobody has ever seen" into?? pure crap from intel and their bosses in the media cartel
In regards to USB:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Connector_types

In regards to the optical port on a PS2:
http://www.google.com/products?q=optical...ved=0CCoQrQQwAg

I used to have one along time ago but didnt find anything special, but I was young and dumb then.

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17.4.2010 21:00 #14

shaffaaf

does anybody read? its will be compatible with USB. its just the data traces to the mobo that will be optical, power will still come from copper id assume.

now optical transitors, that would be amazing.

18.4.2010 03:19 #15

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