Engineering Investigations
USB 3.0 makes itself right at home
By Eric Huang, Synopsys
1/31/2013 1:49 PM EST
USB 3.0 in set-top boxes
Panasonic offers a BluRay player/DVR set-top box (BZT9300) with an included 3 TB hard drive and two USB 3.0 ports. Similar to a TV, users can connect two additional USB 3.0 hard drives to increase storage space.
Set-top boxes can also take advantage of USB 3.0 for WiFi applications. More importantly, USB 3.0 can be used internally on a set-top box hard drive. Using USB 3.0 inside the box allows the manufacturer to reduce costs by eliminating the need for a SATA host integrated into the main set-top box SoC. Instead of a SATA hard drive, designers can use a USB 3.0 hard drive for simplicity. USB 3.0 is needed outside the box for consumers’ use, so adding an additional port directly on the SoC eliminates the need for another technology. The same USB drivers can be used both inside and outside the box, eliminating the need for SATA controllers, PHYs and software drivers.
Other home media systems allow consumers to watch media on TV using WiFi, USB 3.0, SD or HDMI sources. For example, the HiMedia 910A uses a Realtek SoC with a USB 3.0 host. The USB 3.0 ports can be used to plug in a digital camera, flash drive or hard drive to display pictures or video directly to a connected TV.
Connections inside the TV
Not all USB connections happen through external ports. Internally, USB is implemented on separate SoCs on the TVs’ PCBs. Using a separate chip allows the TV manufacturer to postpone the decision of which USB peripheral to use.
USB 3.0 peripherals are plentiful in the PC market and prices are competitive. TV manufacturers can choose high quality or low cost components. Many TVs use Linux, and USB peripheral manufacturers often provide open source USB drivers to enable faster software development.
In the case of a video camera, TV manufacturers can choose a high-quality HD camera for high-end TVs with great optics and then swap it out for a low-cost HD camera with lower quality optics for mid- or low-end TVs. Again, the same USB chip can be used with either camera. Implementing USB 3.0 gives the TV manufacturer the flexibility to offer faster throughput for gesture sensing, when needed.
The higher throughput of USB 3.0 also makes it ideal for implementing WiFi in TVs. TV manufacturers can choose a cheaper, slower WiFi-N radio for mid-range TVs and a faster WiFi-AC radio for high-end TVs. If the WiFi technology advances during their product development cycle, they can choose the fastest, most advanced WiFi technology, like the upcoming WiFi-AC standard, for the highest performance TVs. Manufacturers can even choose other wireless radio standards such as WiGig, UWB or WirelessHD.
As we all continue to generate and transfer more data, USB 3.0 will be a differentiating feature in our personal electronics. USB 3.0 is the clear choice for both inside and outside digital home devices. Manufacturers can take advantage of the ubiquity of USB 3.0 products to drive down costs while leveraging USB 3.0’s higher speed to deliver more performance with more recorded channels, more responsive gesture control, and smoother video display.
About the author
Eric Huang worked on USB at the beginning in 1995 with the world's first BIOS that supported USB keyboards and mice while at Award Software. After a departure into embedded systems software for real-time operating systems, Eric returned to USB cores and software at inSilicon, the leading supplier of USB IP in the world. inSilicon was acquired by Synopsys in 2002. Eric served as Chairman of the USB On-The-Go Working Group for the USB Implementers Forum from 2004-2006. Huang received an M.B.A. from Santa Clara University and an M.S. in Engineering from University of California Irvine, and a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in the State of California.
Panasonic offers a BluRay player/DVR set-top box (BZT9300) with an included 3 TB hard drive and two USB 3.0 ports. Similar to a TV, users can connect two additional USB 3.0 hard drives to increase storage space.
Set-top boxes can also take advantage of USB 3.0 for WiFi applications. More importantly, USB 3.0 can be used internally on a set-top box hard drive. Using USB 3.0 inside the box allows the manufacturer to reduce costs by eliminating the need for a SATA host integrated into the main set-top box SoC. Instead of a SATA hard drive, designers can use a USB 3.0 hard drive for simplicity. USB 3.0 is needed outside the box for consumers’ use, so adding an additional port directly on the SoC eliminates the need for another technology. The same USB drivers can be used both inside and outside the box, eliminating the need for SATA controllers, PHYs and software drivers.
Other home media systems allow consumers to watch media on TV using WiFi, USB 3.0, SD or HDMI sources. For example, the HiMedia 910A uses a Realtek SoC with a USB 3.0 host. The USB 3.0 ports can be used to plug in a digital camera, flash drive or hard drive to display pictures or video directly to a connected TV.
Connections inside the TV
Not all USB connections happen through external ports. Internally, USB is implemented on separate SoCs on the TVs’ PCBs. Using a separate chip allows the TV manufacturer to postpone the decision of which USB peripheral to use.
USB 3.0 peripherals are plentiful in the PC market and prices are competitive. TV manufacturers can choose high quality or low cost components. Many TVs use Linux, and USB peripheral manufacturers often provide open source USB drivers to enable faster software development.
In the case of a video camera, TV manufacturers can choose a high-quality HD camera for high-end TVs with great optics and then swap it out for a low-cost HD camera with lower quality optics for mid- or low-end TVs. Again, the same USB chip can be used with either camera. Implementing USB 3.0 gives the TV manufacturer the flexibility to offer faster throughput for gesture sensing, when needed.
The higher throughput of USB 3.0 also makes it ideal for implementing WiFi in TVs. TV manufacturers can choose a cheaper, slower WiFi-N radio for mid-range TVs and a faster WiFi-AC radio for high-end TVs. If the WiFi technology advances during their product development cycle, they can choose the fastest, most advanced WiFi technology, like the upcoming WiFi-AC standard, for the highest performance TVs. Manufacturers can even choose other wireless radio standards such as WiGig, UWB or WirelessHD.
As we all continue to generate and transfer more data, USB 3.0 will be a differentiating feature in our personal electronics. USB 3.0 is the clear choice for both inside and outside digital home devices. Manufacturers can take advantage of the ubiquity of USB 3.0 products to drive down costs while leveraging USB 3.0’s higher speed to deliver more performance with more recorded channels, more responsive gesture control, and smoother video display.
About the author
Eric Huang worked on USB at the beginning in 1995 with the world's first BIOS that supported USB keyboards and mice while at Award Software. After a departure into embedded systems software for real-time operating systems, Eric returned to USB cores and software at inSilicon, the leading supplier of USB IP in the world. inSilicon was acquired by Synopsys in 2002. Eric served as Chairman of the USB On-The-Go Working Group for the USB Implementers Forum from 2004-2006. Huang received an M.B.A. from Santa Clara University and an M.S. in Engineering from University of California Irvine, and a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in the State of California.
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bnowak
2/1/2013 1:54 PM EST
4 USB ports, all on the back of that huge tv. When will manufacturers realize they need to be placing these somewhere that’s easily accessible?
I recently bought a 60" and mounted it on my wall. Good luck plugging any USBs into the back without actually being able to see what you’re doing or even knowing whether the usb stick is oriented the right way. I ended up having to use and still do use an extension cable to bring the usb port out to the front (although the manual specifically states not to)
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