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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.'"
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.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
because fibre optics can't carry power?
So if you have 4 USB SS ports on a motherboard that motherboard is going to have to be able to supply 400W @ 5V? You can't be serious. We'll need dedicated power connections on the motherboard just to supply this.
The example of using a TV to power multiple devices raises the same concerns. Now the TV power supply will be much more complicated. Rather than power just the 60-70W the TV draws it needs to have a power supply that could supply 100's of extra watts?
The only application I see for this is to use 100W USB SS ports on walls for a common household DC standard interface. That could be interesting, but integrating it into devices is not simple. It adds levels of complexities to the devices that will need to supply the power.
Nothing i have to say is worth saying.
Then stop wrapping them around your neck.
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.
"None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
because fibre is much easier to break/snap than copper. Same reason the company my friend works for who installs media distribution systems into Lufthansa aircraft don't spec it out with fiber lines.. they use CAT 7 with the TERA style ends, because an over-zealous mechanic is more likely to snap a fibre optic line with his zip tie than a copper line