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| USB3.0 |
Here Are The Most Asked Questions You Ever Wanted To Know About USB3.0
Q)What is USB 3.0?
USB 3.0 has become the long-awaited successor to USB
2.0 which has been the standard interface in PCs and
notebooks for almost a decade. USB was developed in
1996 to be a simple, manageable connection between
PCs and peripherals. Until then one had to struggle with
parallel or serial ports. Success knocked with the launch of USB 2.0,
transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps meant one could plug devices into
the system via Plug & Play, and owing to its integrated power supply
many devices like pen drives, small hard disks or even webcams did
not need to have a separate power supply. The only hitch, is that
nowadays the maximum of 480 Mbits/s (practically rarely over 300
Mbps) is simply not enough. That is the reason USB 3.0 exists. It
promises a tenfold increase in the speed as compared to USB 2.0,
which is said to be up to 5 GBps.
2.0 which has been the standard interface in PCs and
notebooks for almost a decade. USB was developed in
1996 to be a simple, manageable connection between
PCs and peripherals. Until then one had to struggle with
parallel or serial ports. Success knocked with the launch of USB 2.0,
transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps meant one could plug devices into
the system via Plug & Play, and owing to its integrated power supply
many devices like pen drives, small hard disks or even webcams did
not need to have a separate power supply. The only hitch, is that
nowadays the maximum of 480 Mbits/s (practically rarely over 300
Mbps) is simply not enough. That is the reason USB 3.0 exists. It
promises a tenfold increase in the speed as compared to USB 2.0,
which is said to be up to 5 GBps.
Q)Will USB 3.0 stay for a while or will there soon be a successor?
Now USB 3.0 is set to become
the new standard interface in
electronics as the case was with
USB 2.0, and it should endure for a good number
of years. However, it is not going to be as easy
for USB 3.0 as predicted. Its transfer rate will
defi nitely fall short in coming years, with HD
and 3D video becoming common. To top it all
even Intel which is the driving force behind all
the USB specifi cations, is competing with it: A
new, optical interface with the codename “Light
peak” is already expected to hit the market by
2010 and is expected to deliver a data rate of up
to 10 GBps.
Q) Can my PC be upgraded?
Those who don’t want to buy a new motherboard right away
but still wish to upgrade to USB 3.0 today must buy an add-on
controller card. Cards are available only for PCI Express 2.0,
however, those who do not have a PCI Express slot in their PC
(almost all PCs which were manufactured before 2005) will not
be able upgrade to USB 3.0. But those who even have a new hardware, often
have only a PCI Express 1.0 interface: Here the cards can be used, but again, the
full potential cannot be obtained. The trick: insert the controller card in a 4x, 8x
or even a 16x PCI Express graphics card slot. It will use two channels, since the
speed of PCIe 2 is exactly double that of PCIe 1.0.
but still wish to upgrade to USB 3.0 today must buy an add-on
controller card. Cards are available only for PCI Express 2.0,
however, those who do not have a PCI Express slot in their PC
(almost all PCs which were manufactured before 2005) will not
be able upgrade to USB 3.0. But those who even have a new hardware, often
have only a PCI Express 1.0 interface: Here the cards can be used, but again, the
full potential cannot be obtained. The trick: insert the controller card in a 4x, 8x
or even a 16x PCI Express graphics card slot. It will use two channels, since the
speed of PCIe 2 is exactly double that of PCIe 1.0.
Q)Are the products worthwhile yet?
USB 3.0 prices are
astonishingly low in spite
of the fact that it has been
launched in the market just
a few weeks ago. However, you must still
live with the limitations and accept that
complete SuperSpeed speed is not yet
possible. Those who buy new hardware
as early adaptors, those who wish to
have very fast transfer rates or those
who do not want to grapple with eSATA
can grab the fi rst USB 3.0 peripherals
without having to worry about any big
fi nancial investments. It is worth waiting
when it comes to other devices: by
integrating USB 3.0 in Intel, nVidia and
AMD chipsets, most motherboards and
many notebooks towards the second
half of 2010 will save you trouble. This
will further result in the availability of
external hard disks and peripherals at
cheaper prices and due to which the
second generation of controller chips will
not have to struggle with speed issues.
