Laptop Motherboard to support USB3

[Roy]

Hello group
Is there any idea when will the laptop manufacturers implement the
USB3 in their motherboard?
I have found some manufacturer are starting to do it such as Asus but
its not yet widespread.
Would the USB3 support be mandatory for all motherboards including
netbooks , smartphones etc...
Does it begin this year or later?

TIA

 

[Paul]

Hello group
Is there any idea when will the laptop manufacturers implement the
USB3 in their motherboard?
I have found some manufacturer are starting to do it such as Asus but
its not yet widespread.
Would the USB3 support be mandatory for all motherboards including
netbooks , smartphones etc...
Does it begin this year or later?

TIA

Support right now, is provided via a separate NEC USB3 ship.
(There is a picture of the chip here.) The NEC chip is a USB3
controller, requiring a PCI Express x1 revision 2 lane for
its data connection to the rest of the computer. There is
a picture here.

http://www.sweclockers.com/imagebank/200905/Nec_usb3_2001.jpg?t=articleFull&k=ecfbcbf1

And this explains, what is happening to built-in chip support.
At least Intel, is slowing the launch of USB3. And they could be
doing it, to coincide with some other technology like "Light Peak".
You never know, with Intel, what their reasoning might be.

http://www.dailytech.com/Intel+Delays+USB+30+Support+Until+2011/article16588.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Peak

ATI/AMD would be another major source of chipset technology, and
perhaps their delivery schedule is different. On their latest chipsets,
I can see SATA 6GB/sec technology, but no USB3 mentioned.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desk.../amd-8-series-chipset-feature-comparison.aspx

If a laptop maker wants it *today*, they can have it. All they
need to do, is solder the NEC USB3 chip onto the motherboard.
And then you'd have it. I don't know how hard the NEC chip would
be on the battery life. The cost increment of using that, isn't
too big, but every penny counts to the manufacturer. They would
not include something like that, unless the margin on the
computer was large. Maybe an expensive, heavy unit, a gaming
box perhaps, would be a good candidate for it. It'll only
show up on the cheapest laptops/notebooks, when the feature
is integrated into the chipset. Because, they have to pay the
price for the chipset, and then that flavor of interface is
"free".

Paul

 

[Roy]

Roy wrote:

Maybe an expensive, heavy unit, a gaming

box perhaps, would be a good candidate for it. It'll only
show up on the cheapest laptops/notebooks, when the feature
is integrated into the chipset. Because, they have to pay the
price for the chipset, and then that flavor of interface is
"free".

    Paul

In the latest ASUS media desktop replacement system the NX90. Its
reputed to contain the USB3 slot in combination with the USB2..? ,
Meaning that they are still using the USB3 PCI card type for this..?

 

[Paul]

Maybe an expensive, heavy unit, a gaming

In the latest ASUS media desktop replacement system the NX90. Its
reputed to contain the USB3 slot in combination with the USB2..? ,
Meaning that they are still using the USB3 PCI card type for this..?

The NEC chip handles two ports. If you had a computer with six ports,
then chances are, they would not use USB3 connectors on all of them.
If they're using that chip, the chip is expensive enough, they wouldn't
use three of them in a design. Perhaps instead, four USB2 connectors and
two USB3 connectors would be on the computer.

A person with a desktop computer, is perfectly welcome to plug in three
of those add-in cards if they want, if they want 6 connectors at USB3 rates.
In the near term, a more likely scenario, might be a USB3 powered hub
of some sort, used to increase the number of connectors. At least, until
the chipset makers get their act together. I don't know and haven't checked,
to see if any USB3 hubs have been created.

USB is supposed to be backward compatible. The USB3 connector contains
two sections, a legacy section for connecting the older cables. And
a set of pins for the higher speed USB3 signals. They had to do that,
to improve the signal quality enough for the 5 gigabit/sec signals.

There are some nice pictures here, of USB3 connectors and other details.

http://www.usb3.com/

Paul

 

[Roy]

The NEC chip handles two ports. If you had a computer with six ports,
then chances are, they would not use USB3 connectors on all of them.
If they're using that chip, the chip is expensive enough, they wouldn't
use three of them in a design. Perhaps instead, four USB2 connectors and
two USB3 connectors would be on the computer.

Hmm that make sense......so one USB3 plus 2USB2 slot will be the
expected normal configuration of the
upcoming laptop motherboard supposing it has three USB slots....

A person with a desktop computer, is perfectly welcome to plug in three
of those add-in cards if they want, if they want 6 connectors at USB3 rates.
In the near term, a more likely scenario, might be a USB3 powered hub
of some sort, used to increase the number of connectors. At least, until
the chipset makers get their act together. I don't know and haven't checked,
to see if any USB3 hubs have been created.

AFAIK its known that the latest motherboard for desktops are already
designed to accessible to USB3, I was thinking that if that was the
case then for the desktop it can have 100% straight USB3 slot is
supposed to be backward compatible with USB2 connected devices..

There are some nice pictures here, of USB3 connectors and other details.

http://www.usb3.com/

    Paul

Thanks for that great info Paul!

Regards
Roy