Realtek has presented a prototype docking station equipped with USB 3.1 Gen 2 that is based entirely on its own chipsets and features classic connections (USB Type-A, DisplayPort, HDMI, D-Sub, GbE and audio).
USB Type-C is gaining popularity among notebook manufacturers quite quickly, and there are quite a few laptops, apart from Apple ones that have other ports anyway, that only have USB Type-C. Typically, such laptops need converters or docking stations to gain compatibility with regular USB Type A, Gigabit Ethernet, and so on. Such devices are available, but they are not always cheap because manufacturers have to develop these products with a custom design and use materials from various suppliers. In contrast, Realtek's USB 3.1 Gen 2 is based on chipsets that come exclusively from itself, and the design is ready for production, which means that various manufacturers simply have to adopt it and launch it in new devices.
Realtek's USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gb/s) hub is based on the company's RTS5423, RTS5450, RTD2183, RTL8153AH, ALC4042, and PI3DPX 1207B. It features four USB Type-A connectors, one USB Type-C port, two DisplayPort 1.4 outputs, HDMI, one D-Sub, a 3.5mm TRRS audio jack, and a GbE port.
Realtek has not yet priced the final products based on the design, as it depends on the materials used and the number of connections on the final product. Today's advanced USB-C docking solutions start at €109 / $127, so we hope that Realtek's patent will allow manufacturers to lower the price of these products.
