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CrystalCowboy
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« on: October 23, 2009, 09:42:36 AM » |
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At Intel: Light Peak Technology
Light Peak is the code-name for a new high-speed optical cable technology designed to connect your electronic devices to each other. Light Peak delivers high bandwidth starting at 10Gb/s with the potential ability to scale to 100Gb/s over the next decade.
At Wikipedia: Light Peak
It is intended as a single universal replacement for current buses such as SCSI, SATA, USB, FireWire, and HDMI. In comparison to these buses, Light Peak is much faster, longer ranged, smaller, and more flexible in terms of protocol support.
OK, so it's a fiber optic. That's been around a while, for long distance, high throughput networking and for high throughput storage (e.g. Fibre Channel)
Intel demonstrated a fully functional system at the 2009 Intel Developer Forum (IDF).... Intel claimed that Light Peak equipped systems will begin to appear in 2010.
Light Peak Set For Market Debut in 20102010? That sounds rather ambitious for an interface we just heard about a month ago. Intel has recently announced that USB 3.0 will not be supported in its chipsets for another year, which has led some to wonder if USB 3.0 might be pre-empted by Light Peak: For notebooks, Light Peak is in, USB 3.0 is out?Intel Delaying Integration of USB 3.0. Lightpeak related?I haven't seen any mention of conductors for external power in Light Peak cables, which is one reason why it shouldn't be immediately considered as a replacement for USB. It could still be fine for internal and desktop components, but for externals a single cable would be a plus. It would take time to work out that sort of thing. |
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Babar
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« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2009, 12:44:34 PM » |
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I wouldn't be surprised if Intel is holding off on USB3 to give its own Light Peak tech a head-start. Thanks for putting together all this info -it's nice to have it all in one place.
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2009, 02:08:50 PM » |
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More from Wikipedia as to what is so special about Light Peak and how it differs from previous fibre optic implementations
In July 2007, Corning Incorporated announced a new optical fiber known as ClearCurve that uses nanostructure reflectors to keep light trapped within the fiber even when bent around small-radius curves... Whereas older cables required armoring and were relatively bulky as a result, ClearCurve does not require anything other than physical protection from nicks and cuts, and the resulting cables can be much thinner. Instead of traditional armor, a flexible braided copper shell can be used to provide power to devices while also offering some physical protection.
OK, so they have thought about getting power to devices. You'd need at least two conductors though. This article makes it sound like ClearCurve is the big breakthrough that makes it all possible.
The Light Peak cable contains a pair of optical fibers that are used for upstream and downstream traffic. This means that Light Peak offers a maximum of 10 Gbps in both directions at the same time.
It would have been clearer to say "each"
Each pair of optical cables from the controllers is led to a connector, where power is added through separate wiring. The physical connector used on the prototype system looks similar to the existing USB or FireWire connectors.
I hope they take a little time to do the connectors right, it makes a big difference in the long run. Maybe they should design at least two connections, one for powered applications and one without power for internal and desktop stuff.
Intel has stated that Light Peak is protocol independent...
Flexibility is good, but I hope they don't let individual vendors run hog wild. Standards are also good.
it can maintain those speeds over 100 meter runs
Impressive. Just imagine using this to replace the PCIexpress ports in your PC. That would change the whole internal layout of PCs. All an add-in card would need is power connections. a Light Peak connection, and any external ports which might be relevant. The motherboard becomes CPU, RAM and a Light Peak switch. I still say the "devices in retail in 2010" is extremely optimistic. |
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2009, 03:16:38 PM » |
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Light Peak: One connector to rule them all?Includes a video from the IDF demo, which shows a prototype Light Peak cable. This level fo test bench demo does not look like something that will be available in retail for a while yet.
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2009, 03:21:58 PM » |
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They say Light Peak will initially handle 10 Gbps, theoretically expandable to 100 Gbps. For comparison, Wikipedia sez PCIexpress 2.0 is 4 Gbps per lane, or 64 Gbps for a x16 slot. PCI express 3.0 should double that. So yes, it appears to me that the fastest version of Light Peak, or a multiple lane Light Peak, could be competitive with PCI express. Interesting that PCI express is not one of the interfaces specifically mentioned as something that could be replaced by Light Peak. |
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2009, 03:26:50 PM » |
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I wouldn't be surprised if Intel is holding off on USB3 to give its own Light Peak tech a head-start. The odd thing about that possibility is that USB is also Intel's baby. Wikipedia sez USB was created in 1996 by "Intel, Compaq, Microsoft, Digital Equipment Corp, IBM and Northern Telecom." |
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #7 on: October 23, 2009, 03:34:32 PM » |
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For comparison, USB 3.0 was demoed at the Intel Developer's Forum in 2007.
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Babar
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« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2009, 05:32:39 PM » |
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Ya, but is it possible Intel makes more in royalties off of Light Peak than USB3?
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2010, 09:17:42 AM » |
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2010, 01:35:00 PM » |
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Intel shows off first Light Peak laptop
Intel has fitted Light Peak into a regular USB cable, with optical fibres running alongside the electrical cabling.
If they haven't even got a decent cable figured out yet, then Light Peak is not yet ready for prime time.
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #11 on: October 01, 2010, 09:21:37 AM » |
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2011, 11:31:52 AM » |
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Intel to Device Makers: Light Peak is Ready... Sans LightIntel has confirmed rumors that it's temporarily switching to copper wires for use in the company's Light Peak connection technology. While that might upset those who were looking forward to the, well, "light" part of Light Peak—fiber-optic cabling—it will nevertheless allow Intel to get Light Peak out the gate faster than anticipated.
Which of course would mean a transition later. Dumn.
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RF 2ner
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« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2011, 11:04:48 PM » |
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Well, that answers whether I should let "Light Peak" delay rebuilding my computer. Giving them time to work out the bugs and eventually apply the technology to computer internal connections, I see no reason to wait for all that to happen before building a replacement for my old P4 based computer.  |
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Retired Electronics Engineer - (Audio, Power, Microwave, Radio Frequency, Instrumentation, Calibration, Computer, Air Navigation, and Aerospace applications)
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RF 2ner
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« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2011, 11:17:25 PM » |
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If there actually is a delay in Intel's "Light Peak" getting shipped
with new computers or other devices 'til 2012 (or later), that'll
give a boost to USB 3.0, at least for a couple of years.
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« Last Edit: January 16, 2011, 12:53:16 PM by RF 2ner »
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Retired Electronics Engineer - (Audio, Power, Microwave, Radio Frequency, Instrumentation, Calibration, Computer, Air Navigation, and Aerospace applications)
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #15 on: February 21, 2011, 12:22:02 PM » |
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New high-speed connection tech due from AppleRumors that Apple will introduce LightPeak, probably under a different name, possibly on hte new MacBook Pro. And with copper, not optical.
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CrystalCowboy
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« Reply #16 on: February 24, 2011, 02:41:02 PM » |
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Light Peak renamed "Thunderbolt"Big Yawn. The merger/overlap with DisplayPort is a bit weird. Especially since it's over copper rather than fiber, it's more like they're hijacking someone else's interface than introducing something new.
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