PCIe switching device increases data throughput

The PEX 8518 is billed as the industry's only five-port 16-lane PCI Express switching device.

PLX Technology has further expanded its PCIe silicon portfolio with the introduction of the PEX 8518, the industry's only five-port, 16-lane PCIe switching device.

The newest device in PLX's second generation of ExpressLane PCIe switches with unprecedented performance and flexibility, the PEX 8518 delivers an array of features ideal for PCIe-based designs.

Its new, cut-through architecture helps increase data throughput, and its small (23 x 23mm BGA) package reduces power consumption and space requirements on motherboards and addon cards.

Additionally, the PEX 8518 is fully compliant with Revision 1.1, the latest PCI Express Base Specification.

With an architecture optimised for low packet latency (under 150ns), the PEX 8518 enables storage systems to move data more efficiently between disk arrays and system memory.

These systems also benefit from the switch's large buffer memory by improving congestion management during peak traffic periods, without degrading system performance.

Additionally, the switch's flexible ports allow users to match each port to an endpoint's bandwidth requirement, such as assigning a x2 PCIe port with a 3Gbit/s Serial Attached SCSI interface.

Quality of service is provided through the PEX 8518's two virtual channels (VCs) per port.

These VCs allow optimal use of the port bandwidth, and improve performance in multimedia and communications systems by enabling a particular traffic class to receive priority in available bandwidth.

Furthermore, the I2C bus on the PEX 8518 provides an out-of-band interface to ease configuration of the switch in systems such as AdvancedTCA chassis and routers.

Its unparalleled flexibility allows the PEX 8518's 16 lanes to be configured in five hot-plug-capable ports of varying widths.

Any port can be configured as upstream - its width can be from x1 to x8 - while the remaining lanes can be configured in any allowable number of ports and widths.

This flexibility enables PCIe port aggregation and peer-to-peer communication in a wide range of applications such as Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel adapters, graphics fan-out designs, intelligent I/O modules and Advanced Mezzanine Cards.

"PLX's first-generation ExpressLane switches and bridges have been providing designers for nearly a year with the building blocks of system- and board-level products that take advantage of PCI Express technology", said Akber Kazmi, Senior Product Marketing Manager at PLX.

"With the PEX 8518, along with our recently announced eight-lane PCI Express switch and upcoming second-generation ExpressLane switching devices, PLX is establishing a new benchmark in features and performance, while enabling greater design flexibility and efficiency".

The PEX 8518 can be connected directly to the PCIe port of a processor or to a root complex.

At power-up or reset, the switch automatically configures itself to the desired mode of operation, while each port auto-negotiates and adapts to the device to which it's attached.

The PEX 8518's nontransparent bridging (NTB) function enables processor-domain isolation, which is required in multiple-host, fail-over, intelligent I/O and load-sharing applications.

Combined with its NTB and hot plug capabilities, the PEX 8518's internal memory error corrections and end-to-end packet error detection make the switch suitable for high-availability applications.

Furthermore, its programmable serdes, PCIe power management and Wake/Beacan/Vaux functions enable designers to develop environmentally friendly systems.

As with virtually all PLX interconnect devices, the PEX 8518 is supported by the PLX rapid development kit (RDK) line of tools.

The PLX PEX 8518RDK includes a proven, working hardware platform incorporating the PEX 8518 chip, a complete set of board schematics, symbols, and layout files for hardware design.

The kit also features an extensive software development kit that includes a graphical utility for access to chip registers, sample drivers and a support library for Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems.

The PEX 8518RDK also can be used as an evaluation vehicle for the PEX 8518.

PLX is the recognised leader in PCIe technology, a position reflected in its role as the supplier of the industry's broadest array of PCIe switches and bridges.

Unlike vendors of PCIe devices with limited flexibility, PLX offers 8-, 16-, 24-, and 32-lane switches, along with PCI/PCI-X-to-PCIe bridges, to enable board and system manufacturers to choose the devices that meet their specific system requirements.

Three ExpressLane PCIe switches and bridges are in production and two other devices have been in general sampling for several months.

These devices are being designed into graphics, server, storage, industrial control, and communications applications.

The PEX 8518 is scheduled to sample in January 2006, with production expected in early 2006, and is priced at under $30 in volume quantities.

The switch is available in both standard and lead-free packages for industrial and commercial temperature ranges.

The PEX 8518RDK will be available in January 2006 and is priced at $900.

Back to top