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PCI SIG FAQ v2.0

Jan 29, 1997
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   Subject: PCI SIG FAQ ver. 0.2

This is the PCI-SIG mailing list FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions text file).

This is an ASCII text file with CR-LF at the end of each line. It contains no TAB characters.

Line length is limited to 70 characters.

To get it started I have compiled the following list of questions and topcis, with the help of Alan Deikman at Znyx, and by going through the archive files.

A few of the questions also have answers. However, on all of them, please consider this a call for contributions (or corrections).

Anyone on this list can provide an answer or list of answers which I will edit into the FAQ document, and release on a periodic basis. Also, new questions/topics are invited.

On contributions, please indicate if you do NOT want your name/email address and company included in your contribution to the FAQ. By default I will include it.

 

Contents

1. PCI SIG administrative information

2. How do I unsubscribe?

3. How do I use the pci-sig archives?

4. PCI product development information: who, what, where

5. Specification Questions

______________________________________________________________________

1. PCI SIG administrative information

This section contains information on PCI SIG membership, vendor codes, specifications, etc.

* How do I contact the PCI SIG office?

PCI Special Interest Group

PO Box 14070

Portland, Oregon 97214

Telephone (US): 800-433-5177

Telephone (international): 503-797-4207

Fax (all): 503-234-6762

An updated address is [From: Jesse.Lawrendra@Eng.Sun.COM (Jesse Lawrendra)]:

PCI SIG

539 SE Division Place

Portland, Oregon 97202-1047

For communication with the PCI SIG, the pci-sig@znyx.com forum might work most of the time but the official channel is through

the email address "PCI_SIG@ccm.jf.intel.com".

* What are the requirements for PCI SIG membership?

Membership in the PCI Special Interest Group is open to everyone. To become a member, you must complete a membership application and return it with a check or money order in the abount of $2500 for Primary Membership or $2000 Associate Membership (Associate Membership for existing SIG member companies only). The checks should be made payable to Intel Corporation, and mailed to the contact address above.

[From: Chris Bryant <chrisb@ibmoto.com>]

* Where is the PCI SIG WWW URL?

http:/www.teleport.com/~pc2/pcisigindex.html

* How do I get a vendor code?
By becoming a full member your are entitled to a vendor ID Number Assignment along with:

1. Distribute and receive PCI product and key contact information

2. Participation in SIG marketing activities at trade shows, press events, etc.

3. Participation in SIG technical activities such as Developer's Conferences, Compatibility Workshops, etc.

4. Submit specification revisions and addendum proposals

5. Participation in specification revisions and addendum proposals

6. Automatically receive revisions and addenda

7. Voting Rights to determine the Steering Committee membership

8. PCI Technical Support

9. PCI Support Documentation and Materials

[From: Chris Bryant <chrisb@ibmoto.com>]

* Where is the list of all vendor codes?

* PCI specifications, revisions, costs, etc.

The PCI SIG sells PCI specifications to cover some of its costs. No PCI specifications are available online.

The quickest way to obtain PCI specs. is probably to send a FAX to 503-234-6762. They will FAX back a copy of the document and price lists (within 24 hours). You can use this FAX to order the documents.

The latest revisions of all PCI specifications and their costs as of 7 June 1995 are:

o PCI Spec. Rev. 2.1 $25 plus shipping*

This document contains the formal specifications of the protocol,

electrical, and mechanical features of the PCI Local Bus, Revision 2.1, as the production version effective June 26, 1995.

o PCI BIOS Spec. Rev. 2.1 $25 plus shipping*

This document describes the software interface presented by the PCI BIOS functions. This interface provides a hardware independent method of managing PCI devices in a host computer. This document is intended to provide enough information to software developers to utilize PCI devices in a host computer without any knowledge of how the actual hardware performs the desired functions as well as provide enough information for an implementor to create these BIOS functions for a particular system design.

o PCI Multimedia Design Guide Rev. 1.0 $25 plus shipping*

This document is a design guide for the implementation of PCI multimedia components and systems. The primary focus is on motion video issues. The document addresses the trade-offs that will be faced by a designer, including bus topologies, address apertures, data flow, and standard pixel formats.

