December 19, 2001
The Universal Serial Bus Implementers Forum (USB-IF) today announced the formal release of the On-The-Go (OTG) supplement (Rev. 1.0) to the USB 2.0 specification.
The USB standard was initially designed to provide a common interface between a PC and its peripherals. Today many peripherals such as MP3 players, digital cameras, personal data assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones are using USB because of its low cost, high speed and ubiquity in the PC marketplace.
As portable devices increase in popularity, there is a growing need for them to communicate directly with each other when a PC is not available. The OTG supplement addresses this need for mobile interconnectivity by allowing a USB peripheral to have the following enhancements: Limited host capability to communicate with selected other USB peripherals; small USB connector to fit the mobile form factor; and low power features to preserve battery life.
A device with the above features is referred to as a dual-role device and can take on the role of either host or peripheral when connected to other USB devices. Unlike a PC, a dual-role device is not required to support all possible types of USB peripherals. However, each OTG product must operate as a peripheral with existing PCs in accordance with the USB specification.
Release of the OTG supplement allows manufacturers to develop devices with exciting new capabilities. For example, an MP3 player could connect to another MP3 player to transfer music files. A camera could connect directly to a printer to print a picture. A PDA could connect to a cell phone to enable mobile web surfing.
An OTG compliance program is now being set up to ensure that devices comply with the spec, and thus provide a more positive experience for the user. Before being allowed to use the certified USB logo, portable devices with OTG features are required to pass the existing USB 2.0 compliance tests for peripherals, as well as the OTG compliance tests.
A series of seminars has been scheduled to walk manufacturers through the OTG supplement, and prepare them to incorporate OTG features in their devices. More information can be found at www.usb.org/developers/onthego.
The OTG supplement was developed by the USB On-The-Go Committee, which worked under the auspices of the USB 2.0 Promoter Group. Companies contributing to the development of the supplement include ACON, Cypress, Ericsson, HP, InSilicon Corporation, Intel Corporation, MCCI, Microsoft, Motorola, Molex Inc., NEC Corporation, Nokia, OnSpec, Palm, Philips, SoftConnex Technologies, Texas Instruments and TransDimension.
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