astonishingly low in spite
of the fact that it has been
launched in the market just
a few weeks ago. However, you must still
live with the limitations and accept that
complete SuperSpeed speed is not yet
possible. Those who buy new hardware
as early adaptors, those who wish to
have very fast transfer rates or those
who do not want to grapple with eSATA
can grab the fi rst USB 3.0 peripherals
without having to worry about any big
fi nancial investments. It is worth waiting
when it comes to other devices: by
integrating USB 3.0 in Intel, nVidia and
AMD chipsets, most motherboards and
many notebooks towards the second
half of 2010 will save you trouble. This
will further result in the availability of
external hard disks and peripherals at
cheaper prices and due to which the
second generation of controller chips will
not have to struggle with speed issues.
Q)Is it possible to connect old USB sticks to USB 3.0?
The new super speed interface is absolutely compatible with the
older versions. Along with the new speed level SuperSpeed (5
GBps), the old levels LowSpeed (up to 1.5 MBps), FullSpeed (up to
12 MBps) and HighSpeed (480 MBps) are compatible without any
limitations. This is because the new Type A socket which is generally found on
PCs or notebooks will accept the old plugs. However, if the old USB 2.0 devices
are connected to the USB 3.0 port they do not use the maximum possible speed, which is up to ten times higher.
Q)What hardware is available right now?
USB 3.0 is now available in the market,
however, not very easily obtainable.
Presently, there is only one USB 3.0 host
controller chip, the NEC µPD720200, which
is found on all available circuit boards.
Currently, the Asus P7P55D E Pro, Gigabyte P55A series &
790XTA series, are available, amongst others. However,
these boards work with newer CPUs and RAM. PCI
Express plug-in cards are available as an option. Only a
handful of models exist at the moment but many more
are expected. You can buy external hard drives and even
docks or cases into which your existing hard drives can be
fi xed to enable USB 3.0 speeds.
however, not very easily obtainable.
Presently, there is only one USB 3.0 host
controller chip, the NEC µPD720200, which
is found on all available circuit boards.
Currently, the Asus P7P55D E Pro, Gigabyte P55A series &
790XTA series, are available, amongst others. However,
these boards work with newer CPUs and RAM. PCI
Express plug-in cards are available as an option. Only a
handful of models exist at the moment but many more
are expected. You can buy external hard drives and even
docks or cases into which your existing hard drives can be
fi xed to enable USB 3.0 speeds.
Q)What exactly is the difference between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0?
The speed level
“SuperSpeed” allows data transfers up to 5 GBps. To make such
high data rates possible the connector
pins of the plug are extended: USB 2.0
can manage with four pins whereas USB
3.0 requires fi ve more pins. Of course,
the cable also has to be changed with
it. Two additional wire pairs are needed
for USB 3.0 cable than those required
in USB 2.0, for individual wires which
handle transmission and reception,
and a circuit and connections are
sheltered. Many USB ports and sockets
are extended so that pins can be put in
the plug board apart from the generally
well-known “Type A”: in this case
the additional pins make contact
with the rear part of the
plug which fits in perfectly.
“SuperSpeed” allows data transfers up to 5 GBps. To make such
high data rates possible the connector
pins of the plug are extended: USB 2.0
can manage with four pins whereas USB
3.0 requires fi ve more pins. Of course,
the cable also has to be changed with
it. Two additional wire pairs are needed
for USB 3.0 cable than those required
in USB 2.0, for individual wires which
handle transmission and reception,
and a circuit and connections are
sheltered. Many USB ports and sockets
are extended so that pins can be put in
the plug board apart from the generally
well-known “Type A”: in this case
the additional pins make contact
with the rear part of the
plug which fits in perfectly.
Q)So what are the options?
Those of you who are unable to or who don’t wish to shift to
USB 3.0 do not have to give up on the hope of faster data rates
than USB 2.0. External SATA (eSATA) is in greater circulation,
in PCs as well as in notebooks. The same transfer rates are
possible with eSATA as with internal SATA connections. However,
almost up to 300 MByte/s in practice and the teething troubles by eSATA like
the inability to hot plug are already rectifi ed. However, eSATA is not as good as
USB 3.0; the cables are less fl exible and a lot shorter, and there is no USB Hub
which would facilitate the connection. The next option is Firewire 800 which is
nowhere in the league of eSATA or USB 3.0: more than 120 MByte/s is just not
possible, and there is hardly any hardware available at reasonable prices.
