JUNE 2007
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In this issue:
I/O Virtualization Address Translation Services 1.0 Specification Now Available
PLX understands the future of PCI Express and by working closely with customers we are readying for the next plateau of technology in the area of I/O Virtualization. The PCI-SIG has already released the first specification, and we encourage our customers to discuss these advancements with PLX to see how PLX is leading the way in development toward IOV. Multi-Root IOV is the focus at PLX.
The following URL and synopsis is from the PCI-SIG website where members can download the recently released IOV 1.0 specification. http://www.pcisig.com/specifications/iov/
PCI-SIG I/O Virtualization (IOV) Specifications, in conjunction with system virtualization technologies, allow multiple operating systems running simultaneously within a single computer to natively share PCI Express® devices. These specifications are grouped into three areas:
Address Translation Services (ATS): this specification provides a set of transactions for PCI Express components to exchange and use translated addresses in support of native I/O Virtualization.
Single Root IOV: this specification provides native I/O Virtualization in existing PCI Express topologies where there is a single root complex. SR spec v0.9 released, target 1.0 completion: Q2-07.
Multi-Root IOV: this specification builds on the Single Root IOV Specification to provide native I/O Virtualization in new topologies (such as blade servers) where multiple root complexes share a PCI Express hierarchy. MR spec v0.7 released, target 1.0 completion: Q3-07.
PLX PCIe Gen 2 Switches Coming Soon
The PLX engineering team is working on its fourth generation switch architecture as part of our PCI Express Gen 2 switch development. This new and feature-rich architecture builds on our current Gen 1 (Altair) architecture offering the lowest latency and highest performance specs in the industry. PLX’s SerDes partner has already demonstrated its Gen 2 SerDes technology at many industry events. The new PLX PCIe Gen 2 family will be released later this year. Please contact a PLX sales manager to review our Gen 2 roadmap.
Recently Released New Products
New Software:
Introducing the new release of PLX's Software Development Kit 5.0 (SDK 5.0). This feature-rich toolset helps customers get to market faster. This package contains the complete PLX SDK in a self-extracting executable and includes support for Windows, Linux, and all SDK manuals. Download today.
New PCI Express Chips:
PEX 8509 PCIe Switch (eight lanes, eight ports, 1.2W) and PEX 8505 PCIe Switch (five lanes, five ports, 0.8W) set record-low power consumption levels down to 0.8W, and are offered in the smallest package at 15 x 15mm -- ideal for designing into today’s space-constrained PCB real estate.
PEX 8512 is a twelve lane PCIe Switch with five flexible ports (x1, x2, x4), integrated SerDes, low latency, low power, five Hot-Plug controllers, and two virtual channels -- all of which add scalable high-bandwidth, high-availability, non-blocking interconnection to a variety of rapid growth applications such as servers, blades, storage systems, and embedded control platforms.
PEX 8112 is a PCIe Bridge that enables designers to migrate from legacy PCI bus interfaces. This 2-port device is equipped with a single lane PCI Express port and a parallel bus segment supporting the conventional PCI operation. The PEX 8112 is capable of operating in forward and reverse bridging modes. The PEX 8112 is fully compatible with the PEX 8111, allowing existing customers to upgrade without making any hardware of software changes.
PCI Express Product Catalog
As the leading innovator and supplier of PCIe interconnect chips, PLX proudly offers real shipping products (not vaporware) with proven technology that makes the difference when choosing a PCIe switch or bridge. There are currently 17 PCIe Switch and Bridge devices in full production today in the PLX portfolio with many more in development. Contact PLX sales today for samples or to review our roadmap products that include PCIe Gen 2 and IOV solutions.
PCIe SWITCHES
| Part Number | Lanes | Ports | Hot-Plug Controllers | Non- Transparency |
Latency (ns) | Package Size (mm) | Power (W) Typ. | Power (W) Max. | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PEX 8505 | 5 | 5 | 3 | No | 138 | 15 x 15 | 0.8 | 1.4 | Now |
| PEX 8508 | 8 | 5 | 5 | Yes | 150 | 19 x 19 | 1.6 | 2.1 | Now |
| PEX 8509 | 8 | 8 | 3 | No | 118 | 15 x 15 | 1.2 | 1.8 | Now |
| PEX 8512 | 12 | 5 | 5 | Yes | 150 | 23 x 23 | 2.2 | 3.2 | Now |
| PEX 8516 | 16 | 4 | 4 | Yes | 275 | 27 x 27 | 3.2 | 4.3 | Now |
| PEX 8517 | 16 | 5 | 4 | Yes | 150 | 27 x 27 | 2.6 | 3.6 | Now |
| PEX 8518 | 16 | 5 | 5 | Yes | 150 | 23 x 23 | 2.6 | 3.6 | Now |
| PEX 8524 | 24 | 6 | 6 | Yes | 275 | 31 x 31 | 3.9 | 6.1 | Now |
| PEX 8525 | 24 | 5 | 3 | No | 115 | 31 x 31 | 2.6 | 3.7 | Now |
| PEX 8532 | 32 | 8 | 8 | Yes | 275 | 35 x 35 | 5.7 | 7.4 | Now |
| PEX 8533 | 32 | 6 | 3 | No | 115 | 35 x 35 | 3.3 | 4.8 | Now |
| PEX 8547 | 48 | 3 | 0 | No | 110 | 37.5 x 37.5 | 4.9 | 7.1 | Now |
| PEX 8548 | 48 | 9 | 3 | No | 110 | 37.5 x 37.5 | 4.9 | 7.1 | Now |
PCIe BRIDGES
| Part Number | Lanes | Description | Power | Package Size (mm) | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PEX 8111 | 1 | PCIe to PCI | 400mW | 10 x 10 / 13 x 13 | Now |
| PEX 8112 | 1 | PCIe to PCI | 400mW | 10 x 10 / 13 x 13 | Now |
| PEX 8114 | 4 | PCIe to PCI-X | 2W | 17 x 17 | Now |
| PEX 8311 | 1 | Local Bus to PCIe | 1W | 21 x 21 | Now |
Rapid Development Kit (RDK) Feedback Wanted
PLX development kits are best-in-class PCI and PCI Express development tools, but we continue to look for ways to improve our products, tools and services so your input is very important. In order for us to improve our RDKs, we ask you to take a short 3 minute web-based survey. We take all feedback seriously and will attempt to implement your ideas.