o PCI to PCI Bridge Spec. Rev. 1.0 $25 plus shipping*

This specification establishes the minimum behavioral requirements that PCI to PCI bridges must meet to be compliant to the PCI Local Bus Specification. Recommendations and guidance on optional PCI to PCI bridge features are also provided by this specification.

o PCI Mobile Design Guide Rev. 1.0 $25 plus shipping*

This document is an aid in designing a PCI-based mobile system or component which works within the context of industry standard power management architectures and which complies with

the requirements of the PCI Specification. This design guide discusses PCI related design issues for the mobile environment. The goal of the PCI Mobile Design Guide is to enable "full

capability" PCI based systems from a maximum power conservation perspective.

o PCI Local Bus Product Guide (no rev.) $25 plus shipping*

This document contains concise one-page product briefs on available PCI products (sorted by category) along with the PCI Membership and Product Commitments Lists.

Special package prices:

Any 2 specs $40 Any 5 specs $70

Any 3 specs $50 Any 6 specs $80

Any 4 specs $60 Visa or MasterCard accepted

(NOTE: The PCI Local Bus Product Guide is NOT included in any of the special package pricing.)

*Shipping guidelines:

DOMESTIC

0 - 5 pounds:

. FedEx, 2nd day delivery $7

. Standard Overnight $12

. Priority Overnight $20

6 - 10 pounds:

. FedEx, 2nd day delivery $12

. Standard Overnight $20

. Priority Overnight $28

Over 10 pounds:

. Add $2.00 per spec.

FOREIGN

0 - 5 pounds:

. FexEx International $35

6 - 10 pounds:

. FexEx International $45

Over 10 pounds: Call for Quote

* When is the next version of the PCI specs. going to be available?

According to the PCI SIG office, the Revision 2.1 PCI spec. Is currently at the printers. The SIG at large will be getting the first 2500 copies off the press. The mailing is expected to be

the week of June 26, 1995, at the latest. You (SIG membership) will all be getting 5 bound copies and one unbound copy for distribution. After this point, to order more copies call the

PCI SIG office telephone numbers above.

* Other PCI documentation

o How do I get the PCI Compliance Checklist? (Rev. 2.0b or later) (Note: This checklist is in the process of being updated to match Rev. 2.1 of the PCI Spec.)

Each member company of the PCI SIG should have one official SIG representative. The PCI Compliance Checklist is sent to the official SIG representative of each SIG member. Check with your company's official SIG representative to obtain this document.

o How do I get the PCI System Design Guide? (Note: Rev. 1.0 is for PCI Local Bus Specification 2.0.)

The design guide was written in 1992 and has not been updated since. The system design guide is now out of sync with the spec and there are now some fundamental errors contained in it. Therefore, the system design guide WILL NOT be updated and has been removed from circulation. If you have a prior version it should only be used with caution since the information is dated and may lead to non-compliance with PCI Rev. 2.1.

o Are there other PCI (SIG) documents that are published and circulating but are not listed on the PCI SIG office's fax list of specifications that can be ordered?

o Where do I get the PCI IDE specification?

This is an internal Intel specification. Intel is considering a request to make it public.

o Where do I get the PCI Small Form Factor (SFF) specification?

(The Small Form Factor has not yet been endorsed by the PCI SIG.)

o Are there any "card-cage" (like VME) form factor specifications for PCI?

The VME vendor community (and others) has developed a PMC (PCI Mezzanine Card) standard for small I/O modules with excellent data rates. There fits 2 cards on each VME board/carrier and still only occupying 1 slot.

I sugggest you contact VITA at info@vita.com, http://www.vita.com,

or 602-951-8866. Ask them for the VMEbus products catalog. You

will find all the "off the shelf" VME cards you need, but also PMC modules.

  • What is Compact PCI? Where do I get the Compact PCI specification?
  • Compact PCI is a PCI specification published by PICMG.

Compact PCI is designed to address the needs of industrial/embedded users who need the performance and functionality of PCI in a more rugged package. It uses a Eurocard rack and card form factor and a high-density 2mm pin and socket connector.

PICMG is the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group. Its mission is to define an industrial PCI passive backplane and CPU card specification within the auspices of the PCI SIG.

For information, send a fax to 617-224-1239 or telephone 617-224-1100.

Alternatively, contact 'compactpci@ziatech.com' for further details.

