SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Intel Developer Forum is expected to generate buzz around SuperSpeed USB

this week, but the transition to the 5 GHz interface may be slower and bumpier than many would hope due to cost,

power and support issues.
At least two sources said Intel Corp. may not hit its schedule for sampling PC chip sets supporting USB 3.0 in the first

quarter 2010, a key trigger for a volume market ramp. One source said the chip sets could be delayed as much as a

year.

Intel declined to comment on its USB 3.0 plans prior to this week"s IDF. Typically, Intel triggers the volume ramp of new

interfaces such as USB 3.0 by supporting the technology in its PC chip sets, enabling a generation of desktops and

notebooks and creating an opportunity for supporting peripherals.

It"s also unclear when Microsoft will have native driver support bundled with its Windows operating system. The lack of

native Windows support means OEMs or chip makers have to write their own drivers, another cost and potential source

of bugs.

Without chip set support, initial USB 3.0 systems will have to use dedicated controllers such the device NEC Electronics

started sampling in May along with its own Windows driver software. According to one report, Intel will demo at IDF

SuperSpeed USB using a Fujitsu notebook with the NEC chip which is priced at about $25.

Taiwan"s Asustek is also using the NEC chip on a motherboard, the report said. Also at IDF, Point Grey will show a

digital video camera streaming uncompressed 1080-progessive video at 60 frames/second to an Asustek PC using a

USB 3.0 host controller from Fresco Logic.

At least a half dozen other companies are developing USB 3.0 silicon, including Pericom Semiconductor Corp. which

announces five devices Monday (Sept. 21). Many are banking on a broad market of PCs supporting the new interface.