Parvus Corp. is nearing production of a four-port USB 2.0 host controller built in the PC/104-Plus module form-factor. The USB104+ supports hot insertion, has two high-current USB ports for directly powering attached devices, and is compatible with embedded Linux.

(Click here for larger image)

According to Parvus, the USB104+ can transfer data up to 40 times faster than legacy USB 1.1 controllers. The module provides a total of four downstream ports — two supplying up to 500mA drive, and two enhanced ports supporting up to 2A drive. This is said to greatly simplify embedded computer power supply design, since the 2A ports can directly supply power to attached USB devices.

The module's onboard PCI-based USB controller chip supports all high-speed USB transfer speed modes including High-Speed (480 Mbps), Full-Speed (12 Mbps) and Low-Speed (1.5 Mbps), Parvus says. All four downstream ports allow mixed, simultaneous connections of USB 2.0 and/or 1.1 devices at different speeds.

Key specifications of the USB104+ include:

• Number of ports — four independent USB 2.0 downstream ports
• Current drive — two standard 500mA drive USB ports, two enhanced drive ports with 2000mA drive capability
• USB compliance — OHCI 1.0a and EHCI USB 0.95; reverse compatible with USB 1.1
• Transfer speed modes — high-speed (480 Mb/s), full-speed (12 Mb/s) and low-speed (1.5 Mb/s)
• Physical dimensions — 3.550 x 3.775 inches (PC/104-Plus)

The unit is priced at $230 in 100-unit quantities, and is expected to be in stock by mid-Q1 2005.

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.