A new USB 3.0 controller is coming

The NEC gets another competition around its neck.

For several months, NEC was the only manufacturer to produce USB 3.0 controllers, meaning there was no competition, so it was a pretty good deal for the company. Earlier this month, one of ASUS subsidiaries, ASMedia, also announced a controller, launching its first competition. Soon, however, there will be another competitor in the market.

A Faraday Technology and that Innostor Technology jointly developed a USB 3.0 controller, which will be built with 130nm manufacturing technology a United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) factory. The jointly developed chip will use Faraday’s so-called PHY technology as well as Innostor’s experience in the field of Flash. For Flash chips, SLC, MLC, and TLC (Triple-Level-Cell) types are supported.