[olug] USB 3.0 drivers hit the market

[Dan Linder]

On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 19:50, Rob Townley <rob.townley at gmail.com> wrote:

> i am disappointed actually.  i was expecting fiber optics to be added
> to the copper.  The copper would be there for power, not data.  The
> fiber would enable transmission of data on the bus over much longer
> distance than 5 meters (15 feet) without timeouts.  Less interference
> of course because it is optical.  i was thinking it was going to
> kickstart inexpensive hybrid fiber and copper connections for poe
> networking as well.  The usb bridge extenders i tested were expensive
> and don't allow for highly synchronous media such as sound.    The
> Sony minidisc used an optical connection more than a decade ago.
>

My question about fiber is the durability of the cables and the longevity of
the transmitter/recievers at each end.  If the connections were strictly
internal (i.e. motherboard to internal HDD), then I'd be all for it.  I
think USB has too wide range of products to make fiber an option -
especially how much pocket lint my USB keys pick up.  I'd have to carry a
can of compressed air, too...

Now if they would make the fiber port an option and write that into the spec
-- especially if it was written so that you could have a small
copper-to-fiber USB adapter at both ends.  Then backward-compatible copper
ports could be put into everything, and the onboard fiber ports could be
built into server-class machines to begin with. As people get use to taking
care of their fiber USB sticks, then manufacturers would start to move them
to more common devices...

Dan

-- 
*********************** ******************* ***************** *************
*********** ******* ***** *** **
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" (Who can watch the watchmen?) -- from the
Satires of Juvenal
"I do not fear computers, I fear the lack of them." -- Isaac Asimov (Author)
** *** ***** ******* *********** ************* *****************
******************* ***********************