Intel Light Peak interconnect

[udaman]

http://techresearch.intel.com/articles/None/1813.htm

Would this be able to replace other I/O interconnect standards like SATA Gb/s or USB3.0, Firewire ###, etc? And how much more would it cost?

We expect that the components will be ready to ship in 2010. Over time, the optical components, designed to be small, easy to manufacture and affordable, are expected to enjoy the economies of scale that other components have in the computing and consumer electronics industries.

 

[Handruin]

One drawback I see as a replacement for USB 3 (an earlier) is that it won't supply power to the devices. Granted for hard drives this isn't a big deal, but there are many USB devices powered by the interface (including some external hard drives).

I'd also think this would be a great networking venture inside my own house. If I could run some type of PCIe card that connects to a switch and have multiple machines communicating via Ethernet over Light Peak would be kind of fun.

 

[LunarMist]

It is a big deal for me. External hard drives must be powered by the notebook USB ports and PSDs must be powered and charged through the ports or the interface is useless.

 

[Chewy509]

One drawback I see as a replacement for USB 3 (an earlier) is that it won't supply power to the devices. Granted for hard drives this isn't a big deal, but there are many USB devices powered by the interface (including some external hard drives).

Considering Keyboards and mice are both devices needing power, it could make troubleshooting interesting!

 

[udaman]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/26/...ht-peak-creation-to-intel-could-be/#continued

^ read this link, answers all of your questions/fears/needs

You M$ guys just don't get it, Firewire as Apple envisioned it, and produced on it's superior product lines, has *more* power than all other interconnect standards, including USB3.

Light Peak (now M$/PC market may screw it up again, and come out with powerless LP ports but you need to put the blame where it should be and start buying Macs ) is designed to replace FW & USB and everything else .

According to documents we've seen and conversations we've had, Apple had reached out to Intel as early as 2007 with plans for an interoperable standard which could handle massive amounts of data and "replace the multitudinous connector types with a single connector (FireWire, USB, Display interface)." From what we've learned, the initial conversations (and apparent disagreements) were had directly between Steve Jobs and Paul Otellini.

Apple stock going through the roof, Santini should have bought when it was low last winter.

 

[udaman]

http://www.itworld.com/hardware/104...-peak-optical-cables-may-succeed-usb?page=0,1

Intel will make the technology available late this year and expects partners to start shipping devices with it next year, Kahn said...



USB 3.0 is not yet widespread in devices. That is partly because many PC manufacturers will wait on USB 3.0 until support is built directly into the chipsets they buy, which is only expected to happen late next year, according to a research note from In-Stat.

Intel, which is a major vendor of PC chipsets, did not immediately reply to a question about whether it will launch chipsets with built-in support for USB 3.0.

A spokesman for rival chip maker Advanced Micro Devices said the company will have chipsets with built-in support for USB 3.0 but declined to say when.

When asked if Intel would build Light Peak support into its chipsets, Kahn said the company could do so if Light Peak spreads quickly, but declined to comment further.

Intel expects an industry group promoting Light Peak to launch next year, Kahn said. The company has said it will work with the industry to make Light Peak a standard and speed its adoption.