USB 3.0 do not have to give up on the hope of faster data rates
than USB 2.0. External SATA (eSATA) is in greater circulation,
in PCs as well as in notebooks. The same transfer rates are
possible with eSATA as with internal SATA connections. However,
almost up to 300 MByte/s in practice and the teething troubles by eSATA like
the inability to hot plug are already rectifi ed. However, eSATA is not as good as
USB 3.0; the cables are less fl exible and a lot shorter, and there is no USB Hub
which would facilitate the connection. The next option is Firewire 800 which is
nowhere in the league of eSATA or USB 3.0: more than 120 MByte/s is just not
possible, and there is hardly any hardware available at reasonable prices.
Q)Test results: USB 3.0 is absolutely brilliant?
My tests use the NEC µPD720200 which
is the only available controller. The
motherboard is an Asus P7P55D-E Pro,
the plug-in card is by Sharkoon, and we
tested the Sharkoon QuickPort USB 3.0 and Buff alo
HD-HXU3 devices. The result is impressive: the
latest SATA hard disks run with maximum speed
over the QuickPort and in the Buff alo, there is
however no diff erence between SATA and USB 3.0,
which means speeds are quadrupled over the USB
2.0 spec. This can become even faster if you use a
fast SSD in the QuickPort.
perfectly.
is the only available controller. The
motherboard is an Asus P7P55D-E Pro,
the plug-in card is by Sharkoon, and we
tested the Sharkoon QuickPort USB 3.0 and Buff alo
HD-HXU3 devices. The result is impressive: the
latest SATA hard disks run with maximum speed
over the QuickPort and in the Buff alo, there is
however no diff erence between SATA and USB 3.0,
which means speeds are quadrupled over the USB
2.0 spec. This can become even faster if you use a
fast SSD in the QuickPort.
perfectly.
Q)Who wants USB 3.0?
Everyone, though maybe not
immediately. Those who don’t use
anything more demanding than a
scanner, printer, keyboard, mouse or
even webcam do not have to necessarily
shift to USB 3.0 at all. SuperSpeed
does not have any advantages for these
applications. Immediate upgradation
is worthwhile for those who frequently
copy a large amount of data to their USB
devices. Only the eSATA interface can
keep pace with the transfer rates which
we have measured.
immediately. Those who don’t use
anything more demanding than a
scanner, printer, keyboard, mouse or
even webcam do not have to necessarily
shift to USB 3.0 at all. SuperSpeed
does not have any advantages for these
applications. Immediate upgradation
is worthwhile for those who frequently
copy a large amount of data to their USB
devices. Only the eSATA interface can
keep pace with the transfer rates which
we have measured.
2 comments:
I have recently
removed Norton Antivirus from my
computer(hell why i installed it i donno why???). But Live Update Notice from Symantec Corporation is just
not getting uninstalled. I have now
installed McAfee 8.5(well rather old one still whtever...) and have also
run the update file. But now when I try to update my antivirus, the update fails and a message is shown:--
"Update failed to version Engine5301.4018DAT:5769.0000".
I found ur blog on google and plz jst try to hlp me..thnxx in advance... :)
well well well........ u r d first one to ask a question on my blog and definitely im going to help you....
i had got norton antivirus 1 year subscription with my PC
A lot of people have
been complaining of similar problems the greatest of them is me only lol.. i had got norton antivirus 1 year subscription with my PC after uninstalling i installed Fsecure it also had an update problem after researching on it for a while i came to know that the real problem was with my Fsecure only...so It seems to be a problem with the McAfee engine itself. Well, you can try resolving the issue with this simple step. First, disable the On-Access Scan.You can use the console to disable the Access Protection if you have problems disabling the On-Access Scan. After disabling try the update. It should work fine. After the update is done, just enable the On-Access Scan and also enable the Access protection again.
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