USB4 2.0 is now available for developers and promises big transfer speed improvements
Not long ago, the release of the new USB 4.0 specification was announced, which Linux has already adopted by integrating it into the main kernel and whose support has been available for several months now.
Now the news has been released that it is working already in an update (USB4 2.0) what will allow an operation of up to 80 Gb/s, based on a new physical layer architecture, using existing 40 Gbps USB Type-C passive cables and newly defined 80 Gbps USB Type-C active cables.
It was in September 2019 that the first version of USB 4 was announced and that this relies heavily on the Thunderbolt 3 standard and offers similar maximum speeds (up to 40 Gb/s).
USB4 1.0 allows you to connect 4K or 8K displays via USB, connect a series of various USB peripherals to the same port, among other features.
Three years later, it is time for version 2.0 of the USB4 standard to take place. The actual technical specification of the USB Implementers Forum, which is responsible for the standard itself, has not been published yet, but the published details are a bit surprising.
USB Promoter Group says it plans to release new USB4 2.0 standard before USB Developer Days 2022 events, scheduled for November, but it may be a few years before new cables, hubs, PCs and mobile devices equipped with this new technology are available to the general public.
USB Promoter Group, which includes Apple, Microsoft, Intel, HP, STM and others, announced in a press release that USB4 2.0 cables will use the USB-C connector, as expected. But the most striking news is this:
"USB4 2.0 will enable up to 80Gb/s operation, based on a new physical layer architecture, using existing 40Gb/s and newly defined 80Gb/s USB Type-C passive cables." s Active USB Type-C cables”. USB-C and USB Power Delivery specifications will be updated to enable the next level of data throughput.
The new standard will also introduce a new active USB-C cable designed specifically for speeds up to 80 Gbps. Updates are underway to allow for higher performance USB 3.2, DisplayPort, and PCIe data tunneling to better take advantage of the increased bandwidth.
Here is a summary of the features known so far:
- up to 80 Gb/s operation, using existing 40 Gbps USB-C passive cables and newly defined 80 Gbps USB-C active cables
- data updates and display protocols to better utilize the increased available bandwidth
- Updates to the USB data architecture now allow USB 3.2 to exceed 20 Gb/s
- updated to align with the latest versions of the DisplayPort and PCIe specifications
- backward compatibility with USB4 1.0, USB 3.2, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3.
From these specifications, it should be noted that 80 Gbps is a lot of capacity, but the specification is not designed to be dedicated entirely to a single connection. Rather, it is intended to distribute the 80 Gb/s between different devices connected to a hub or docking station.
As for the name, it might seem strange to label this product as simply "version 2.0" of USB4, when the speed increase seems to justify the name USB5. However, the standard has been confusing for a few years now.
USB 3.2 is actually several different standards: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (also known as original USB 3.0), USB 3.2 Gen 2, USB 3.2 Gen 1x2, and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (which is the full 20Gb standard) . USB4 kept things simple as it basically had the same specs and capabilities as Thunderbolt 3.
Finally it is worth mentioning that in the press release given by USB Promotor Group, they mentioned that the update is "specifically for developers at this time", and that final branding and marketing guidelines (including things like logos) will come later. In the comments, we can see that many are also getting impatient with the idea of being able to transfer the equivalent of a 4K Blu-ray in about five seconds.
El grupo did not provide full details on the new standard, but said it will be backwards compatible with USB4 1.0, USB 3.2, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3 standards.
If you are interested in knowing more about it, you can consult the details In the following link.