2. How do I unsubscribe from the pci-sig (or pci-com or pci-bin) mailing list?

Send an email to pci-sig-request@znyx.com (or pci-com-request or pci-bin-request) and put in the "Subject:" line the string

unsubscribe <your address>

where <your address> is replaced by your email address.

If you need to unsubscribe a batch of addresses or if you have other list-related problems, send mail to listmaster@znyx.com.

3. How do I use the pci-sig archives?

To access the archive server, send a message to pci-sig-request (or pci-com-request or pci-bin-request) with the "Subject:" line of the message header containing the string "archive" (without the quotes).

The archive server knows the following commands:

get filename ...

ls directory ...

egrep case_insensitive_regular_expression filename ...

maxfiles nnn

version

Aliases for 'get': send, sendme, getme, gimme, retrieve, mail

Aliases for 'ls': dir, directory, list, show

Aliases for 'egrep': search, grep, fgrep, find

Lines starting with a '#' are ignored (comments). Multiple commands per mail are allowed.

Setting maxfiles to zero (0) will remove the limit (to protect you against yourself, no more than maxfiles files will be returned per request). Egrep supports most common flags.

Examples:

ls latest

get latest/12

egrep some.word latest/*

suggested first time usage:

---------------------------

to: pci-sig-request@znyx.com

subject: archive ls (or any aliases of "ls")

This gives you a list of files that you can "get" or a list of directories that you can do subsequent

"archive ls <directory>" commands on.

subsequent usage for directory information:

-------------------------------------------

to: pci-sig-request@znyx.com

subject: archive ls latest ("latest" is a directory)

or

to: pci-sig-request@znyx.com

subject: archive

text: dir latest

subsequent usage for searching files:

-------------------------------------

to: pci-sig-request@znyx.com

subject: archive search some_string latest/*

or

subject: archive

text: find string1 rules

find string2 latest/*

subsequent usage for retrieving files:

--------------------------------------

to: pci-sig-request@znyx.com

subject: archive get rules ("rules" is a file)

or

subject: archive

text: get rules

get faq (get the latest "FAQ" file)

get latest/111

get latest/222

get latest/333

If you are trying to "get" many files, you need to increase the "maxfiles" parameter so that <maxfiles> file transfers are allowed. The default value of maxfiles is 16.

subject: archive

text: maxfiles 99 (or "maxfiles 0" to allow any number)

get latest/* (get all files in the "latest" directory)

 

4. PCI product development information: who, what, where

This section is meant to contain useful information on products for PCI product development. It is not a directory of PCI end-user products.

* What books are there on PCI? Are they any good?

o PCI Hardware and Software: Architecture and Design Edward Solari and George Willse

(reviewed by Norman Rasmussen and Brad Hosler at Intel) published in 1994 by Annabooks, San Diego, CA (619) 673-0870 ISBN 0-929392-19-1

o PCI System Architecture

MindShare, Inc. Tom Shanley and Don Anderson Addison Wesley (1-800-822-6339)

Third Edition published in 1995 ISBN 0-201-40993-3

* What training is available on PCI?

o Mindshare, Inc

3-day training seminars on site (214) 231-2216

mindshar@interserv.com

[From: twett@InterServ.Com; Tom Wett, Mindshare]

o PCI Design Workshop

October 2 & 3, 1995 Irvine, California

or

December 4 & 5, 1995

Austin, Texas

Presented by: Managed by:

PC2 Consulting LLC Annabooks University

Portland, OR 11838 Bernardo Plaza Court

San Diego, CA 92128-2414

800-462-1042

 

PCI Design Workshop

This two-day course is intended to equip both hardware and software engineers with a working knowledge that goes beyond textbook theory. You will learn directly from the PCI architects and designers through real-life experiences. Combined hardware and software sessions allow the hardware engineers to gain an appreciation of the requirements PCI software places on the hardware, and vice versa. The sessions will conclude with separate advanced hardware and software instruction.

Combined sessions will provide a solid foundation of basic PCI protocols and PCI compatible software.

 

HARDWARE:

[Hardware topics list deleted. Please contact Annabooks for more info. -Ed.]

SOFTWARE:

[Software topics list deleted. Please contact Annabooks for more info. -Ed.]

