USB 3.0 - Intel releases spec

But only to a select few

14 August 2008 17:41 GMT / By Katie Scott

When Intel announced last year that it was going to release a new USB standard - there were gasps of fear.

However, we knew even then that it would be backwards compatible, but now Intel has released some more information.

Intel has already revealed that USB 3.0 will deliver ten times then performance of 2.0 with a 4.8Gbps transfer rate, and that it will be optimised for low power consumption.

But now, according to PC Pro, "a draft specification for the next iteration of the USB eXtensible Host Controller Interface" has been published.

However, we can't see it as the draft has only been made available under royalty free licence to USB 3 Promoter Group chipmakers and hardware manufacturers that sign an XHCI contributor agreement.

Already in the group are HP, Microsoft, NEC, NXP Semiconductors and Texas Instruments.

They are aiming to bring the first USB 3.0 products to the market as early as 2009 so we haven't got that long to wait.