Windows 10: USB Promoter Group Announces USB4 Specification

Source: Default USB Promoter Group Announces USB4 Specification (PDF)

See also: Intel releases Thunderbolt 3 protocol to USB Promoter Group - Windows 10 Forums

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USB 3.0 Promoter Group Announces Availability of USB Power Delivery Specification

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group, in conjunction with the USB 2.0 Promoter Group, today announced the completion of the USB Power Delivery specification, which enables increased power delivery through USB cables and connectors. The specification expands cable bus power capabilities in USB applications, supplying higher voltage and current to deliver power up to 100 watts over USB Power Delivery certified cables. It is capable of delivering higher power to charge notebook PCs and power external hard-disk drives, devices which previously did not receive adequate power from traditional 5V bus power.

The USB Power Delivery specification enables a switchable source of power without changing cable direction. Existing USB cables and connectors are also compatible with this specification and will coexist with the USB Battery Charging 1.2 specification as well as existing USB-bus powered applications.

“USB Power Delivery enables a path to greatly reduce electronic waste by eliminating proprietary, platform-specific chargers,” said Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group Chairman. “We envision a significant move toward universal charging based on this specification, most notably for charging notebook PCs using standardized USB power bricks or when connected to USB hubs and desktop displays that integrate USB Power Delivery capabilities.”

“The publication of the USB Power Delivery specification is an important step in enabling a flexible, standardized power management ecosystem,” said Peter Harrison, Director, Standards Collaboration, Nokia.

“We believe USB Power Delivery is the next big step in the USB evolution to provide high bandwidth data and intelligent power over a simple, single, ubiquitous cable,” said Robert Hollingsworth, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the USB Products Group at SMSC. “USB has always combined data and power over a single cable, and this is widely believed to be a major contributor to the present ubiquity of USB. USB Power Delivery builds on that success and adds full bi-directional power that can be renegotiated as system power needs change with the end-user.”

The USB 2.0 and 3.0 Promoter Groups developed the USB Power Delivery specification and have transitioned the specification’s management to the USB-IF. The USB Promoter Groups are now accepting adopters of the USB Power Delivery specification. To download both the USB Power Delivery specification and adopter agreements, visit this page.

 

USB 3.0 Promoter Group Announces Feature Complete Ancillary USB Specifications

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group today announced that the USB Power Delivery specification and SuperSpeed USB Inter-Chip (SSIC) specification are both on track for completion by the end of Q2 2012. Both specifications are currently at a 0.9 draft completion level, essentially the equivalent of final specifications that implementers can use to start developing products. Prototyping activities to help validate the major technical elements of each specification are well underway and will be completed prior to the final release of these specifications.

The USB power delivery specification will enable increased power delivery via USB cables and connectors, expanding cable bus power capabilities in USB applications. The specification enables higher voltage and current to deliver power up to 100 Watts. It also enables a switchable source of power delivery without changing cable direction. The specification is compatible with existing cables and connectors and will coexist with the USB Battery Charging 1.2 specification and existing USB bus-powered applications.



The SSIC specification will define a chip-to-chip USB based interconnect optimized for mobile device internal use. The specification will bring the MIPI Alliance's M-PHY high bandwidth and low power capabilities combined with the performance enhancements of SuperSpeed USB.

"The USB 3.0 Promoter Group continues to develop practical specifications to support more platform types and new use cases, which benefit from SuperSpeed USB," said Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group Chairman. "The industry reviews for the USB Power Delivery and SSIC specifications have proven successful, and it is exciting to see these specifications come to fruition."

The USB Power Delivery and SuperSpeed USB Inter-Chip specifications will be discussed during a USB session at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) being held April 11-12, 2012 in Beijing. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group intends to transition the final specifications to the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) for publication and establishment of the ecosystems and associated compliance programs by the end of Q2 2012.

 

USB 3.0 Promoter Group Announces USB 3.2 Specification

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group today announced the pending release of the USB 3.2 specification, an incremental update that defines multi-lane operation for new USB 3.2 hosts and devices. USB Developer Days 2017 will include detailed technical training covering USB 3.2, fast charging advancements in USB Power Delivery, and other exciting topics.

While USB hosts and devices were originally designed as single-lane solutions, USB Type-C cables were designed to support multi-lane operation to ensure a path for scalable performance. New USB 3.2 hosts and devices can now be designed as multi-lane solutions, allowing for up to two lanes of 5 Gbps or two lanes of 10 Gbps operation. This enables platform developers to continue advancing USB products to fit their customers' needs by effectively doubling the performance across existing cables. For example, a USB 3.2 host connected to a USB 3.2 storage device will now be capable of realizing over 2 GB/s data transfer performance over an existing USB Type-C cable that is certified for SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps.

"When we introduced USB Type-C to the market, we intended to assure that USB Type-C cables and connectors certified for SuperSpeed USB or SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps would, as produced, support higher performance USB as newer generations of USB 3.0 were developed," said Brad Saunders, USB 3.0 Promoter Group Chairman. "The USB 3.2 update delivers the next level of performance."

"With increased performance and seamless compatibility, the new USB 3.2 specification brings even more speed and bandwidth benefits to new USB 3.2 devices, while remaining compatible with USB 3.0 and earlier devices," said Roanne Sones, General Manager, Strategy and Ecosystem for Windows and Devices, Microsoft. "We're excited to work with our partners in the USB 3.0 Promoter Group to help showcase these benefits to users around the world."

Key characteristics of the USB 3.2 solution include:

• Two-lane operation using existing USB Type-C cables
• Continued use of existing SuperSpeed USB physical layer data rates and encoding techniques
• Minor update to hub specification to address increased performance and assure seamless transitions between single and two-lane operation

For users to obtain the full benefit of this performance increase, a new USB 3.2 host must be used with a new USB 3.2 device and the appropriate certified USB Type-C cable. This update is part of the USB performance roadmap and is specifically targeted to developers at this time. Branding and marketing guidelines will be established after the final specification is published. The USB 3.2 specification is now in a final draft review phase with a planned formal release in time for the USB Developer Days North America event in September 2017.