LucidPort Ships Second Generation USB 3.0 to SATA Bridge

LucidPort Technology, Inc. released the USB302, a second generation USB 3.0 to SATA-II bridge designed for external USB storage devices.  

Following in the footsteps of the industry’s first USB 3.0 device, the LucidPort USB300, the USB302 is physically smaller and consumes less power than any other chip of its kind. Its support for USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UASP) allows it to run 20 to 100% faster than comparable USB 3.0 drives that use legacy mass storage drivers.

The UASP standard was developed by the USB-IF to enhance the efficiency of USB storage devices. It delivers faster and more consistent performance while lowering CPU utilization.

"The market expects USB 3.0 to be fast," said Reid Augustin, VP of Product Development at LucidPort. "UASP makes this a reality by running external USB drives as fast as, or even faster than drives connected directly to the motherboard."

The USB302 is configurable and supports many features. These include automatic fan control, automatic standby timer, write protection, one touch backup, a safe power down button, Blu-ray drive support, and various activity and free space indicators. The USB302 keeps total BOM costs low by requiring only a single voltage (3.3V) and a single clock source (30 MHz).

The USB302 is shipping now and available in a 48 pin (6×6 mm) QFN package.