Light Peak

[Uniquely]

So has anyone been keeping up with Light Peak? Rumored to be coming out in late 2010... it's supposed to be a replacement for USB, Firewire, and even HDMI. Looks like promising promising stuff.

Light Peak is Intel's code-name for a new high-speed optical cable technology designed to connect electronic devices to each other in a peripheral bus. It has the capability to deliver high bandwidth, starting at 10 Gbps, with the potential ability to scale to 100 Gbps. It is intended as a single universal replacement for current buses such as SCSI, SATA, USB, FireWire, and HDMI. In comparison to these buses, Light Peak is much faster, longer ranged, smaller, and more flexible in terms of protocol support.

Light Peak was developed as a way to reduce the proliferation of ports on modern computers. Bus systems like USB were intended to do the same, and successfully replaced a number of older technologies like PS/2 and Centronics printer ports. However, increasing bandwidth demands have led to the introduction a new series of high-performance systems like E-SATA and DisplayPort that USB and similar systems could not address. Light Peak provides enough bandwidth to allow all of these systems to be driven over a single type of interface, and in many cases on a single cable using a daisy chain.

[phlydude]

Looks good and with Intel backing it, the USB loss won't be too hard to swallow.

It's a shame a number of cell phone manufacturers just agreed to use mini-USB as the interface going forward - so we will have USB with us for a while, as long as people want to connect them to their computers (unless this uses a port compatible with USB)

[sfmarine]

Originally Posted by phlydude

Looks good and with Intel backing it, the USB loss won't be too hard to swallow.

It's a shame a number of cell phone manufacturers just agreed to use mini-USB as the interface going forward - so we will have USB with us for a while, as long as people want to connect them to their computers (unless this uses a port compatible with USB)

Ya...I'm all for new technology but USB isn't going anywhere.

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by sfmarine

Ya...I'm all for new technology but USB isn't going anywhere.

It's not going anywhere... but apparently it won't be advancing either. Word is that development of USB 3.0 has been pretty much halted in anticipation of Light Peak.

[sfmarine]

Ya..you're probably right. That really sucks.

[gvortex7]

I'm all for new tech as well, but the other formats won't be replaced by a new one for many years to come. USB 3.0 is already in the advanced stage of development and is almost ready for mass production (although Intel won't support it until 2011), HDMI is just starting to really get into most homes in the world, and last but not least SATA has just released its 3rd generation version with 6Gbit/s physical layer a few months ago, and most laptops just recently started sporting eSata ports on them. These other ports are just too well established in the consumer market to be overthrown by one single format just like that. Even if this new format is back by a giant in the industry like Intel.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

It's not going anywhere... but apparently it won't be advancing either. Word is that development of USB 3.0 has been pretty much halted in anticipation of Light Peak.

No, the development of USB 3.0 was stalled at INTEL to make way for Light Peak. Intel have intentionally delayed adoption of USB 3.0 by keeping it out of their chipsets natively so they can develop Light Peak tech.

DoJ and EUCC need to take a look at this, it's dirty behaviour and needs to be stamped out.

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

No, the development of USB 3.0 was stalled at INTEL to make way for Light Peak. Intel have intentionally delayed adoption of USB 3.0 by keeping it out of their chipsets natively so they can develop Light Peak tech.

DoJ and EUCC need to take a look at this, it's dirty behaviour and needs to be stamped out.

Isn't it Intel's choice what they want to put in their own mobo's? There is nothing preventing third parties from going forward with 3.0. Many have plans to do just that.

[Grumpz]

Originally Posted by gvortex7

I'm all for new tech as well, but the other formats won't be replaced by a new one for many years to come. USB 3.0 is already in the advanced stage of development and is almost ready for mass production (although Intel won't support it until 2011), HDMI is just starting to really get into most homes in the world, and last but not least SATA has just released its 3rd generation version with 6Gbit/s physical layer a few months ago, and most laptops just recently started sporting eSata ports on them. These other ports are just too well established in the consumer market to be overthrown by one single format just like that. Even if this new format is back by a giant in the industry like Intel.

HDMI mopped up DVI pretty quick. This will likely do the same, if it lives up to expectations.

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by Grumpz

HDMI mopped up DVI pretty quick. This will likely do the same, if it lives up to expectations.

...and DVI mopped up ADC even quicker than that.

There will always be lingerers. I see USB being around for a long-arse time; there's just too much gear out there right now that works with it.

That's not to say I'm opposed to new technology. I'd love to see it implemented.

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by brettallica

...and DVI mopped up ADC even quicker than that.

There will always be lingerers. I see USB being around for a long-arse time; there's just too much gear out there right now that works with it.

That's not to say I'm opposed to new technology. I'd love to see it implemented.

The daisy chaining aspect of it is particularly appealing. It would make wire management so much easier.

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

The daisy chaining aspect of it is particularly appealing. It would make wire management so much easier.

Wire management is my middle name, which is why I'd love to see something like this ASAP.