USB 3.0 achieves data transfer speeds that are up to 10 times faster than the previous version of the standard, enabling more rapid and efficient transfers of data to and from external storage devices. Renesas has led the industry by introducing the world’s first USB 3.0 host controller in May 2009, and the company’s lineup of USB 3.0 host controllers has been broadly adopted by customers worldwide with total shipments already exceeding 450 million units.

USB is the most successful interface in the history of PCs with an installed base of 10+ billion units and growing at 3+ billion units per year.

A newly defined mass-storage class protocol, UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) allows mass-storage devices to operate more efficiently, and therefore take advantage of the increased bandwidth available SuperSpeed Universal Serial Bus (USB 3.0) interface. In December 2009, Renesas released a UASP driver, followed by the launch of a USB 3.0-SATA3 bridge SoC (µPD720230) in August 2011, which was the world's first USB 3.0-to-SATA3 bridge SoC that supports UASP.

Renesas is currently working with leading chipset manufacturers to ensure that its UASP software is compatible with their chipsets. The UASP driver runs not only on the Renesas µPD720200 USB 3.0 host controller and its follow-on products (µPD720200A, µPD720201 and µPD720202), but also on A70M and A75 AMD Fusion Controller Hubs and its future products.

Looking forward, Renesas will expand the industry support and compatibility for the UASP driver by working closely with Intel to ensure full compatibility with their high volume chipsets, as well as their future SOCs.

As a member of the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) since 1996, Renesas Electronics (formerly NEC Electronics) has played a leading role both in defining USB standards and in developing USB technology. In April 2000, the company (then NEC Electronics) launched the µPD720100 device, the world's first USB 2.0-compliant host controller chip and an extensive lineup of other USB devices, and has earned a reputation for delivering dedicated customer service and high quality.

In May 2009, Renesas Electronics (then NEC Electronics) introduced the industry's first USB 3.0 xHCI host controller and, only after four months of its release, the company became the world’s first to earn the "Certified SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0)" certification from the USB-IF, and also started mass production of the µPD720200 host controller. In the following year, the company released its second USB 3.0 xHCI host controller (µPD720200A) and passed the compliance and certification testing in only two months.

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