With USB 4, Thunderbolt and USB will converge | TechCrunch

https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/04/with-usb-4-thunderbolt-and-usb-will-converge/
The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has unveiled the specifications of USB 4.0, as Engadget reports. And USB 4.0 looks a lot like Thunderbolt 3.
Specifications won’t be finalized until later this year, but it seems that one port and one cable type to rule them all.
With Thunderbolt 3, Intel added USB 3.1 Gen 2 support, which means that you can plug a USB device to a Thunderbolt port. And Intel adopted the USB-C port. Even though Thunderbolt is technically superior, it hasn’t been as popular as USB devices.
USB 4.0 will support charging speeds of 100W of power, transfer speeds of 40 Gbps and enough video bandwidth for two 4K displays or one 5K display.

8 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    With USB 4, Thunderbolt 3’s benefits become open to all
    Double the speed of USB 3.2 up to 40 Gbps
    https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/4/18246182/usb-4-thunderbolt-3-specs-features-release-date

    Hot on the heels of USB 3.2 receiving a confusing Gen 2×2 suffix, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has today announced USB 4, the next version of the ubiquitous connector. Although the draft specification won’t become official until it’s published later this year, the standard is expected to increase its maximum speed to 40 Gbps over the 20 Gbps offered by its current version, USB 3.2.

    If that speed sounds familiar, then that’s because it’s already offered by the Thunderbolt 3 specification

    If you’re familiar with Thunderbolt 3 then you’ll already know a lot of the specs of USB 4. It will still be able to deliver up to 100W of power, and has enough data throughput for the use of external graphics cards, and to power two 4K displays, or a single 5K display. You’ll need to use cables that are capable of 40 Gbps speeds to enjoy the standard’s full benefits, but any existing Thunderbolt 3 cables (and, for that matter, accessories) you have should work with the new port.

    Outside of its specs, the USB-IF is also hoping to use the USB 4 standard as a means of simplifying the USB ecosystem. Rather than each USB device picking and choosing which aspects of the standard it supports, the group wants to produce a list of features each kind of USB 4 device will have to offer

    Although USB 4 will integrate Thunderbolt 3’s features, Intel says that the two standards will coexist. While USB 4 is open, Thunderbolt 3 is not, and Intel requires manufacturers to be certified to use it.

    The publication of the full USB 4 specification is currently due to arrive in the second half of this year,

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/9196-tallainen-on-usb5

    USB5 tulee markkinoille joskus 2022-2023 todennäköisesti 80 gigabitin nopeudella. Kunhan muistetaan, että USB5:sta ole vielä tehty mitään pitkälle meneviä suunnitelmia.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    VideoCardz.com:
    Intel announces Thunderbolt 5, offering up to 120 Gbps bandwidth, support for DisplayPort 2.1, USB v4, USB 3 20G, and PCIe Gen4, and up to 240W charging support — Thunderbolt 5 offers up to 3x the speed over Thunderbolt 4 — Intel has revealed its newest iteration of the Thunderbolt technology.

    Thunderbolt 5 offers up to 3x the speed over Thunderbolt 4
    https://videocardz.com/newz/thunderbolt-5-revealed-240w-charging-up-to-120-gbps-bandwidth-pcie-64gbps-support

    Intel has revealed its newest iteration of the Thunderbolt technology.

    Thunderbolt, a high-speed hardware interface technology first developed in collaboration between Intel and Apple, made its debut in 2011. Its primary purpose is to deliver rapid data transfer rates and support a wide range of data and display connections through a single port. Over the years, Thunderbolt has seen several iterations, each offering improved performance and functionality.

    The most recent advancement, Thunderbolt 4, introduced enhanced display capabilities, allowing for dual 4K monitor support or a single 8K monitor. Additionally, Thunderbolt 4 mandated support for USB4 specifications, provided up to 100W of charging, and offered a minimum data transfer rate of 32 Gbps. However, despite these improvements, Thunderbolt 3 and 4 both maintain the same total bandwidth of 40 Gbps and compatibility with the PCIe Gen3 standard.

    In October of the previous year, Intel unveiled its plans for a new generation of Thunderbolt technology. Today, they officially introduced it as Thunderbolt 5. The standard offers a total bandwidth potential of up to 120 Gbps, hinging on the utilization of Bandwidth Boost technology. Thunderbolt 5, in its default configuration, supplies an 80 Gbps bidirectional connection. However, when the need arises for high-resolution displays with increased refresh rates or for accommodating multiple displays, devices can harness the full 120 Gbps speed. In such scenarios, the receiving speed can be flexibly adjusted, ranging from 80 Gbps down to 40 Gbps.

    A noteworthy feature of Thunderbolt 5 is compatibility with DisplayPort 2.1, USB v4, USB 3 20G, and PCIe Gen4. This standard also includes charging support of up to 240W, eliminating the necessity for separate charging cables for some laptops. The inclusion of PCIe Gen4 compatibility implies that Thunderbolt 5 will unlock greater bandwidth potential for external GPUs, potentially addressing one of the principal limitations of Thunderbolt 3 and 4 standards. However, for this to be fully supported, systems must be equipped with PCIe compatible links operating at 64 Gbps speeds.

    It is anticipated that upcoming laptops, potentially those based on the Meteor Lake architecture, might be among the pioneering systems to incorporate Thunderbolt 5. Officially, the first systems featuring this technology are to launch in 2024.

    Reply

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