PLX Announces General Sampling of PCI Express Bridging Chip5 May 2005
PLX Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:PLXT), the leading supplier of standard input/output (I/O) interconnect silicon to the communications, server, storage, embedded control, and consumer industries, today announced general sampling of the PLX(R) ExpressLane(TM) PEX 8114 PCI Express(TM)-to-PCI-X bridge. The PEX 8114 is the most versatile PCI Express (PCIe) bridging device in its class, capable of forward, reverse and non-transparent bridging, and features one-gigabyte-per-second throughput. The PEX 8114 also features the industry's lowest power consumption and smallest package of any PCIe-to-PCI-X bridge.
System and board designers now can order samples of the PEX 8114, which enables them to upgrade their PCI designs to rapidly growing PCIe interconnect standard. Designers also can order a PLX Rapid Development Kit (RDK) - PLX offers two versions: one for forward-bridging mode, the other for reverse-bridging mode -- to evaluate the bridging device's features, streamline product development and quickly bring PEX 8114-based designs to market.
The PEX 8114 device bridges PCIe components to conventional PCI/PCI-X chips and subsystems. In forward mode, the PEX 8114 allows legacy PCI or PCI-X chips and adapters to be used with new PCIe systems.
The PEX 8114 can also operate in reverse-bridging mode, a feature which PLX pioneered in the PCIe architecture, enabling the ever-expanding number of native-mode PCIe chips to bridge back to the PCI-X infrastructure. Reverse bridging allows conventional PCI or PCI-X processors and chipsets to configure and control advanced PCIe switches and endpoints.
The PEX 8114 features a four-lane PCIe port with integrated 2.5Gbps SerDes. The device supports the advanced PCI-X protocol - at 64-bit, 133 MHz operation -- but also provides full bus-backward compatibility with 32- and 64-bit PCI boards and systems, which helps preserve investment in and extend the life of legacy PCI/PCI-X designs.
To aid designers and manufacturers, the forward- and reverse-bridging PLX PEX 8114RDK kits provide complete development support packages for the PEX 8114 device. Each RDK includes a proven, working hardware platform incorporating the bridge chip, complete set of board schematics, symbols and layout files for hardware design, and an extensive software support package that includes a graphical utility for access to chip registers, sample drivers and support for Microsoft(R) (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows(R) and Linux operating systems. The forward-bridge RDK's board plugs into any standard PCIe slot compatible with the PCIe Card Electromechanical (CEM) spec 1.1, including PC motherboards with PCIe slots. The reverse-bridge RDK board plugs into any legacy PCI-X or 64-bit PCI motherboard for evaluating PCIe endpoint cards behind the reverse PEX 8114 bridge.
To order samples of the PEX 8114 (priced at under $20 in volume) and/or its RDKs (each priced at $495), please contact PLX at 408.328.3500 or go to www.plxtech.com/contacts.
PLX Technology, Inc. (www.plxtech.com), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., USA, is a leading supplier of standard I/O interconnect silicon to the communications, server, storage, embedded-control, and consumer industries. The PLX solution provides a competitive edge to our customers through an integrated combination of high-performance silicon, hardware and software design tools, and partnerships.
Source: Business Wire
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