ADVANCED HARDWARE:

[Advanced hardware topics list deleted. Please contact Annabooks for more info. -Ed.]

ADVANCED SOFTWARE:

[Advanced software topics list deleted. Please contact Annabooks

for more info. -Ed.]

Instructors:

Ed Solari is the author of AT Bus Design and ISA and EISA Theory & Operation, and co- author of PCI Hardware and Software Architecture and Design.

George Willse is co-author of PCI Hardware and Software Architecture and Design, and is the developer of PCI compatible BIOS's for Intel.

Norm Rasmussen is the primary hardware architect for the PCI Specification, and Chairman of the PCI SIG Protocol Workgroup.

Brad Hosler is the primary software architect for the PCI Specification, and is the Chairman of the PCI SIG BIOS/Configuration Workgroup.

Dates:

October 2 & 3, 1995

Hyatt Regency

Irvine, California

December 4 & 5, 1995

Radisson

Austin, Texas

Special hotel rates for students

Hyatt Regency Irvine $89.00

17900 Jamboree Blvd.

(714) 975-1234

Radisson Hotel on Town Lake, Austin $75.00

111 East First Street

(512) 478-9611

All sessions will be held at the Hotel. The special rate is available by calling the Hotel and identifying yourself as an Annabooks University student.

Price: Discounted Tuition $1,195 (paid 30 days in advance).

Late Tuition $1,295.

FAX registration form to 619-673-1432.

FAX (619)673-1432

Call (800)462-1042

(619)673-0870

Annabooks University

PCI Design Workshop

VIP Code: 895 A B C D

* What chipsets are available for PCI host bridges?

(Thanks to Will Dean of OptionExist Ltd; willd@optex.co.uk)

(Thanks to Scott Geranen of Motorola; geranen@phx.mcd.mot.com)

(Thanks to Willem De Lind of Newbridge; willemd@Newbridge.COM)

** General purpose

AMCC for S5930-S5933 PCI Controllers:

Matchmaker series - General purpose PCI interface

Applied Micro Circuits Corporation

6195 Lusk Boulevard

San Diego, CA 92121-2793

619-450-9333

UK Agent:

Amega Electronics Ltd

Loddon Business Centre,

Roentgen Rd. Daneshill East

Basingstoke Hampshire RG24 8NG

+44 1256 843166

Fax +44 1256 842956

Phil Hall - AMCC Product Manager

** i960 bridges

PLX for PCI 9036 and 9060 PCI Controllers:

9060 is a PCI-i960 bridge

PLX Technology

625 Clyde Avenue

Mountain View, CA 94043

415-960-0448

UK Agent -- Silicon Concepts

+44 1428 751617

fax +44 1428 751603

V3 corporation also has a PCI-to-960 bus bridge (V96xPBC) similar

to the PLX9060.

For information contact:

V3 Semiconductor

759 Warden Ave.

Toronto, Ontario Canada M1L 4B5

(416) 285-9188

Attn: Henry Stracovsky (Apps mgr)

** Motorola 68040 bridges and PCI-VME bridges

Newbridge Microsystems for 'Spanner' and 'Universe' chips:

(PCI-VME Bridge and PCI-68040 bridge)

603 March Road

Kanata ON K2K 2M5 Canada

1-800-267-7231

(613) 592-0714

Fax (613) 592-1320

UK Agent - Welvar Electronics Ltd

+44 1634 815033

Fax +44 1634 815033

** VME-to-PCI bridges

ALMA, codeveloped by CETIA and IBM (France):

For more information, please contact Mr. LEBESNERAIS at IBM

Microelectronics France:

tel: 33 1 60 88 50 49

fax: 33 1 60 88 49 20

** AMD 29000 and i960 bridge chips

V3 is sampling an ambitious line of 29000/i960 to PCI chips.

Production Q3, I believe.

V3 Corporation

2348 Walsh Ave. Suite G

Santa Clara, CA 95051

Phone (408) 988-1050

FAX: (408) 988-2601

** Host bridges for PowerPC

MPC105 ("Eagle")

Motorola, Inc.

