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PLX Technology, Inc., the leading global supplier of PCI Express, USB and other standard I/O interconnect solutions, today announced it will demonstrate at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Los Angeles the industry’s first Ultra-Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC) machines enabled with PLX’s USB Duet technology.

The demonstrations feature USB Duet – a revolutionary cabling technology allowing computers running the Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista operating systems to connect through a standard USB cable — in two applications the technology excels in: video-file sharing and computer docking.

The first demonstration shows a USB Duet-enabled TabletKiosk eo TufTab v7112XT UMPC computer connected directly to an Xbox 360 console through a standard USB cable. Because USB Duet allows UMPC machines to appear as simple USB storage devices, such as flash drives (which require no driver installation), the Xbox 360 system automatically detects the v7112XT as a new storage device and easily accesses its shared folder. The high-speed connection – up to 480Mbps — enables full high-definition-quality video to be played back on the Xbox 360 console, and then displayed on an HDTV.

The second demonstration features a v7112XT utilizing USB Duet’s EZ-Dock function, which allows UMPC machines to "dock" to a second PC and share a keyboard, mouse and monitor through a standard USB cable. This demonstration illustrates how USB Duet enables a quick, simple connection between two PCs, while eliminating the need for hundreds dollars worth of hardware.

"As two innovation leaders in their respective markets, TabletKiosk and PLX each are in a unique position to showcase how UMPC and USB can be blended into a powerful, economical and efficient connectivity solution," said Gail Levy, director of marketing at TabletKiosk. "We’re looking forward to working with PLX in expanding the understanding of the UMPC platform and USB Duet technology among the Windows engineering community."

USB Duet unleashes the power of Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and serves as an efficient, high-speed alternative to networking computers. With no network switch, hub or router, two or more computers using the technology can transfer data at USB 2.0’s high data rates – ideal for users upgrading to newer computers or using a second PC for extra storage or backup.

PLX, Microsoft Workshop Aids Portable-Device Development

In addition to its robust USB Duet demonstrations, PLX is teaming up with Microsoft at WinHEC to deliver a workshop on designing cutting-edge portable devices. The "Building Portable Devices with MTP Porting Kits" workshop features experts from PLX’s USB division and Microsoft’s Audio Video Devices Group providing instruction implementing Hi-Speed USB 2.0 on the Windows platform. The two companies also will explain the Media Transport Protocol (MTP) porting kit, which allows developers to create portable devices that connect to Windows Vista without driver development. The hands-on workshop includes kit set-up, using various tools to simplify development, adding Digital Rights Management (DRM) capabilities to the kit, and demonstrating various Windows Media technologies that enable new products using Windows Vista and portable devices.

This workshop will be held on Wednesday May 16, 11:00 a.m. to noon (track number CON-H420).

"PLX developed USB Duet technology to allow a wide range of peripherals and computers to eliminate the need for costly and cumbersome networking equipment," said Jimmy Chou, USB product marketing manager at PLX. "Because WinHEC draws the top echelon of the Windows-developer community, we’re confident the video and docking demonstrations of USB Duet, along with the PLX-Microsoft workshop, will serve to educate an influential group on this powerful technology."

USB Duet technology is based on the PLX NET2280, a programmable peripheral controller optimized for fast data transfer between the PCI and USB buses. Fully compliant with the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and PCI 3.0 specifications, and available in a small 8×8x1mm FPBGA package, the NET2280 is ideal as an interface for intelligent USB 2.0 peripherals using PCI as the internal or local bus.

For a full description of PLX’s USB family, see plxtech.com/netchip.

For information on the eo TufTab™ v7112XT UMPC computer, go to tabletkiosk.com

Chris Leckness (3547 Posts) - Website | Twitter | Facebook

Chris Leckness is the Owner/Administrator of Mobilitysite. He is a Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices and a member of the exclusive focus group, Mobius. Chris runs a Mobilitysite, GotZune, and a few other smaller sites and blogs. His personal blog is chris.leckness.com.