USB SuperSpeed Power Spec To Leap From 10W To 100W

Lucas123 writes "While news stories have focused on the upcoming jump from 5Gbps to 10Gbps for USB SuperSpeed, less talked about has been the fact that it will also increase charging capabilities from 10W to 100W, meaning you'll be able to charge your laptop, monitor, even a television using a USB cord. Along with USB, the Thunderbolt peripheral interconnect will also be doubling it throughput thanks to a new controller chip, in its case from 10Gbps to 20Gbps. As with USB SuperSpeed, Thunderbolt's bandwidth increase is considered an evolutionary step, but the power transfer increase is being considered revolutionary, according to Jeff Ravencraft, president of the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). 'This is going to change the way computers, peripheral devices and even HDTVs will not only consume but deliver power,' Ravencraft said. 'You can have an HDTV with a USB hub built into it where not only can you exchange data and audio/video, but you can charge all your devices from it.'"

Comments

charging smartphones by USB

[goombah99]

I have an iphone 5 and like newer samsungs and ipads these want to draw 2.1 amps from USB, which is a no-no for standard USB. THere are a number of USB hubs that pretend that they are apple/samsung compatible, promising 2.1 amps. But what they don't tell you is that you can't have 2.1 amps if the hub is connected to a computer. It will only act as a USB high current charger when it is incapable of making a serial connection. It's either a serial port or a high current charger but not both.

I'm guessing this is because a lot of devices expect their current overload regulation to come from the USB hub which is limited to 0.5 amps by spec.

Will this superspeed use the same USB plug and thus have the same limit of either being a charger or a USB port, or will it do both at the same time.

Re:Dangerous

[Anonymous Coward]

It will most certainly not kill you. The voltages supplied by the USB cable is far below what it needs to push enough amps through your body to disrupt any bodily function. People usually say "it's the amps that kill you", what it should say is that "it's the amps that PASSES through your body that kills you". If I remember correctly from the specs it will provide no more than 15 to 20 volts maximum. Which is still considered safe.

Re: Is it just me or is USB getting suspiciously c

[king_nebuchadnezzar]

Repost here as I accidentally posted as AC. One of the main problems with FireWire was that it required expensive cables due to the high quality cables needed to carry the bulk power. With this spec change and the data model for SS USB, have we now got a high tech FireWire-- with all of the disadvantages and none of the advantages (I.e. daisy chaining. Guarantees about latency etc).

Re:or firewire?

[Baloroth]

Firewire goes to 30GB/s and 45 watts (30v @ 1.5 amps) and you can daisy chain it. Seems like a better idea than inventing a non-backward compatible serial port and pretending it is somehow related to USBs of yore.

Do you have a source on the non-backwards compatibility thing? Because the USB spec release[PDF warning] for the new USB SuperSpeed states it will be.

I should add that the newest FireWire specs only go up to 800mb/s, so also a source on that would be nice.