I am somewhat experienced when it comes to hardware development on the older
ISA and embedded SOC boards. However, I would like to get into h/w
designing using PCI/e interfacing.

What I need most is to find information on PCI/e hardward interfacing
techniques, most probably a "HOWTO" on DIY hardware (using commercial
available interfacing IC's available today) implementation.

Has anyone found any good reference DIY sites?
Anyone know of "low priced" PCI/e development kits?

Thanks.

=====================================
grahame ?/at/? wildpossum ?\dot\? com
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<veröffentlicht & per E-Mail versendet>

g.m.k. wrote:

> I am somewhat experienced when it comes to hardware development
> on the older ISA and embedded SOC boards. However, I would like
> to get into h/w designing using PCI/e interfacing.
>
> What I need most is to find information on PCI/e hardward
> interfacing techniques, most probably a "HOWTO" on DIY hardware
> (using commercial available interfacing IC's available today)
> implementation.
>
> Has anyone found any good reference DIY sites?
> Anyone know of "low priced" PCI/e development kits?

There are plenty of resources on "old" PCI design. PCI is quite
easy, signal frequency is 33MHz, which can still be dealt with
with DIY methods. You might be interested in the PLX9050, which
bridges PCI with a target I/O. This IC has been used in many
conversions of ISA devices to PCI.

PCI-E is another beast. From a software point of view it looks
like PCI. However everything else is a lot more advanced:
Differential signalling, serial protocoll, GHz frequencies.
Heck, you've even take the dielectricity of your PCB base
material into consideration. Now PLX also offers ICs that bridge
PCI-E to PCI. So in theory you could cascade PCI-E <-> PCI <->
I/O. The datasheets of those devices contain ready to use PCB
layouts - don't alter them, or you're getting serious trouble.
Also stick to the given board material (dielectric constant).

http://www.plxtech.com/products/expresslane/bridges.asp

Wolfgang Draxinger
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