ASMedia Technology and VIA Labs have secured orders for USB 3.0 controller chips used in external hard drives from Japan-based vendors such as Toshiba and Sony, with volume shipments starting later in 2012, according to industry sources.

Toshiba's HDD products mainly use Fujitsu controllers. The sources claimed the vendor has decided to place its 2012 orders with the two Taiwan-based controller suppliers.

ASMedia, which reportedly landed 2012 orders for external HDD-use controllers from Western Digital (WD), recently grabbed new orders also for external HDDs from Toshiba, the sources said, adding shipments to Toshiba are set to kick off as early as April.

VIA Labs is scheduled to start shipping USB 3.0 controllers to Toshiba in the third quarter, the sources indicated. The firm has also landed orders for 2012 from Sony, the sources said. Sony is a relative newcomer to the external HDD market.