Intel switches Light Peak to copper

Nicole Kobie January 10, 2011

Intel’s Light Peak interconnect technology is finally ready to go – but first versions will use copper, not fibre optics.

Light Peak was first unveiled in 2009, promising to rival USB and other interconnects with its data transfer feeds of 10Gbits/sec in both directions. It has yet to arrive commercially, and Intel has already announced its follow up, which allows transfers at up to 50Gbits/sec.

However, first editions of Light Peak look set to arrive running over copper in order to save costs.

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“The copper came out very good, surprisingly better than what we thought,” Intel vice president Dadi Perlmutter told IDG. “Optical is always a new technology which is more expensive.”

Perlmutter also told IDG that he saw the technology working alongside rival USB, not replacing it.

“USB 3.0 already has a traction in the market. I don’t know if that will change,” Perlmutter said. “Look at [Light Peak] as a medium by which you can do things, not necessarily as one replacing the other.”

Intel showed off the first laptop running Light Peak at a research day last year.