Windows7 and SuperSpeed USB3
USB 3.0 (aka SuperSpeed USB) is the next version of the uniquitous Universal Serial Bus connector. It is estimated that about 6 billion USB devices have been sold worldwide.
However the need for more speed and greater bandwidth mean that good old USB 2.0's theoretical maximum of 480 mbps just doesn't cut the mustard any more.
The USB 3.0 standard is 10x faster claims the following features:
- Higher transfer rates (up to 4.8 Gbps)
- Increased maximum bus power and increased device current draw to better accommodate power-hungry devices
- New power management features
- Full-duplex data transfers and support for new transfer types
- New connectors and cables for higher speed data transfer
- Backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 devices
Windows7 Support
Microsoft has announced that SuperSpeed USB will run under the latest version of Windows, although native support was not available in the first release of Windows7. Look for a Windows update in the near future. The standard also needs to be supported by the computer hardware - NEC was first to market in September with its xHCI host controller. SuperSpeed USB support can be added to older systems via an add-on card such as the NEC USB 3.0 PCI-Express Card.
Comparison with other devices
USB1.1 = 12 Mbps
FW400 = 400 Mbps
USB2 = 480 Mbps
FW800 = 800 Mbps
SCSI160 = 1280 Mbps
SATA1 = 1500 Mbps
SCSI320 = 2560 Mbps
SATA2 = 3000 Mbps
USB3 = 4800 Mbps
HDMI1.2 = 4950 Mbps
SATA3 = 6000 Mbps
HDMI1.3 = 10200 Mbps
GBits, mbps - explain!
Data transfer is measured per second KiloBits (Kbps), MegaBits (Mbps) and GigaBits (Gbps). To translate this into something more understandable, divide the number by 8 (there are 8 bits in a byte). For exanple..
USB2 has a theoretical maximum transfer rate of 480Mbps / 8 = 60 MB (megabytes per second or MB/sec). Beware of confusing abbreviations for data transfer, particularly with incorrect capitalisation of the units (i.e. MBps.)
SuperSpeed USB3 Devices
There are already USB 3.0 devices on the market, such as Super Talent's RAIDDrive, which claims to be the world’s first USB 3.0 flash drive.
Freecom is also laying claim to a world's with its first SuperSpeed external hard drive, the XS 3.0.
SuperSpeed cables are quite different from the earlier USB versions, including the USB3 Standard-A connector and the USB3 Mini-B connector.
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