Semiconductor Products Sector

800-521-6274

http://www.mot.com/SPS/PowerPC

* Who makes PCI-PCI bridges?

o IBM27-82351

IBM Microelectronics

800-IBM-0181

* Who makes PCI-PCI backplane adapters?

o Cyclone Microsystems

Cyclone makes an i960 board with a pair of PLX bridge chips each of which connects to a PCI bus with 4 slots. The bridge chips are PCI 9060's. It's not a hierarchical architecture: both PCI's bridge to the 80960 local bus. You get a total of 8 PCI slots.

Here's their contact information:

Cyclone Microsystems

25 Science Park

New Haven, CT 06511

203.786.5536

* Who makes PCI expansion boxes?

o BIT3

They have a PCI Bus Expansion Chassis with 7 slots. email "info@bit3.com" or use the phone or fax numbers below.

Bit 3 Computer Corporation

8120 Penn Ave. South

Minneapolis, MN 55431-1393

Phone: 612 881 6955

Fax: 612 882 9674

o MAGMA

MAGMA has a PCI Bus Expansion Chassis with 7 slots. Contact: sales@magma.com or phone (619) 457-0750 or FAX to (619) 457-0798.

* Who makes PCI-PCMCIA chips?

Cirrus Logic: call 510-623-8300 and ask for sales.

* Who makes PCI-EIDE or PCI-IDE chips?

o Cirrus Logic: call 510-623-8300 and ask for sales.

The Cirrus Logic PCI-EIDE controller is CL-PD7232.

o Symphony Labs: 408-986-1701

Bus mastering PCI-IDE controller SL92C105 ("Sonata")

* Who writes BIOS Software? What BIOSes support PCI-PCI bridging?

* Who makes logic analyzers for PCI, debugging PCI bus cards, PCI bus

exercisers, PCI bus logic and simulation models, etc.?

o PCI Bus Simulation models:

Logic Modeling Inc.

RaviCad Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA)

Eureka Systems (Milpitas, CA ??)

Sand Microelectronics Inc.

1630 Oakland Road, A-103

San Jose, CA 95131

408-441-7138 (voice)

408-441-7538 (fax)

o American Arium

14281 Chambers Road

Tustin, CA 92680

714-731-1661

They make a PCI bus analyzer (about $20K).

o VMETRO

VMETRO (Houston, TX/Oslo, Norway) has introduced a new Bus Analyzer: the PBT-315 PCI Bus Analyzer, implemented as a single- slot PCI short card. The analyzer is capable of monitoring all bus activity on 32-bit as well as 64-bit PCI bus motherboards with a spare expansion slot.

The PBT-315 PCI Bus Analyzer has a list price of $6995 and is available from September '95.

For additional information about this new product, please contact:

In the USA:

Arne K. Maeland VMETRO Inc.

Phone: (713) 584 0728 1880 Dairy Ashford, #535

Fax: (713) 584 9034 Houston, TX 77077, USA

Email: analyzers@vmetro.com

In Europe/Asia:

Thomas Nygaard VMETRO A/S

Phone: +47 2210 6090 Nedre Rommen 5

Telefax: +47 2210 6202 N-0988 Oslo, Norway

Email: thomasny@vmetro.oslonett.no

* Who makes PCI compliance testing adapters and software?

o PCI SIG

The test card from the PCI SIG tests BIOS compliance only. Specifically, the board is needed for testing the POST. Other stand-alone software tests run-time BIOS functions. See the description below.

PCI System BIOS and Device BIOS/Configuration Testing Kit

This kit will help the developers of PCI systems have a level of confidence that the products they design support the features

detailed in the PCI Local Bus Specification and the PCI BIOS Specification. Additionally developers of PCI devices can achieve a level of confidence that their products and BIOS perform

correctly in a PCI system. The Kit contains an electrically compliant PCI add-in card and necessary software to perform extensive tests on a multitude of possible configuration and run-time tasks that PCI systems must perform to operate correctly. Extensive testing is performed to insure that operation occurs correctly in real mode, 16-bit protected mode, and 32-bit protected mode. Boundary and range checks are made to check that devices and calls behave correctly in a number of different configuration environments. Interrupt testing is performed to insure compliance with the PCI Rev 2.0 Specification. Support of multiple function PCI devices is tested. This kit is designed to operate with DOS. Other OS environments are not supported at this time. The kit consists of an add-in test stimulus card and five software test utilities:

Test Stimulus Card

This card serves two purposes. It acts as a reconfigurable resource requester that presents varying system resource demands (memory, I/O, expansion ROM, and interrupts) each time the system boots. Acting in concert with the test software (PCIPOST), this card tests the POST for typical and corner conditions, including acting as a multi-function device. This card also generates interrupts to enable testing of the interrupt path from the add-in card to the PIC.

