USB Implementers Forum
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox organization USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (USB-IF) is a nonprofit organization created to promote and maintain USB (Universal Serial Bus), a set of specifications and transmission procedures for a type of cable connection that has since become used widely for electronic equipment. Its main activities are currently the promotion and marketing of USB, Wireless USB, USB On-The-Go, and the maintenance of standards and specifications for the related devices, as well as a compliance program.
The USB-IF was initiated in 1995<ref name="members" /> by the group of companies that was developing USB, which was made available first during 1996. The founding companies of USB-IF were Compaq, Digital Equipment Corporation, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC and Nortel. Notable current members include HP, NEC, Microsoft, Apple Inc., Intel, and Agere Systems.
The working committees within USB-IF are:
- Device Working Group
- Compliance Committee
- Marketing Committee
The USB-IF web caters to developers who may register freely for the developer web-forums and access documentation. To be part of a working group, however, a person has to work for a member company or register as a member. The developer forums regulate the development of the USB connector, of other USB hardware, and of USB software; they are not end-user forums.
In 2014, the USB-IF announced the availability of USB-C designs. USB-C connectors can transfer data with rates as much as 10 Gbit/s and provides as much as 100 watts of power.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2015, the seven-person board of directors, with Jeff Ravencraft as USB-IF President and Chief Operating Officer, consisted of representatives of Apple Inc., HP Inc., Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Renesas Electronics, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments.<ref name= 990-2015/>
In 2020, USB-IF announced updated USB Device Class Definition for MIDI Devices, Version 2.0, for MIDI 2.0 devices.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Vendor ID issuanceEdit
A vendor identification is necessary for obtaining a certification of compliance from the USB-IF. The USB-IF is responsible for issuing USB vendor identification numbers to product manufacturers. The cost for issuing this number is US$6,000 per year. Additionally, the use of a trademarked USB logo to identify certified devices requires a license fee of US$3,500 for a 2-year term.<ref>How to get a vendor ID from the USB-IF</ref> Some microcontroller manufacturers offer a free or low cost sublicense of their vendor ID for development/testing and limited production (generally less than 10,000 units). Vendors offering this free service include:
- Dream S.A.S.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Energy Micro<ref>Energy Micro Application for USB PID Sublicense Template:Webarchive</ref>
- FTDI<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Luminary Micro<ref>Luminary Micro (now part of Texas Instruments) USB Vendor ID Application</ref>
- Microchip<ref>Application for Sub-License to Microchip Universal Serial Bus Vendor ID</ref>
- NXP<ref>NXP to offer global USB Vendor ID program</ref>
- Silicon Labs<ref>Silicon Labs USB Vendor ID Application</ref>
- STMicroelectronics<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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Alternatively, many members of the open source community promote the use of USB VID 0xF055 (which looks when written like "FOSS") for open-source hardware projects. Although this VID is not registered to any company (as of October 2015), the USB-IF have not released any confirmation about reserving it for this particular purpose.<ref>USB IMPLEMENTERS FORUM SAYS NO TO OPEN SOURCE</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
See alsoEdit
- MTP (Media Transfer Protocol)
- Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA)
- USB On-The-Go
- Wireless USB
- UEFI Forum