All PLX PCI Express products are fully supported with a Rapid Development Kit family of hardware and Microsoft® Vista™-ready software tools to accelerate design cycles. If you have received an RDK from PLX in the last 6 months, we really appreciate your time to submit the quick survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=112913573838.
On Demand Technical Support 24/7
The PLX web-based technical support portal is your ticket to fast relief in problem resolution. We have built a large FAQ site with a broad range of immediate answers. In the event your request can not be found in the current knowledge base, simply enter a new case and our global support team will jump to action. The PLX support portal login can be found at the top of our www.plxtech.com home page or directly through this URL http://www.plxtech.com/support/portal/
PLX Demonstrations on World Tour
Three new traveling demos are circling the globe and garnering a lot of attention. From San Jose to Taipei, these new product demonstrations feature PLX technology as the heart beat in both PCI Express and USB interconnect designs. These demos can be seen at Computex in Taipei as well as the upcoming Intel Developer Forums.
The PCI Express demo features a software-based RAID storage system enabled by PLX’s ExpressLane switch technology and a Windows® server connected via a PCIe cable to a large array of PCIe SATA controllers and SATA disk drives. The PLX switches eliminate the need for costly RAID upgrades by way of off-the-shelf hardware and allowing the system’s RAID capability to be managed entirely through software.
This second demo shows a USB Duet™-enabled UMPC computer connected directly to a Microsoft® Xbox 360™ through a standard USB cable. PLX USB Duet allows UMPC machines to appear as simple USB storage devices, like flash drives (which require no driver installation), so the Xbox 360 automatically detects the UMPC as a new storage device and easily accesses its shared folder. The high-speed connection – up to 480Mbps – enables full high-definition-quality video to be played back on the Xbox 360 console, and then displayed on an HDTV.
The third demonstration features a UMPC utilizing the PLX USB Duet™ EZ-Dock function, which allows UMPC machines to “dock” to a second PC and share a keyboard, mouse and monitor through a standard USB cable. This demonstration illustrates how USB Duet enables a quick, simple connection between two PCs, while eliminating the need for hundreds dollars worth of hardware.
PCI Express Articles in the News
New PCIe Bridge-Based Riser Cards Allow Connection to PCI-X Cards (Published in Computer Technology Review magazine, by Steve Moore).
Rack servers and storage controllers often need extra slots to expand the number of I/O cards that can be deployed. PCI Express (PCIe) riser cards allow this expansion by providing a method of mounting cards parallel to the system board, rather than the traditional vertical mount as seen in tower systems and full-height racks.
The final frontier: PCI Express in backplane applications (Published in CompactPCI and AdvancedTCA Systems magazine, by Touseef Bhatti)
Over the past two years, PCI Express has taken the tech industry by storm. Its high bandwidth, low pin count, and highly scalable architecture has allowed it to establish itself as the interconnect protocol of choice across all market segments.
New-generation backplane interconnects (Published in Electronic Products magazine, by Steve Moore)
Over the last several years, a number of interconnect technologies have emerged, each addressing different portions of the computing, storage and networking markets: Ethernet, PCI-X, PCI Express (PCIe), Serial Rapid I/O (SRIO), and InfiniBand among others. The two most widely used are Ethernet and PCIe.
PLX Switch Performance
PLX has collected throughput performance data with and without the use of a PLX PCIe switch (PEX 8533) on a Network Server. The performance of a Gigabit Ethernet NIC card behind a PLX switch is almost the same as that of a native direct connection to the Northbridge. In some cases, the PLX switch offered better performance by a couple of percentage points, but overall performance does not change significantly with or without the addition of a PLX PCIe switch.
Gigabit Ethernet Throughput
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