SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Train Picking up Steam

2.6 billion USB products can't be wrong and another chipset manufacturer has displayed its active plans and conceptual models for SuperSpeed USB. Also known as USB 3.0, SuperSpeed USB seems set to be the future data pathway of device connections. The original USB standard is now 13 years old but going strong. Originally limited to 40 megabits per second USB 1.0 continues to prove sufficient for peripherals like mice and keyboards, hard drives and video devices required more. USB 2.0 came along to help pushing the maximum throughput 12 times to 480 megabits per second (both mono-directional).

2 new standards have come along trying to breathe new life into devices, Wireless USB and SuperSpeed USB. Both are suffering some slowdowns partially due to the economy, but forward thinking companies are making strides towards bringing working products to market. This week SuperSpeed USB added another company name to the ranks of those on the verge of delivering USB 3.0's promised 2,400 megabits per second data rate (bi-directional). Synopsys, PLDA, Symwave and now Gennum's Snowbush group have all revealed their plans and progress on the path to getting USB 3.0 devices off the drawing board onto PCBs. The first releases will hopefully be hitting shelves in a little over 12 months, mid 2010.