PCI Express work points to advanced switching

PLX Technology has joined the newly formed Advanced Switching Interconnect Special Interest Group.

PLX Technology has joined the newly formed Advanced Switching Interconnect Special Interest Group (ASI SIG).

PLX has been an active participant in the advanced switching (AS) specification development since the protocol's inception and will continue to play a significant roll within the ASI SIG.

PLX brings to the ASI SIG a wealth of expertise and rich history in advanced I/O interconnects.

In addition to PLX efforts in AS, the company is also developing PCI Express technology solutions.

PLX recently demonstrated a fully functional AdvancedTCA (ATCA) platform with an early engineering version of the industry's first PCI Express switch and bridge devices - which provide a smooth migration path to future AS-based designs.

Because AS re-uses the PCI Express PHY and link layer architectural foundation, system designers will benefit through common serdes designs on the backplane and line card, while taking advantage of the tremendous ecosystem being built for PCI Express.

PLX envisions the cost of eventual AS silicon being lower than if this migration path didn't exist.

Contributing to this migration is that PCI Express Base, representing the first wave of PCI Express, allows a range of applications to take advantage now of many of the features AS will provide, such as scalability, error handling, flow control and multi-host support.

AS will add to this feature set a range of capabilities, including advanced congestion management and multiprotocol support.

"Advanced switching adds an entirely new dimension to the server, storage and communications markets, making the ASI SIG both essential and welcome", said Jack Regula, PLX Vice President and Chief Technical Officer.

"The work PLX has done over the last decade in championing I/O interconnect standards will be leveraged it its role in the ASI SIG, particularly as system designs migrate from PCI Express Base to AS".

"PLX continues to demonstrate its commitment to and leadership in Advanced Switching technology", said Rajeev Kumar, President of the Advanced Switching Interconnect SIG and advanced switching technology manager in the Intel Communications Group.

"Because the industry's first implementations will be through legacy bridges, PLX's expertise and proven track record in switches and bridges will play an important role in how AS progresses as a specification.

PLX has clearly positioned itself to be at the forefront of this industry transition".

In 2001 PLX was named a key developer of the Arapahoe Work Group (AWG), an industry body that ushered PCI Express into the communications, server, storage and embedded-control industries.

The ASI SIG, formally announced this week, is being formed to govern AS development among its members and align itself with other industry bodies.

The group will be structured to include general membership, technology and marketing subgroups.

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