New computer protocols

Several new protocols are currently being specified will define the hardware of our computers for years to come. Among the founders there are Google, Apple and Intel.

USB 3 began to be used in January 2010. Thunderbolt could replace it at the end of that year. For Internet, Google offers SPDY as an alternative to HTTP, and the wireless wiGig should replace the current WiFi and is ten times faster.

• WiGig.
• SPDY.
• USB 3.
• HDBaseT

Thunderbolt is described in a separate article.

WiGig

The wiGig (gigabit wireless) protocol is a way to transfer data wirelessly at very high capacity. It can transfer data ten times faster than current Wi-Fi (802.11n) or at 7 Gbps (almost 1 billion bytes per second) with the same scope.
It is intended to various house equipment, computers, TV, camcorder, that can be connected without wire, and to Internet.
It is compatible with the wi-fi protocol.

wPCIe is an application to PCI Express, the internal protocol of the PC. It can permit to connect a computer to external hard drives or a graphic display wirelessly.

The network of partners forms the WiGig Alliance and includes Nvidia, AMD, TMC, Intel, Microsoft, and major manufacturers of computer peripherals.

• Description of WiGig.

The SPDY Protocol

SPDY, shortcut for SPeeDY, is a protocol invented by Google to speed up data transfers over the Internet, instead of HTTP.  SPDY is pronounced “speedy”. It is based on the secure SSL protocol. It adds a layer to enable SSL for concurrent flows to go through a single connection. It preserves most parts of the HTTP interface: same attributes and methods.
Laboratory tests of this new protocol, with server software designed for it, show up to 60% faster transfer speed.
SPDY is implemented by Firefox 11 and Chrome. Nothing changes for the webmaster, the prefix is https, the transition occurs on the server.

Comparison with HTTP

The protocol is designed to eliminate or reduce the latency incurred during shipping of information on the Net.

• HTTP can handle only one resource at a time. Each request is dédicated to one transfer of information. This forces the browser to open multiple simultaneous connections to go faster, up to 6 at a time.
  SPDY allows processing of multiple queries simultaneously in the same connection.
• HTTP only handles client requests, the server can not anticipate the useful information and send it.
  SPDY allows the server to send data to the client in advance.
• There is no compression of data in the HTTP protocol, even if we can transfer compressed data at a higher level.
  SPDY compress the headers and does not send redundant headers.
• SPDY also uses techniques to eliminate latency.

It also simplifies the encoding of the protocol, with messages easier to parse by the server.

• Announcement on the blog of the Chrome browser.
• Description of the Protocol. All the technical details.
• SPDY spec. By Google.

USB 3

USB 3 or SuperSpeed USB, with this format, devices can transfer data at a speed of 625 MB per second.
The connectors are compatible with those of USB 2 and 1 with a new connector for lightweight devices.
USB 3 is widely available on PCs since January 2010.
USB 3 slots are blue and black for USB 2.

Comparison of speed

	USB 1	USB 2	USB 3
Bytes/s	1,5 MB	60 MB	625 MB
Bits/s	12 Mb	480 Mb	4,8 Gb

In practice, on Windows and on a modern computer, when moving from  USB 2 to USB 3 we pass from 40 Mb/s to 80 Mb/s (a personal observation). The change in bandwidth does not result in a gain of equivalent speed.

Terminology

• XHCI
  The Extensible Host Controller Interface is the name of the open specification for the USB host controller 3.
• SuperSpeed
  The name of the standard applied to connectors, cables and materials that support the specification.

More

• Comparing USB 2 et USB 3. For a 64 gigas Super Talent USB key. (Video.)
• Download the Windows driver. (Support built-in on Linux).
• How to get the xHCI spec .

HDBaseT

This new protocol supported by the major electronics firms wants to replace HDMI and offers sufficient possibilities to do so.
It should appear at the end of 2010 on computer hardware.
Using the RJ-45 cable that connects ordinary PCs to present to a housing ADSL, its transfers audio and video signals, connects networks and may include up to 100W power supply (monitors consume 50).
It has a higher bandwidth than HTML 1.4 and sufficient for 3D.
It will serve to connect the computer to Internet, the video monitor, external devices and thus supersedes both HDMI and USB.
Another unique feature is the possible length of a cable: up to 100 meters!

• HDBaseT.

See also

• All computer adapters
  It is possible to connect a computer with a VGA, DVI or HDMI video output to a monitor with a video/audio input in each format, using a suitable adapter or cable.

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