Category Archives: Science

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USB 4 version 2.0 is supposed to transfer 80 GBit/s

The first update of USB 4 should support twice the data rate as before and bring improvements for USB 3.2.

Image: USB, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.
Image: USB, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.

The USB Promoter Group has announced the forthcoming specification of USB 4 Version 2.0 . The biggest innovation is said to be support for data rates of up to 80 Gbit/s over existing USB-C cables and ports. The committee thus doubles the maximum possible transmission rate of the Universal Serial Bus compared to USB 4, which supports a maximum of 40 Gbit/s. The specification for USB-C and USB Power Delivery should be adjusted accordingly.

In addition to the existing passive USB-C cables, the new higher data rate should also be able to be achieved via newly specified active USB-C cables, as the announcement states. In practice, the higher transmission rate is achieved through changes to physical layer 1 in the OSI layer model, which means that changes to the controller will probably be necessary.

Higher transmission rate thanks to new modulation

A few weeks ago, an Intel manager accidentally disclosed the work on 80G Phy Technology, i.e. a new transmission standard with 80 GBit/s. It is now clear that this should be USB 4 version 2.0. It also follows from this how the higher data rate is to be achieved.

A pulse amplitude modulation with three states (-1,0,+1), PAM-3 for short, is probably used. Only two states (0,+1) are possible with the Non Return to Zero ( NRZ ) used so far. Two consecutive signals are combined to form a 3-bit data signal for data transmission. PAM-4, on the other hand, uses four symbols, i.e. two bits, which are transmitted per cycle.

If only PAM-3 is used for USB 4 Version 2.0, the clock rate of the transmission compared to USB 4 must also be increased in order to double the data rates. Among other things, PAM-3 is also used for 100 Mbit/s Ethernet (100BASE-T1).

Backwards compatible and protocol updates

The improved transfer rate should also come into play in the other USB specifications. Specifically, the announcement promises, for example, that the tunneling of data in USB 3.2 should be able to exceed the previously possible maximum of 20 Gbit/s. The new standard should also be backward compatible with USB 4 Version 1.0 , USB 3.2, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3.

In addition, the USB standard is to be adapted to the current display port and PCIe standards. This should be Displayport 2.0, which also transmits 80 GBit/s, which can already be possible with a USB-C cable . In addition, there is probably PCI Express 5.0 , which theoretically enables transfer rates of up to 128 GB per second when using 16 lanes. With USB 4 Version 2.0, of course, this cannot be achieved. 

Business, Science, TechNews

World’s largest offshore wind farm: England less dependent on fossil fuels

The British want to make themselves less dependent on fossil fuels with a new offshore wind farm. The energy is transported on land with 390 kilometer long cables.

The Danish energy company Ørsted has implemented what it says is the world ‘s largest offshore wind farm. This is located around 89 kilometers off the coast of Yorkshire in England and produces more than 1.3 gigawatts of energy.

These come from 165 turbines, which can power more than 1.4 million British homes. The entire park is 463 square kilometers. 81 meter long rotor blades from Siemens are installed in the wind turbines. According to Ørsted, these can power an average British home for 24 hours with just one turn.

Image: Offshore Wind Farm, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.

Pandemic as a challenge

Patrick Harnett, vice president of the UK program at Ørsted, saw the corona pandemic as a challenge for the project. He said: “This project has been an amazing undertaking. Building the world’s largest offshore wind farm during a global pandemic was a challenge the team overcame with flying colors. I am so proud of how our team worked together to safely deliver this remarkable project. A big thank you to everyone involved who contributed to it.”

The UK could also use the new wind farm to strengthen its energy grid and reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, according to Duncan Clark, UK Region Manager at Ørsted. He says:

“The UK is truly a world leader in offshore wind energy and the completion of Hornsea 2 is a tremendous milestone for the offshore wind industry, not just in the UK but globally. Current global events are underscoring more than ever the importance of pioneering renewable energy projects such as Hornsea 2, which is helping Britain increase the security and resilience of our energy supply and lower costs for consumers by reducing our dependence on expensive fossil fuels. ”

Hornsea 3

With the completion of Hornsea 2, however, Ørsted’s work is not over. Another wind farm called Hornsea 3 is planned to be built in the same area. The company secured a contract with the British government for this at the beginning of the year.

However, Ørsted is not only active in the English North Sea. Last year, the company made a deal with Google to build 83 wind turbines in the North Sea of ​​Lower Saxony .

Science, TechNews

NASA: SLS And Orion Launch To The Moon On Saturday

NASA has made its decision: On Saturday, a new attempt for the world’s largest rocket to fly to the moon will start. The space agency has made some changes to increase the chances of success.

After a botched start last Monday, NASA is making a new attempt for the Artemis 1 mission . Next Saturday, September 3rd, the “biggest rocket in the world”, SLS (Space Launch System) , will launch.

Initially, the space agency had considered Friday, but the weather forecast speaks against it. There was a 60 percent chance that the weather would result in an aborted takeoff. On Saturday, however, only sporadic rainfall is expected. The launch will be broadcast live on various NASA channels.

Image: NASA, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.

