Archive for the 'SuperSpeed USB' Category

Fujitsu and Lenovo announced USB 3.0 Docking Stations both using the DisplayLink USB 3.0 to HDMI chip.

Fujitsu USB 3.0 Docking Station

The ThinkPad Lenovo USB 3.0 Docking Station also has the DisplayLink chip in it. It’s a pretty sleek design.

To celebrate the availability of these two terrific USB 3.0 products, I’m posting a demo showing exactly what a docking station like this can do.

USB 3.0 Docking Station–A real product bought off Amazon

The most important part about demonstrating the USB 3.0 Gold Tree with USB 2.0 peripherals, is that you can plug them all in and they “just work”  So your existing web cam, keyboards, mice, speakers, headphones, printers should all work just like we tested here.

We loaded the driver, and changed nothing in our setup and the USB 3.0 docking station worked.

My point: If you buy a USB 3.0 Docking Station it will work with your USB 2.0 stuff AND it might be the last one you buy for 10 years.

Think about buying a Fujitsu USB 3.0 Port Replicator, ThinkPad USB 3.0 Docking Station, or Targus USB 3.0 Docking Station.

As I read these articles, I realized that my lousy PCIexpress based docking station causes a Blue Screen of Death about 1 in 10 times I re-dock. So I’m going to steal a Targus USB 3.0 Docking station from the lab and replace the one on my desk.  I’m actually excited about this.

Here’s the original demo of the Targus docking station from DisplayLink recorded last year.

I described this docking station to my Dad, and he wants one.

I think my Dad doesn’t read my blog, and therefore doesn’t deserve a cool USB 3.0 Docking Station.

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Thank you for reading this blog.

Last week I wrote

“Remember Mother’s Day is May 12th in the U.S. Celebrate and send your mother a link to this blog.”

Today, Vijay (I guy I don’t talk to) walked by my office and said to me

“I sent it (your blog) to my wife’s mom”

without saying anything else before or after.

I have to wonder Vijay likes or dislike’s his wife’s mom.

Vijay’s name has been changed to protect the innocent.

I’m not sure who is innocent however.

Synopsys worked with the USB-IF SSIC Working Group to develop a SSIC Proof of Concept demonstration. 

The USB-IF has been working on SSIC for some time.

This Proof of Concept in FPGA is to test the SSIC specification version 0.90 to see if it actually works in hardware.

It worked (mostly).

We learned, as expected, the SSIC Spec needs changes.

We learned what works and fixes need to be made to the specification.

We used our own HAPS FPGA platforms and standard PCs.  The HAPS51-2s are connected to the PCs with PCIe.  The FPGA boards are shown below.

On top (left side of table) we have a modified USB 3.0 Host for SSIC.

On bottom (right side of table) we have a modified USB 3.0 Device for SSIC.

There is no USB 3.0 PHY in this set up.  Read to end for more on the PHY used.

Take note:  FPGA-Based Prototyping is a good idea as part of specification development too.

As with our standard USB 3.0 Host and Device, we could close timing in the FPGAs at 125MHz even when the FPGA design is over 80% utilized.

We’ve edited 2 versions the SSIC Proof of Concept video for your viewing pleasure. 

A short version and a long version.

The short version focuses on the hardware setup and the demonstration.  It’s posted below.

SSIC Proof of Concept – Short Version

This is Shailesh and I just before we started the demo.

What is the point?

The SSIC USB-IF WG has both proven the SSIC concept works, and improved it using FPGA-based prototyping.  The USB 3.0 can be used with the SSIC modifications to use USB 3.0 on PCB for chip-to-chip communication with less power than USB 3.0 outside the box.  It preserves software so you continue to use existing USB 3.0 drivers and stacks.

What is SSIC?

See the previous entry here for a brief description.

It will be used to connect Applications Processor chips to other USB 3.0 peripherals inside the box, on PCB.  It is a chip-to-chip protocol. 

For example, it could be used to connect a Mobile Apps Processer to a WiFi baseband chip.  The Apps processor could use the same, unmodified USB drivers it uses for an external, USB plug in WiFi modem.   It uses USB 3.0 to communicate, but it can less power because it drives signals over a few centimeters of PCB, not 3 meters of USB 3.0 Cable.  SSIC uses a different M-PHY for SSIC.   It uses less power.  We don’t use an M-PHY in the SSIC Proof of Concept.

 

Caveat and Disclaimer

This is not a product and this is not a product announcement.  This is a working demonstration of the technology.

Read to the End

The long version is 7 minutes and has a lot of detail and is only for the most brave USB viewers.   It has a more detail detail on how the two boards are connected.  So I lied.  There is no detail how the two platforms are connected when the USB 3.0 PHY is not used. You have to wait until Thursday and watch that video.

See you Thursday.

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I wanted to post the short video first and post the long video later, but someone pointed out to me that no one is going to ever watch these videos twice.

So I separated them anyways because you were going to come back on Thursday anyway.

Happy New Year!

Yes, it’s still Happy.

My understanding: The world won’t end in 2012.

