VIA Announces New USB 3.0 Hub Controller

Well-known chipset and CPU designer, VIA Labs, has recently announced the new USB 3.0 HUB controller called VIA Labs VL812, on its official website.

Taiwanese company VIA Labs Inc has long been know for designing and manufacturing processors, chipset and platforms that are very power efficient, very cool and easy to integrate.

For quite some time now, USB 3.0 daily users and enthusiasts were asking for good, non limited and, especially, more affordable USB 3.0 HUBs. VIA’s VL812 USB 3.0 Hub Controller consumes less than 0.5 watts when in heavy load and this is making it one of the market's low-power leaders.

The low operational power consumption of the new VIA Labs VL812 USB 3.0 Hub allows users to attach many USB powered devices that usually required an additional power source back in the USB 2.0 days.

With VL812 the user can attach external 2.5" USB 3.0 hard drive, an USB 2.0 Flash drive, and a USB mouse in the same time without the need for any additional power source or adapter, when connected to a regular USB 3.0 port.

Even now, the manufacturers of pocket-size external hard disk drives in the 2.5” format, usually, include a dual-headed USB cable.

One USB head goes into one USB port, for data transmission, and the other goes into an additional USB port for more current to power the hard disk drive.

The makers of USB external enclosures do the same.

It seems that VIA’s VL812 is a very affordable and simple solution for all these problems and, by designing an industry-first integrated 5V DC-DC switching regulator, it offers a single-chip solution that achieves both high power efficiency and greater system integration for a much reduced bill of materials (BOM).

"The VIA Labs VL812 USB 3.0 hub is a perfect expansion companion for the growing Ultrabook market, which have a sleek form factor but few external ports. It provides Ultrabook users with a wide range of USB connectivity options for peripheral devices without necessitating the need for an additional power adapter for the hub," said Terrance Shih, Product Manager, VIA Labs, Inc.