PCIPOST

This test software works with the test stimulus card to test the functionality of the PCI portion of the Power-On Self Test (POST) of a PC's BIOS. The POST is responsible for assigning values to

registers in configuration space which PCI devices use to request address ranges and interrupt lines. The add-in card is programmed by PCIPOST to request different memory, I/O, and interrupt values and the system rebooted. After the system's POST runs, PCIPOST ensures that the BIOS has assigned valid values for all requests. A wide range of configurations are presented which thoroughly test the POST for PCI compliance.

PCIEXP

This test also utilizes the stimulus card to test for proper handling of expansion ROMs by the POST. Proper parsing of the ROM data structure, showing, and execution of the INIT code are tested.

PCIINT

This test uses the stimulus card to generate an assigned interrupt and verifies the physical path from the card to the programmable interrupt controller and tests that level triggered interrupts are

the type supported. It also ensures that software configurable interrupt routing is implemented properly and compatibly for PCI.

PCIDIAG

This stand-alone test exercises the run-time portion of the PCI extensions to a PC's BIOS. It tests real, 16-bit protected, and 32-bit protected modes of BIOS operation.

CRDTST

This stand alone test examines the implementation of configuration space of PCI devices to ensure adherence to the PCI Specification. The examination covers class codes, vendor IDs, base address registers, interrupts, etc., and flags errors then explains the cause(s). Warnings are also flagged that indicate possible problems. These require user knowledge of the PCI Specification to resolve.

Cost: $800.00 (US)

How to order: Call 1-800-433-5177 (US) or 503-797-4207 (international).

Method of payment: Major credit card or check (sorry, P.O.'s not accepted).

* When are the next PCI Compliance Workshops?

PCI Compliance Workshop #6

September 19-21, 1995

Crown Sterling Suites

Milpitas, CA U.S.A.

This is the sixth PCI Compliance Workshop held to promote PCI LOCAL BUS SPECIFICATION compliance. Our goal is to eliminate interoperability problems by ensuring proper implementation of PCI products.

The PCI Special Interest Group will facilitate the process by scheduling private, 1 hour test session between board and system vendors. The SIG will provide technical consultants to assist in testing and debug. Engineers must accompany all equipment tested.

Successful completion of the testing at this event and completion of the PCI Checklist is required for inclusion on the PCI SIG Integrator's List. The PCI SIG Integrators List is published quarterly to PCI SIG members in good standing and is a PCI SIG confidential document.

The PCI Compliance Workshop is open to PCI SIG members only and all participants must be registered.

o Dates, Location and Registration

The PCI Compliance Workshop will be held Tuesday-Thursday, September 19, 20, 21, 1995, at the Crown Sterling Suites in Milpitas, California (Silicon Valley area).

The workshop registration and hotel reservation DEADLINE is August 30, 1995.

A complete registration packet can be retrieved from the PCI SIG home page on the World Wide Web (WWW) at URL: http://www.teleport.com/~pc2/pcisigindex.html

A registration packet can also be obtained via email by sending a request to pc2@teleport.com or via FAX by calling (503) 297-5090.

* Who makes PCI extender cards?

o Kaitek Engineering can fax information on their PCI extender cards and prototype boards. They also provide similar products for PCMCIA. They can be reached at:

Kaitek Engineering

9051 Pelican Ave

Fountain Valley, CA 92708 USA

Tel : (714) 964-6405

Fax : (714) 965-9935

o FuturePlus sells a PCI Preprocessor card for HP analyzers that is also an extender. I think they sell an extender only version also.

