"Active" USB cables with rates of up to 80 Gbps are enabled by USB4 Version 2.0.
The "pending release" of the USB4 Version 2.0 specification, which guarantees up to 80 Gbps of data throughput via the USB Type-C cable and connection, was just announced by the USB Promoter Group. The USB DevDays developer events are scheduled for November 2022 in the US and South Korea. The organisation further says that both the USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery (USB PD) standards will also be revised. Everything will be released shortly before the events.
The USB Promoter Group has unveiled USB 4 version 2.0, which offers significant improvements over the previous specification. The major improvement in version 2.0 is a twofold increase in bandwidth from 40 Gbps to an astounding 80 Gbps.
Due to this significant improvement, USB 4 Version 2.0 is now among the best connection protocols available. with rates that are faster than any USB Thunderbolt standard now in use, including Thunderbolt 4, which has a 40 Gbps speed limit, similar to USB4.
The unexpectedly quick speeds of version 2.0 are attributable to USB4's new physical layer design. Version 2.0 employs newly specified 80 Gbps USB Type-C active cables in addition to the 40 Gbps passive cables already present in USB4 Type-C to achieve the 80 Gbps threshold.
The display capability has also been updated in the new USB4 version. Including a bandwidth enhancement for USB 3.2 data tunnelling beyond 20Gbps while utilising other modes like DisplayPort mode. The most recent versions of the PCIe specification and the DisplayPort standard are now included in USB4 Version 2.0.
The original USB4 standard, USB 3.2, USB 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3 are all backwards compatible with USB 4 Version 2.0, as they are with all prior USB versions.
According to the USB group, Version 2.0 was developed especially for customers who operate several USB devices, such as docks, high-performance monitors, and more, using a single USB port. This makes a lot of sense because the 80Gbps of bandwidth in version 2.0 is just too much for the vast majority of people.
However, the 80 Gbps of bandwidth will be useful for power users who frequently run their laptops off of a large setup that includes numerous DisplayPort monitors, USB drives, ethernet, and more. This will ensure that there are no bandwidth restrictions between any of these devices and the host system.