USB 3.0 standard will soon allow up to 10Gbps

IDG News Service - An enhanced version of USB 3.0 will deliver up to 10Gbps, twice the data speed of current connections.

The 10G bps SuperSpeed USB supplement to the existing USB 3.0 specification is expected to be completed by the middle of the year, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group said Sunday at the International CES trade show in Las Vegas.

However, it didn't elaborate on when the first compatible products will arrive.

The new version will have improved data encoding for more efficient transfers, but will, despite the boost in capacity, be compatible with existing cables and connectors, according to the Promoter Group.

The faster transfer speed should be a boon for users that handle large files, including videos shot in full-HD and 3D, as well as photographs taken by cameras such as the new Nikon D600, which has a 24.3 megapixel sensor.

A conference discussing the 10G bps specification will be organized by Intel in the beginning of February.

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group is comprised of Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, Renesas Electronics, ST-Ericsson and Texas Instruments. The group released its original version of the USB 3.0 specification in November 2008.

The Promoter Group has also developed the USB Power Delivery specification, which enables increased power delivery via USB cables and connectors.

Products compatible with the specification are currently being developed, according to the USB Implementers Forum.

On Sunday, the USB Implementers Forum also looked back at a successful 2012, during which the number of certified USB 3.0 products doubled compared to the previous year.