FuturePlus

15 Howard Road

Westford MA 01886

phone 508-392-9016

fax 508-392-9526

email 71035.3052@compuserve.com

o Catalyst Enterprises

PO BOX 20031

San Jose CA 95160

408-268-4145

o ADEX Electronics

ADEX Electronics makes one (Irvine CA). Give them a call at 714/597-1772. We've had good luck with their ISA isolater/extender/probe cards, and their latest literature lists a new PCI card now.

o Tile PCIX-basic

This is a simple extender, much like a traditional ISA extender card. It consists of a main card plus a right-angle sub-card carrying a single PCI socket. The main card plugs into the PCI slot on the motherboard. The sub-card and the main card are hooked up with DIN 41612 connectors so that the physical orientation can be varied by chosing different 41612s.

Price: $149.

More information: sales@tile.demon.co.uk

o Tile PCIX-PPB

This extender features a DEC PCI-PCI bridge, hot swapping, and clock regeneration. As with the mini-extender, it consists of a main card plus a right-angle sub-card.

Mounted on the main card are a DEC 21050 PCI-PCI bridge, a PLX clock distribution chip, and a power/bus switch with and hot-swap isolation on the downstream side of the 21050.

Price: $349.

More information: sales@tile.demon.co.uk

o AZ-Com PCI Electronic Extender

This is a half-height card featuring over-current sensing, active power switching, hot-swapping, software control of power switches from a PC port, and a breadboard area.

Price: $549

More information: AZ-Com, Orinda, CA

Tel: +1-510-947-1000

Fax: +1-510-947-1900

o NewBus/Silicon Control PCI Electronic Extender

This extender has approximately the same features as the AZ-Com

product.

Price: $395

More information: NewBus/Silicon Control, Deerfield, IL

* Who makes PCI prototype boards?

o Auspex Engineering

9051 Pelican Ave

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

(714)964-6405 phone

(714)965-9935 fax

PCI Local Bus Prototype Board: 5V 32 bit

Part Number: 34-0394001

Price: $119.00

It's a bare board with 100 mil center isolated pads with plated through holes. No PCI interface circuitry.

o Kaitek Engineering

9051 Pelican Ave

Fountain Valley, CA 92708 USA

Tel : (714) 964-6405

Fax : (714) 965-9935

* Who makes ISA retainers for PCI expansion cards?

o Gompf Brackets, Inc.

14304 258th Ave. S.E.

Issaquah, WA 98027-8356

Voice: (206)391-0495, Fax: (206)391-0496

PCI ISA Retainer, Part #9100-0000B

They also make ISA Brackets, many standard cutouts, and will make

custom brackets as well.

* Who makes ASIC silicon that works with PCI signaling?

* Who makes FPGA products that work with PCI?

o AT&T Microelectronics (ATT2Cxx ORCA family) (800) 372-2447

There is an app note in the latest AT&T ORCA FPGA databook covering

a PCI interface.

Anyone interested in further information should contact their local AT&T Microelectronics sales rep. Literature and information about who your rep is can both be obtained by calling (800) 372-2447.

o Xilinx (FPGAs and EPLDs); for infomation, contact Xilinx at email address: pci@xilinx.com

o Altera

o QuickLogic

QuickLogic also purports to have PCI-ready FPGAs. They have an

application note in their 1995 databook describing an

implementation of a target interface.

QuickLogic's line is a family of very fast, but anti-fuse (i.e.,

OTP [One-Time Programmble]) FPGA's, second sourced by Cypress.

Worth looking into if something like that would be of use.

QuickLogic

2933 Bunker Hill Lane

Santa Clara, CA 95054

Phone (408) 987-2000

FAX: (408) 987-2012

email: info@qlogic.com

[From: willemd@Newbridge.COM (Willem De Lind)]

* Who makes PCI motherboards?

The following boards have more than two PCI slots:

ASUS

ACER

Gigabyte

FIC

ECS

Micronics

Mylex

AMI

Microstar

FCT

Visit http://www.surfusa.com/ for Gigabyte and ASUS.

* Who is making 64-bit PCI systems?

* Who is making 66 MHz PCI systems?

* What processors are using PCI as the CPU bus?

* Who makes Mobile PCI products?

* Who makes Small Form Factor PCI products?

* Other areas as appropriate

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5. Specification Questions

(This section is for protocol/timing type questions, although I notice that these questions tend to be "asked once" rather than "asked frequently." And many questions in this area will be better answered by the 2.1 PCI specification rather than here. However, if anyone wants to insert a Q/A in this category, this place is reserved for it.)