Group upgrades PCI specification to advance PC platforms

Group upgrades PCI specification to advance PC platforms
By Semiconductor Business News
March 20, 2002 (2:30 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20020320S0038

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Peripheral Component Interconnect-Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) here today announced a new release of the PCI Local Bus specification.

The new specification, dubbed PCI version 2.3 (PCI v2.3), is the first major upgrade since PCI v2.2 was released in December of 1998. PCI v2.3supports both 3.3- and 5-volt signaling, but it no longer endorses the 5-volt-keyed add-in card technology. In addition, this latest version defines a new low-profile, add-in card for use in small form-factor system designs.

Like PCI v2.2, the new specification supports two system board add-in card connectors for both 3.3- and 5-volt signaling. PCI v2.3 continues to support the Universal-keyed and 3.3-volt-keyedadd-in cards. The Universal card is capable of detecting the signaling environment in use and adapting itself to that environment.

"Present semiconductor technologies have reduced voltage levels to 3.3 volts or less," said Roger Tipley, president and chairman of the PCI-SIG, based in Portland. "While 5-volt tolerance on input signals is still desirable today to plug in older PCI cards, sub-3.3-volt signaling and 3.3-volt-tolerant inputs will be the future of PCI and PCI-X compatible devices," he said.

"Eliminating support for 5 volt-only keyed add-in cards is the first step in the migration to 3.3-volt signaling systems, and ensures that PCI v2.3 compliant add-in cards will be compatible with the 3.3 volt keyed system board connectors of today and tomorrow," he said.

The new PCI v2.3 specification is available to PCI-SIG members free of charge and can be downloaded from the PCI-SIG web site at www.pcisig.com.