Katie Marsal
The integrated-circuit design house will provide the USB 3.0 chips for Apple's next-generation MacBook Air models, which will be released in the second half of 2012, DigiTimes reported on Monday. Overall shipments of USB 3.0 products are expected to take off in 2012 with the launch of Intel's next-generation Ivy Bridge processors, which are also expected to be found in Apple's next Macs.
Genesys Logic manufactures the GL3220 Card Reader Controller, a USB 3.0 complaint chip which can support various types of memory cards. Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air includes a dedicated SD card reader, which would make it an ideal fit for the new chips.
The card reader controller allows for a system's internal SD card slot to connect to a system's onboard USB 3.0 controllers. The rumored deal with Gensys and Apple could suggest that Apple plans to add USB 3.0 support to its future MacBooks.
Last year, Apple launched its first Macs with the new high-speed Thunderbolt port, which the company co-designed with Intel. Thunderbolt support is set to come to Windows PCs this year, as Intel views it and USB 3.0 as complementary technologies, with support for both built in to Ivy Bridge processors.
Formerly code-named "Light Peak," Thunderbolt's data transfer speeds are 20 times faster than the current, widely available USB 2.0 specification. Thunderbolt's 10Gbps speeds are even twice as fast as USB 3.0.
Last September it was rumored that Apple was investigating USB 3.0 support with new Mac hardware. The third-generation of USB is backward compatible with the previous generation of devices.
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33 Comments
That is strange, why would Apple want USB 3.0 controller when the Ivy Bridge Controller already has it. Edit: Title is Misleading. They are providing a Card Reader Controller which uses USB 3.0 as its internal interface.
[quote name="ksec" url="/t/150059/genesys-tapped-to-supply-usb-3-0-chips-for-apples-macbook-air#post_2109599"]That is strange, why would Apple want USB 3.0 controller when the Ivy Bridge Controller already has it. Edit: Title is Misleading. They are providing a Card Reader Controller which uses USB 3.0 as its internal interface.[/quote] You seem to be correct. USB 3.0 is part of the Ivy Bridge controller. However, I call BS on this. I can't see Apple adding a card reader to the MBA. Maybe the MBP, but not the MBA.
That is strange, why would Apple want USB 3.0 controller when the Ivy Bridge Controller already has it.
Edit: Title is Misleading. They are providing a Card Reader Controller which uses USB 3.0 as its internal interface.
I thought the same. Its not a controller. Its an interface between a card reader and the internal USB controller (Ivy Bridges USB3.0).
Think about it as if you had an internal card reader plugged in via a cable, then decided to build the card reader into the laptop. You still need to interface the card reader hardware with the USB chips.
Makes me wonder if it would be possible to have a Thunderbolt card reader directly wired in. That would make it almost instant access to external memory cards ... but USB3.0 is a commodity item, so the cost would outweigh the benefit in this case.
The 13 inch MBA already has a card reader. It is likely the 15 inch rumored would have one as well.
[quote name="davidkisley" url="/t/150059/genesys-tapped-to-supply-usb-3-0-chips-for-apples-macbook-air#post_2109608"] The 13 inch MBA already has a card reader. It is likely the 15 inch rumored would have one as well. [/quote] Oops. You're right. I thought it was limited to the 15" MBP. So in that case, its really not news at all.