The USB 3.0 standard will offer up to 10 times higher transfer rates than today’s USB 2.0 interface and with an extreme interface capable of 5Gbps new doors open up for external storage solutions. USB 3.0 is not expected to open before next year, but already NEC has launched the first USB 3.0 controller for PCs and other devices. NEC μPD720200 complies to the new Super Speed USB standards and is backward compatible with previous versions of the USB interface.
NEC points out that the controller and USB 3.0 are compatible with other data transfer interfaces like PCI Express and SATA. The chips measures 10x10mm and consumes at most 1W.
Even if the USB 3.0 market is not expected to gain momentum until 2010 NEC will make 1 million USB 3.0 controller a month starting September. The price will be 15 USD and we just await the first motherboards, external storage units and other products using the technology.
