Seeing the light

[unixronin]

A while ago, I talked about replacing all the profusion of incompatible copper data interconnects between computers, peripherals and home-electronics devices with a single unified optical-fiber connection standard that could carry everything but power, and as a bonus wouldn’t pick up surge currents.

Intel just demonstrated essentially what I talked about.  They call it Light Peak.  Intel appears to be designing it to be logic and protocol compatible with the USB 3.0 specification — essentially, implementing USB 3.0 over fiber.  It’s hot-pluggable, and Intel says you can tie it in a knot and it’ll still work.  The current implementation can carry 10 gigabits per second, full duplex, over distances up to 100 meters, and Intel is predicting 100Gbps in the next decade.

It’s about time.  Good for Intel.  I just wish Intel could internalize the idea that when it can come up with stuff this good, it doesn’t need to play dirty pool in the marketplace.  Products like this will sell themselves.

Comments

[otherbill.livejournal.com]

I wish I could elaborate, but all I can do is agree. :)

[tww1fa]

A lot of places are reporting that Intel developed Light Peak at Apple's request. This could be a good thing, or the kiss of death (think Firewire.)

[lebo-superman.livejournal.com]

"Products like this will sell themselves." Unless they are sold exclusively to third-rate computer companies that hold the idea hostage and kill it with bad applications.

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

Currently the optical data transmitter and receivers for audio have gotten so bad with their noise immunity they are about worthless for an application our company uses it for. Because the bad companies have driven off the good there is no cost effective replacement for the datalink my company had made for industrial controllers. We were paying about six dollars each for them and they were marginal. Now they are under 3 and unusable for our application. We used the full bandwidth I don't see how audio works well with it unless it's really being buffered. I think they are now looking at biting the bullet and going to ethernet fiber modules.

If this system is proprietary and relegated to a few players it should fail.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, I think Intel's smart enough to realize that.