Which is great because according to the Ismail Rahman, CTO of the USB-IF says, that Mobile Phones and Tablets will support USB 3.0 in 2012 (PC World USB 3.0 in Smart Phones and Tablets article) 

Smartphones and tablets will also recharge faster through USB 3.0, as the power will flow faster than in USB 2.0, says Rahman

This is because a USB 3.0 Host port will provide up to 900mA of power for charging, which is more than the 500mA supplied by USB 2.0.  So he’s correct.

One thing PC World asks/says/challenges Ismail on:

But transferring data using the current USB 3.0 technology at such high data rates requires more power, which does not fit the profile of mobile devices.

Ismail responds:

“It’s not the failure of USB per se, it’s just that in tablets they are not looking to put the biggest, fastest things inside a tablet,” Ismail said.

He’s correct.  Another awesome response I might give is:

“Actually, USB 3.0 is more power efficient.  It transmits then shuts down.  USB 2.0 has a Host transmitting all the time with every device receiving signals all the time.

Also, at 10x the speed for only about 2x the power (in general) in means that a 10 minute transaction only 1 minute.  Then it turns off.  So it’s off for 9 minutes for USB 3.0 compared to USB 2.0.  So the power consumption is only 20% of USB 2.0.  So the battery lasts longer, about 5x longer just for the transfers…  USB 3.0 is better out of the box.”

There are some conditions, some secrets to the design at the system level to make sure this happen.  Basically, you need to be able to suspend the power to as much of the USB 3.0 elements as possible or shut down the power completely.

So Rahman points out USB 3.0 is coming to Tablets and Smart Phones in 2012, and theoretically he’s got some product knowledge as the CTO of the USB-IF.  I’m wondering if this is the TI OMAP 5 platform as announced by TI or something else?

USB at Home

You can install USB outlets at home for a mere $25.  Each port provides a full 1mA of charging which is good for charging your iPad or Kindle or Android phone, or BlackBerry or maybe your digital camera or cell phone. Got to FastMac.com for more info.   I know I could use them.

Today’s Donut Picture

I have a picture of a Tray of Donuts. I’m keeping it to myself.

 

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Please.

Pretty Please.

According to Nielsen, SmartPhones continue to replace regular Feature Phones (phones that only make phone calls, and do have not internet).

Looking the graph below, I personally think that variations of 5% or less are almost like noise.

I suspect that the rise in the adoption of Google phones below shows:

1) The SmartPhone market growth of 3% mean more people buy phones
2) More SmartPHone buyers, most of who do not use AT&T, buy the Google Phones.  Google Phones are available on all Service Providers like Verison, T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T. New users only great choice for a touch screen phone to stay on their network is a Google Phone.  (I should note that the HTC Incredible and the latest phones are truly terrific).
3) Migration of some RIM and Windows Mobile users going to Google.

LightPeak

More articles on LightPeak again. More on it passing up USB 3.0.  It always surprises me how Journalists or bloggers like to speculate for the sake of creating content for their blogs.

I would like to reiterate

1) USB 3.0 has 100s of developers
2) USB 3.0 has 100+ certified products
3) USB 3.0 has hardware on shelves
4) USB 3.0 PCs can be bought (or built to order)
5) The USB-IF has a formal USB Certification and Interoperability program.
6) If you think USB 3.0 is complex, wouldn’t LightPeak be even harder? 
- Think about it. 
- Tens of thousands of engineers understand how use copper to send data.
- How many understand optics? 
- How many understand how to build the optics?

To be clear, there are issues with USB 3.0.  None of them easy.  All of them being addressed by the USB-IF and it’s member companies.

LightPeak will come.  It has several advantages.

USB 3.0 is and will be first.

Creative Tablet

Creative announced a tablet in 7” and 10” formats.  They are cool and they use USB.

Read more here: http://www.creative.com/corporate/pressroom/releases/welcome.asp?pid=13189

I realized I forgot the the best possible USB 3.0 product.

5) Combined USB 3.0 Host and USB 3.0 Flash Express Card.

This is the ExpressCard that has both a USB 3.0 Host and a USB 3.0 Flash Drive embedded in it.

Basically, the USB 3.0 Flash Drive adds storage, it has 100GB or more of storage space for your data, pictures, music video as a backup or extra storage for your Netbook.

This means it uses the ExpressCard USB 3.0 connector inside the PC and looks like an attached USB 3.0 Peripheral to the notebook/netbook PC.

Also, the product will have a USB 3.0 Host in it.  This uses the ExpressCard PCI-e connector on the ExpressCard, and provides 1 or 2 or more additional USB ports with the full 4 Gbits/sec adding more throughput from these ports into the laptop.  This Host looks like an attached USB 3.0 Host on the PCI-e bus.

For a 6th USB 3.0 product would add an additional external USB 3.0 Device A-Plug to the product above.

When you remove the product above, you use the USB 3.0 Device A-Plug that could be plugged into any standard PC USB  Host port.  The disadvantage, is that you probably end up with a Plug that sticks out somewhere on this card that can get bumped or broken, unless there is a way to fold it up.