PCI Special Interest Group has revealed that it is working on a new external PCI Express interface. The cable that will be used in connection between different system will be made from copper and have a capacity of 32 Gbps and carry power. Besides being three times faster than Intel’s Thunderbolt interface the cables will also be thinner.
Intel’s Thunderbolt interface was introduced with Apple’s latest MacBook Pro series and baosts up to 10 Gbps transfer rates. And the possibility to send large amounts of power next to the data, to power external units and charge the very same.
The cable version of PCI Express will be capable of sending enough power to run units up to 20 watt. At the same the first version of the interface will be based on the PCI Express 3.0 specification and can send data distances up to 3 meter.
Besides a thinner cable the actual connector for the interface will be also thinner than e.g. the solution Intel presented with Thunderbolt, which makes the cable version of PCI Express interesting for ultraportables and mobile devices overall.
The first standard for the interface is expected to be ready in June 2013 and will be followed by products using it.
Source: EETimes
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