As PCI-SIG® celebrates its 30^th year, the PCI-SIG Board of Directors recognized an individual for his countless hours of service and contributions to the development and expansion of the PCI Express (PCIe®) specification. Congratulations to David Harriman of Intel, the recipient of the DevCon 2022 Chairperson’s Award. David has been involved with the PCI-SIG Protocol Working Group since the beginning of PCIe technology, overseeing the group’s work on PCIe specifications. In the following interview, he discusses what this recognition means to him and his work on advancing the PCIe technology ecosystem.

What does this award mean to you?

My work chairing the PCIe Protocol Workgroup has been a significant part of my professional life for many years. I have the privilege to work with many sharp people, and to help develop some very exciting technology. It’s an honor, and humbling, to be recognized.

What are your proudest achievements related to PCIe technology in the past year?

I’m very pleased that we published the PCIe 6.0 base specification in early 2022. There is a lot of new content in the specification besides the (very important) speed doubling, and I feel good that we have paved the way for several more future revisions.

What has been the most fulfilling aspect of being a part of PCI-SIG for you?

Being able to develop ideas and see them through to the marketplace with broad industry support has been very fulfilling. PCI-SIG has an unparalleled breadth of adoption and therefore impact on the industry—reflecting its strength as an organization. It’s great to be a part of it.

What do you feel is the impact of PCI-SIG and PCIe technology in the industry?

Computers are useless if the data is stuck inside – we provide the plumbing to move enormous amounts of data within and between systems. The ubiquity and breadth of PCIe technology in turn amplifies its own strength as a technology because people who build with it have great flexibility to quickly adapt to market changes and new technology requirements, with minimal risk.

Where do you see PCIe technology progressing in the next year?

I had hoped we would get to rest a little after PCIe 6.0 specification – that was a lot of work!  But, of course, a lot of new capability development was held off because of PCIe 6.0 specification, and the PCIe 7.0 Specification is coming, so I think we’re going to continue to be quite busy throughout the remainder of 2022 and on through 2023.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I’m very happy we’re able to meet in person again. It was good that we were able to find new ways to communicate and work together, but there’s no substitute for in-person gatherings. 

PCI-SIG DevCon Materials Available on Demand

PCI-SIG DevCon 2022 presentation recordings and slides are available for members to view on Causeway. If you registered for the event, you still have access via the event link and password you were provided upon registration. If you missed registration, you can still receive access to the event materials via the event platform. Please reach out to pcidevcon@pcisig.com for assistance.

Stay tuned for blog interviews from the other PCI-SIG US DevCon 2022 Chairperson’s Award Recipients: Debendra Das Sharma and Richard Solomon.