What is Light Peak
Fiber Optic cables can transmit data much faster than copper wire; however, despite that fact, copper wire is still the primary medium for communication on computer chips, and between computers and devices through USB cables, FireWire cables, Ethernet cables, and other older standards. Intel has developed a new system called Light Peak, that they hope will change the standard from copper to fiber optical cable.
Light Peak is a code-name Intel is using for a new high-speed optical cable technology designed to connect electronic devices. It has the capability to deliver very high bandwidth, for now 10 Gb/s, but as the technology progresses, we should see 100 Gb/s in 10 years or less. 10 Gb/s, can transfer a full-length, high definition movie in around 30 seconds. At this speed, Light Peak can also transmit uncompressed HDTV, as well as replace computer monitor cables, and even cameras in a TV studio.
Light Peak technology was shown for the first time at the Intel Developer Forum on September 23, 2009. It was demonstrated using a modified Apple Macintosh (some referred to this box as a Hackintosh: Cupertino, Apple-blue motherboard). Light Peak uses four inexpensive, tiny fiber-optic cables: each can carry ten gigabits of data per second. Light Peak will give us a smaller, single cable that can do more and do it faster.
Intel plans to ship Light Peak technology and components in 2010. According to Intel and recent news articles, the following companies will produce, create, or make Light Peak components: Foxconn, Foxlink, Avago, SAE, IPtronics, Corning, Elaser, and Ensphere.
Before you can purchase devices that use this new technology, hardware and software vendors have to adopt it and make devices that support it. This standardization is usually more difficult than the development of the new technology. Even if this new, fast technology is the beginning of the move away from copper wires, it will probably take several years to become widespread.
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