May 26, 2009 The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has demonstrated interoperability between prototype hosts and devices from multiple companies at the SuperSpeed USB Developers Conference in Tokyo. The somewhat unsurprising news that the next-generation of USB devices from multiple companies should play nicely together is the latest step towards making USB 3.0 - which will deliver transfer rates ten times faster than USB 2.0 - a commercial reality.

The conference marked the first public demonstrations of USB 3.0 interoperability. Using prototype software from Intel to transport the USB 3.0 traffic the demonstrations included a Fresco Logic prototype PC host working with a mass storage device from Fujitsu and an NEC PC host transferring data to a mass storage device from LucidPort. What a harmonious world it can be at times.

USB 3.0, also known as SuperSpeed USB, will deliver transfer rates up to ten times faster than USB 2.0 as well as optimized power management and backward compatibility with the billions of existing USB-enabled PCs and devices.

The USB-IF expects USB 3.0 products to start hitting shelves in early 2010 and forecasts 45% of mobile PCs in 2012 will ship with the technology. With numbers like that it’s just as well we won’t be limited to buying devices from a single manufacturer if we expect them to work.

Darren Quick