Loading procedures are changed

NASA reports that the teams are working on an approach to prevent an error like Monday’s. One of the engines could not be cooled down to -252 degrees Celsius. A hydrogen leak was also discovered.

Now NASA is changing the start procedure: Those responsible now want to complete the tap test 30 to 45 minutes earlier in the countdown process. This would put him in the fast-fill phase with liquid hydrogen. The technicians should practice the new procedure beforehand. NASA has already tested them at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Check containers and connection points

In addition, NASA is reconfiguring the platforms on the launch pad to give engineers access to the rinsing tank. That’s where the leak had occurred. You should check the affected lines and connection points and tighten them if necessary.

If the launch is successful this time, the SLS will transport its Orion probe the longest distance that has ever been covered by a space capsule. It will also remain in space longer than any other spacecraft used to transport people. This is mainly possible because the capsule transports plastic dummies instead of astronauts .

Business, Comes Next, Science, Security

With drones and trucks: How AT&T wants to keep the network stable in the event of disasters

Image: Radio Tower, Free Stock Picture, MorgueFile.com.

AT&T is actually a normal telecommunications company that takes care that the network in the USA is and remains stable. But the North Americans are also preparing for the really big catastrophe.

Ever heard of a Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) program? The US network operator AT&T has set up a so-called NDR site in a warehouse just outside of Atlanta. Here, a group of volunteers are testing how to quickly bring connectivity back up if a local site is destroyed.

Similar disaster protection initiatives are also being driven by providers such as T-Mobile and Verizon. AT&T’s big advantage over the competition is that it has been training for emergencies since 2008. As reported by Engadget , the company has already spent more than 650 million US dollars to set up the NDR program in the USA.

Versatile options

Part of the contingency plan is a four-wheel drive Club Cab pickup truck packed to the roof with cellular equipment to help restore portions of a collapsed network. For several years, the company has also been using Flying Cell-on-Wings – drones that fly around 90 meters above the ground and can provide 5G coverage of around 25 square kilometers.

Looking to the future, AT&T has also patented a long-distance flight system that can pilot drones thousands of miles away, and is researching solar-powered units that can fly autonomously for days.

As NDR employees stated, Robodogs are currently being tested, which could be used in a variety of scenarios. The ideas range from rescue operations in forest fires to bomb disposal.

AT&T is also represented on the water. What looks like a red mini tank is an in-house amphibious vehicle that can easily make its way through the water thanks to its rear propellers. The vehicle could be used to transport people and payloads in areas devastated by hurricanes.

Ready for all scenarios

Besides all these future scenario toys, the core of the NDR work is the Colt, short for Cell on Light Truck. These trucks can tap into the company’s existing fiber optic lines and provide cellular connectivity in a matter of hours. If the local infrastructure has been completely paralyzed, there are also Satcolts that can connect to satellites.

The company also stocks thousands of generators. While the primary goal is to restore connectivity for first responders and customers, AT&T’s commitment to Firstnet also ensures interoperability with competing carriers.

Science, TechNews

Nasa to send 2 more Ingenuity drones to Mars

Two more drones are scheduled to land on Mars in 2027 bring samples to Earth.

Nasa announced that it plans to send two more Ingenuity drones to Mars aboard its upcoming Sample Retrieval Lander. As early as 2020, the US space agency sent a model to Mars along with the Perseverance rover, which landed on the red planet in February last year. The small helicopter made a total of 29 flights – scanning the surface and taking lots of photos. The new Ingenuity drones not only have additional wheels, but also a slightly different task: They are supposed to collect samples from the surface of Mars so that they can be sent back to Earth.

Image: Nasa/JPL-Caltech

First Ingenuity drone has exceeded expectations

It’s no surprise that NASA is using two Ingenuity drones for its next big mission. After all, the almost 1.20 meter tall helicopter exceeded the expectations of the researchers. The first flight was a hover at a height of three meters. The drone only flew over the surface of Mars for 40 seconds – but successfully. Subsequent flights became increasingly ambitious as the time allotted to operate the helicopter became increasingly scarce. No one at NASA expected the drone to survive a full 29 flights, making it a year older than planned. That’s why two successors to the Ingenuity model are now to be sent to Mars.

First time to bring Mars samples to Earth

This time, however, the drones have a different mission: instead of taking photos, soil samples are to be collected from the surface of Mars. The Sample Fetch Rover and the associated second lander will therefore have to stay at home for the next mission. The Mars Sample Retriever, which – as the name might suggest – accepts and collects the samples from the two Ingenuity drones is also allowed to come along . Also part of the Retriever is the Mars Ascent Vehicle . Here, too, the creative naming can be traced back to the function: the rocket is to take off from Mars together with rock and oil samples and bring them safely to Earth.

Anyone who is looking forward to being able to hold a Mars sample in their hands in a short time will have to be disappointed. The joint mission of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) is not scheduled to start until autumn 2027. A second launch is scheduled for summer 2028. We’ll have to wait a lot longer for rehearsals. If everything goes according to plan, it will take more than ten years until 2033 for the samples to arrive on Earth. However, once the samples are here, we can learn a lot more about the history of the planet. One can only hope that no grim discovery is made in the process.