Intel Releases USB 3.0 Spec
Intel Releases USB 3.0 Spec
You may remember a couple months ago we reported that major manufacturers AMD and Nvidia, along with a number of others, claimed that Intel was holding back the USB 3.0 specification in order to get ahead of the game. They even went so far as to threaten to go ahead and come up with their own spec. Intel obviously denied this claim.
Well now Intel has released what they call the “Extensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI) draft specification revision 0.9,” which provides the method for USB 3.0 capable hardware to communicate with the appropriate software. The spec is available royalty-free to those in the USB 3.0 Promoter Group as well as any company that signs the xHCI agreement.
“They [AMD and Nvidia] have both signed the agreement to use our spec instead…and will not develop and alternate version,” an Intel spokesperson said Tuesday.
“Its a shame that it took the reality of an alternative spec to make this come true. Intel should have opened it up without this. One has to question a monopolist leading a spec like this in the future,” a source close to AMD said.
Intel is hoping to release a 0.95 revision to the spec later this year, once again royalty-free to contributors and those who sign an agreement. The specification is reported to be 90% complete.
Do you think Nvidia and AMD jumped the gun, or did their statements/threats force Intel’s hand?
Discuss in our Forums