This could be really impressive.
The USB4 Version 2.0 protocol was announced today by the USB Promoter Group, comprising Apple, Microsoft, Intel, HP, STM, and others. The protocol will offer support up to 80Gb/s with both 40Gb/s USB-C passive cables and newly defined 80Gb/s active cables.
The protocol will also enable higher performance USB 3.2, DisplayPort, and PCIe data tunneling to better take advantage of the bandwidth improvement.
Per the announcement, the updated USB4 specification will offer the following features:
- Up to 80 Gbps operation, based on a new physical layer architecture, using existing 40 Gbps USB Type-C passive cables and newly-defined 80 Gbps USB Type-C active cables.
- Updates to data and display protocols to better use the increase in available bandwidth.
- USB data architecture updates now enable USB 3.2 data tunneling to exceed 20 Gbps.
- Updated to align with the latest versions of the DisplayPort and PCIe specifications.
- Backward compatibility with USB4 Version 1.0, USB 3.2, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3.
The USB Promoter Group says that the updated specifications are expected to be published ahead of the USB DevDays developer events that are planned for November. The update is targeting developers at this time, with branding and marketing guidelines to be updated at a future date to include USB 80Gb/s for identifying certified products and cables.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors and BusinessWire
One reply on “USB Promoter Group announces USB 4 Version 2 protocol, outlines expected features”
So USB-4 version 2? They had a chance to go with USB-5 and clean upthis version mess, but no, they continue to double down on stupid names. So I expect USB-4 version 3 at some point, then USB-4 version 2.1 that will somehow be better than version 3. I also expect the physical cables to have zero way to tell them apart. We will now have USB-C, Thunderbolt, USB-4 version 2 passive and USB-4 active cables? Did I miss any? What a joke.