The HyperTransport Consortium this week released version 3.0 of its interconnect specification. It extends the 1.4 GHz dual data rate maximum clock of HT 2.0 up to 2.6 GHz and delivers a maximum bandwidth of 41.6 GB/s. The revision also brings new features such as AC coupling mode, hot plugging, un-ganging mode and dynamic power management for the support of extended signal transmission distance. There is currently no info on products using HT 3.0.
Wisair has announced a platform for a new equipment that will offer wireless connectivity to existing USB devices. The reference design consists of a WUSB dongle, to be plugged to the PC, and a WUSB hub featuring two or four ports for printers, cameras, audio players and scanners, among other peripherals. It will connect wirelessly to the dongle within 30 feet providing a 480 Mb/s bandwith. Wisair’s platform will be demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January.
Texas Instruments has announced the XIO2000 PCI Express-to-PCI bridge. According to the company, the device has a x1 lane upstream port connection to PCI Express root complex, providing support for up to six x1 PCI endpoint devices on its downstream side. The XIO2000, which comes in a 201-pin Microstar BGA package, is fully compliant to the PCI Express to PCI/PCI-X Bridge Specification Revision 1.0. Suggested price in 1,000-unit quantities is USD 14.95.
EPoX has launched a new Bluetooth Dongle, the BT-DG07A, conforming to Bluetooth v1.2 (Class 1) specifications. This standard is meant to provide superior voice quality, reduced interference from other wireless sources and faster connection settings. The BT-DG07A offers a transmission range of up to 250 meters (0.15 mile) and uses a CSR integrated chip that allows better performance when simultaneously communicating with multiple client devices. Shipment will begin in May.
Oxford Semiconductor released a USB to SATA bridge chip that promises to simplify implementation of external hard drives and optical drives for PCs and Macs. The OXU921S chip is a 128-pin device with integrated SATA PHY, USB 2.0 PHY and ARM7 TDMI processor. The firmware allows compatibility with standard operating system drivers. The USB 2.0 link and PHY support full and high speed modes as well as backward compatibility with USB 1.1. Data transmission speed reaches 480 Mb/s and disk interface data rate is 150 MB/s.
Gigabyte has released its second generation Bluetooth USB adapter (GN-BTD02) with wireless range of up to 100 meters. It offers a 723 Kbps data rate and supports up to seven Bluetooth devices. LEDs indicate power status (green) and Bluetooth links (blue). The GN-BTD02 is available with silver finish casing and wine colored accents. Suggested retail price is USD 58.
