USB Makes Plug and Play Connectivity a Reality

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is becoming one of the most sought-after features for buyers of new PCs and peripherals. That's because USB offers PC users "outside the box" Plug and Play peripheral connectivity, avoiding the need for add-in cards and configuration headaches such as dip switches and IRQ settings. Employing a single connector type, USB is the flexible solution for connection of medium-speed (12 Mbits/sec.) peripherals such as monitors, printers, digital cameras and integrated telephony equipment, as well as low-speed (1.5 Mbit/sec.) I/O peripherals such as keyboards and joysticks.

Intel offers end-to-end solutions that enable designers to rapidly deploy USB technology in PCs and peripheral products.

On the PC host, USB technology is supported by Intel PCI chip sets, featuring an integrated USB host controller. The Intel 430HX PCIset provides top performance in Pentium® processor-based business PC designs. The Intel 430VX PCIset facilitates the design of Pentium processor-based multimedia home PCs. The Intel 440FX PCIset is a high-integration chip set solution that delivers the performance of the Pentium Pro processor in mainstream business systems.

The Intel family of 8x930 USB Peripheral Controllers are single-chip microcontrollers that implement the USB 1.0 specification. They are based on the Intel MCS® 251 microcontroller architecture, featuring 12MHz performance, ample data memory space, flexible addressing capability and high-level language support. Flash Miniature card-to-PC connectivity is achieved through USB-compliant devices such as keyboards that feature a built-in miniature card socket.

Intel USB products are the ideal peripheral connectivity solution for Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) devices, digital cameras, monitors and keyboards.

Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)
The computer and the telephone are coming together, and USB gets them connected with Plug and Play flexibility.

USB enables new CTI applications to be incorporated within PBX, basic rate ISDN, or analog Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) systems found in offices and homes. The PC enables users to run Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-based applications that run through USB to the telephone hardware and then to the PBX or PSTN systems.

CTI will enable such new applications as a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) for telephones; personal PC "mailboxes" for e-mail, fax, and voice mail messages; automatic screen display of caller databases; PC-based Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems; PC-based telephone directories; and PC-based call-management services, such as automated call-screening and call-forwarding.

The Intel 8x930Ax USB Controller supports USB-compliant CTI.

USB development tools and software are available now from Intel and third-party vendors.

Digital Cameras
PC imaging is emerging as a powerful market trend. USB provides a user-friendly way to connect digital cameras and scanners with PCs. USB hot insertion and removal feature allows cameras and other devices to be plugged-in and unplugged without rebooting the PC.

Pentium® processor-based multimedia home PCs now have the power and improved software to help users edit, enhance, share and store images downloaded from digital cameras. USB technology provides the ideal camera-to-PC connection. With its 12 Mbit/sec. data rate, USB can reduce the download time for many typical images.

As price points drop for higher-resolution imaging arrays in consumer digital cameras, file sizes can be expected to increase. The bandwidth of USB could become increasingly important to the successful deployment of digital cameras in the consumer market.

In the digital camera, the Intel 8x930Ax USB Controller implements the USB protocol, provides the control endpoint for the camera, feeds data to USB FIFOs and has the capability of performing other functions.

USB development tools and software are available now from Intel and third-party vendors.

PC Monitors
With USB technology built in, a PC monitor becomes a natural connection point for other desktop peripheral devices.

The Intel 8x930Hx USB-compliant hub controller is a powerful and flexible solution for PC monitor applications. It creates a USB hub with one internal USB port and up to three downstream ports which allow the attachment of additional USB devices.

In addition, the 8x930Hx provides a microcontroller that is code-compatible with Intel MCS® 251 architecture. This enables end-users to use their PCs for easy on-screen control and adjustment of monitor attributes such as display width, height, centering and color balance.

USB development tools and software are available now from Intel and third-party vendors.

Keyboards
How can designers add value and product differentiation to a keyboard? When it contains USB technology, a keyboard becomes a logical hub for connecting virtually any USB-compliant digital input or output device, from trackballs to digital drawing tablets. Also, since USB supports hot insertion and removal, devices may be safely attached and detached without rebooting the system.

The Intel 8x930Ax USB controller adds Plug and Play flexibility to keyboards.

The Intel 8x930Hx USB-compliant hub controller helps developers add value to keyboard products by allowing the integration of other input devices. It creates a USB hub with one internal USB port, as well as up to three downstream ports which allow the attachment of additional USB-compliant peripherals.

USB development tools and software are available now from Intel and third-party vendors.

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