Chipset integration: key to Superspeed USB take off

SuperSpeed USB devices, which debuted in 2009, provided the seeds of dramatic change in the USB market. SuperSpeed USB, which offers a ten-fold bandwidth improvement over high-speed USB, will grow to just under 30 percent of the USB interface technology market by 2014, according to In-Stat forecasts. The success of SuperSpeed USB, however, will be limited initially.

"It will take time for SuperSpeed USB to be integrated into the core logic PC chipset," says Brian O'Rourke, In-Stat analyst. "USB achieved its immense success primarily due to core logic integration, which effectively allowed PC OEMs to offer it for free. Integration is essential before a new USB standard becomes prominent in PCs."

The research also found that more than three billion USB-enabled devices shipped in 2009. The firm forecasts that over four billion will ship in 2012 and nearly 160 million DTVs will ship with USB in 2014.

In addition, the market research firm sees that SuperSpeed USB core logic chipsets will begin shipping in late 2011. Shipments of devices with USB SuperSpeed will rise more than four-fold from 2011 to 2012. The USB discrete host controller average selling price will see a -21.6 percent CAGR from 2009 to 2013.

In-Stat's consumer respondents identified printers as the most likely devices to use USB to connect with their PC, followed by digital cameras.