Editing USB Implementers Forum

{{short description|Organization that supports the USB standard}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{infobox organization
| name                = USB Implementers Forum
| logo                = USB Implementers Forum logo.svg
| abbreviation        = USB-IF
| status              = [[501(c)(6)]] [[professional association]]<ref name= 990-2015/>
| founded             = {{start date and age|1995}}<ref name="members">{{cite web|url=https://www.usb.org/members_landing|title=Members|website=USB.org|publisher=USB Implementers Forum, Inc.|access-date=13 Jul 2018}}</ref>
| tax_id              = 93-1296452<ref name= 990-2015>"[http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2015/931/296/2015-931296452-0d951081-9O.pdf Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax]". ''USB Implementers Forum''. [[Guidestar]]. December 31, 2015.</ref>
| headquarters        = [[Beaverton, Oregon]], [[United States of America|U.S.]]<ref name= 990-2015/>
| coordinates         = {{coords|45.492060|-122.832878|display=inline, title}}
| employees           = 0<ref name= 990-2015/>
| employees_year      = 2015
| volunteers          = 57<ref name= 990-2015/>
| volunteers_year     = 2015
| revenue             = $4,789,113<ref name= 990-2015/>
| revenue_year        = 2015
| expenses            = $4,579,090<ref name= 990-2015/>
| expenses_year       = 2015
| leader_name         = Jeff Ravencraft<ref>"[http://www.usb.org/about/ About]". ''USB Implementers Forum''. Retrieved February 5, 2018.</ref>
| leader_title        = [[President (corporation)|President]], [[Chief Operating Officer]]
| website             = {{URL|http://www.usb.org/about}}
}}
'''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 Inc.|HP]], [[NEC Corporation|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&nbsp;Gbit/s and provides as much as 100 [[watt]]s of [[power (physics)|power]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usb.org/press/USB_Type-C_Specification_Announcement_Final.pdf|title=USB 3.0 Promoter Group Announces USB Type-C Connector Ready for Production|access-date=27 May 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304111952/http://www.usb.org/press/USB_Type-C_Specification_Announcement_Final.pdf|url-status=dead}}</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>{{Cite web|title=USB-IF Publishes USB Device Class Specification for MIDI Devices v2.0|url=https://www.valdostadailytimes.com/news/business/usb-if-publishes-usb-device-class-specification-for-midi-devices-v2-0/article_df2b5ba9-390b-5136-854a-e2cdfd3955d1.html|access-date=2020-08-03|website=Valdosta Daily Times|language=en}}</ref>

==Vendor ID issuance==

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>[http://www.usb.org/developers/vendor/ 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>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dream.fr/pdf/General_Application_Notes/USB%20Vendor%20ID%20Sublicense.pdf |title=Dream S.A.S. USB Vendor ID Application |access-date=13 May 2011 |archive-date=16 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016221057/http://www.dream.fr/pdf/General_Application_Notes/USB%20Vendor%20ID%20Sublicense.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Energy Micro]]<ref>[http://forum.energymicro.com/topic/59-how-can-i-obtain-a-usb-pid/  Energy Micro Application for USB PID Sublicense] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016113836/http://forum.energymicro.com/topic/59-how-can-i-obtain-a-usb-pid/ |date=16 October 2012 }}</ref>
* [[FTDI]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ftdichip.com/Documents/technicalnotes/tn_100_usb_vid-pid_guidelines.pdf |title=FTDI USB Vendor ID Application |access-date=13 May 2011 |archive-date=13 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113173301/http://ftdichip.com/Documents/TechnicalNotes/TN_100_USB_VID-PID_Guidelines.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Luminary Micro]]<ref>[http://www.luminarymicro.com/products/luminary_micro_usb_vid_sublicense.html Luminary Micro (now part of Texas Instruments) USB Vendor ID Application]</ref>
* [[Microchip Technology|Microchip]]<ref>[http://www.microchip.com/usblicensing/ Application for Sub-License to Microchip Universal Serial Bus Vendor ID]</ref>
* [[NXP]]<ref>[http://www.nxp.com/news/press-releases/2011/11/nxp-delivers-industry-first-arm-cortex-m0-microcontrollers-with-integrated-usb-drivers.html NXP to offer global USB Vendor ID program]</ref>
* [[Silicon Labs]]<ref>[http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/request-PID.aspx Silicon Labs USB Vendor ID Application]</ref>
* [[STMicroelectronics]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://my.st.com/public/STe2ecommunities/mcu/Lists/cortex_mx_stm32/Flat.aspx?RootFolder=/public/STe2ecommunities/mcu/Lists/cortex_mx_stm32/question%20for%20STOne%20or%20anyone%20from%20ST%20%28about%20USB%20and%20allocating%20PIDs%29&currentviews=1802 |title=STMicroelectronics USB Vendor ID Application |access-date=22 March 2013 |archive-date=11 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011091653/https://my.st.com/public/STe2ecommunities/mcu/Lists/cortex_mx_stm32/Flat.aspx?RootFolder=%2Fpublic%2FSTe2ecommunities%2Fmcu%2FLists%2Fcortex_mx_stm32%2Fquestion%20for%20STOne%20or%20anyone%20from%20ST%20%28about%20USB%20and%20allocating%20PIDs%29&currentviews=1802 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Texas Instruments]]<ref>[http://focus.ti.com/en/download/mcu/application_for_sublicense.pdf Texas Instruments USB Vendor ID Application]</ref>
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>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131022154839/http://hackaday.com/2013/10/22/usb-implementers-forum-says-no-to-open-source/ USB IMPLEMENTERS FORUM SAYS NO TO OPEN SOURCE]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=By |date=2015-04-03 |title=USB PIDs For All |url=https://hackaday.com/2015/04/03/usb-pids-for-all/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Hackaday |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Media Transfer Protocol|MTP (Media Transfer Protocol)]]
* [[Personal Computer Memory Card International Association]] (PCMCIA)
* [[USB On-The-Go]]
* [[Wireless USB]]
* [[UEFI Forum]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.usb.org/}}
{{USB}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Usb Implementers Forum}}
[[Category:USB|Implementers Forum]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1995]]
[[Category:501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations]]