Intel demonstrates 10Gb/s Light Peak-USB3 combo port

Posted on 16 Apr 2010 at 10:35

Intel has demonstrated a prototype version of its Light Peak interface technology, a potential successor to USB 3.0.

Although USB 3.0 is only just starting to make its way into new motherboards and laptops, Intel is already working on its potential successor, Light Peak. USB 3.0 has a theoretical top speed of 4.8Gb/s but Light Peak should reach a speed of 10Gb/s making it twice as fast as the already very speedy USB 3.0.

Light Peak isn’t just designed for external storage and other peripherals that currently rely on USB though. Light Peak’s optical cabling can also carry networking and video signals so it could potentially replace Ethernet and DisplayPort so future computers would only need Light Peak ports.

At its IDF conference in Beijing, Intel demonstrated a laptop fitted with a USB 3.0 port that had been modified to accept Light Peak signals. It therefore not only worked at Light Peak’s extremely high speeds but was backwards compatible with existing USB peripherals.

Non-backwards compatible Light Peak connectors could be significantly smaller than a standard USB plug though, which would be very useful on laptops, netbooks and tablet PCs where space is at a premium.

Intel has yet to comment on when its laptop and desktop PC chipsets would start supporting Light Peak though, despite its aggressive claims about the benefits of the technology. This isn’t entirely surprising as the company has yet to produce a chipset that supports USB 3.0 (and may not until at least 2012), leaving computer manufacturers who wish to use that technology relying on dedicated USB 3.0 chipsets which can add extra expense to a computer.

Author: Alan Lu

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