The Product Listing Request Form provides a means for each company to indicate their preference as to how they would like their qualifying product/s listed. It also allows each company some control as to when their product/s will be listed. Waiting to submit the Product Listing Request Form ensures that products will not be added to the Integrators list until they are ready.

ECNs (Engineering Change Notifications) are improvements to the specification that are officially approved, but don't demand a full-scale revision to the specification. The list of ECNs that were incorporated into version 3.0 of the specification is included within the specification.

Technical support is one of the many benefits of membership. Send your questions to pcitech@pcisig.com.

Specifications are available online to PCI-SIG members on our Specifications web page.

Developers of PCI products are bound by an honor code to ensure that their products are compliant to the most current version of the PCI specification. A list of products that have passed Compliance and Interoperability testing at previous Compliance Workshops, known as the Integrators List, is available on our Integrators List web page.

See the latest schedule of Compliance Workshops and their locations on our Events web page.

PCI Version 3.0 continues to provide the backbone technology for multiple bus specifications: PCI-X, PCI Hot-Plug, Low Profile PCI, and Mini PCI.

PCI-SIG is a global organization bringing benefits and technical support to companies throughout Europe, Japan, Asia and North America. The PCI-SIG engages in workshops and seminars for its international members in order to keep the global developer audience up to date on PCI technology. PCI-SIG currently has more than 700 member companies.

PCI-SIG membership is an important element in developing PCI products. Only PCI-SIG members are allowed to participate in compliance workshops and technology seminars, they receive free technical support and automated updates on ECNs, and they are proactively informed of ongoing news of the PCI-SIG and the development of PCI products and specifications.

Developers of PCI products are bound by an honor code to ensure that their products are compliant to the most current version of the PCI specification. A list of compliant products, known as the Integrators List, is available to members only at PCI-SIG's website at www.pcisig.com.

ECNs are improvements to the specification that are officially approved by PCI-SIG yet don't demand a full-scale revision to the specification. All approved ECNs are considered part of the current specification and must be implemented to maintain compliance. For a list of the most current ECNs, please visit our Specifications web page.

Specifications are available on our Specifications web page for members and can be ordered by non-members from our Ordering Information web page.

Technical support for PCI-SIG specifications is one of the many benefits of membership. Technical Support may be reached at pcitech@pcisig.com.

If your company is a member and you are visiting for the first time, select the Members Log In link from the Membership drop-down menu and select Register Now! to receive a username and password. If you have forgotten your password, select the Forgot your password? link to receive a new password.

Please use the Contact Us form available on our Contact Us web page.

Membership information is available on our Membership web page.

Vendor ID assignments are given upon joining PCI-SIG.

A list of the vendor IDs can be found on our Member Companies web page.

Information on ordering PCI specifications is available on our Ordering Information web page.

The order form is available on our Ordering Information web page.

Please email PCI-SIG Administration with your request.

PCI-SIG is the industry organization that is chartered with maintenance of the PCI bus specification. Formed in June 1992, PCI-SIG effectively places ownership and management of the PCI specifications in the hands of the developer community. PCI-SIG works to support new requirements to the specification while maintaining backward compatibility for all PCI revisions and addenda. PCI-SIG works on behalf of the entire industry, not specific vendor interests.

PCI-SIG utilizes a secure online portal for credit card payments. Entering your credit card information authorizes PCI-SIG to charge your card the amount invoiced.

PCI-X 2.0 is the next generation of PCI. It builds upon previous generations of PCI including the electricals, protocols, signals names and functions, connectors, etc. It also maintains backward compatibility with conventional PCI. It is the next logical advance in the world's most popular PC bus. There have been many generations of PCI, which all build upon each other. The PCI bus began with a 32-bit / 33MHz specification. Over time, to increase performance, 64-bit and 66MHz versions were introduced. To increase the bus speed and reduce latency PCI-X 1.0 was developed, with a maximum clock speed of 133 MHz. PCI-X 1.0 also introduced improved protocols, such as the split-transaction protocol which allows more efficient use of bus bandwidth, resulting in throughput gains beyond the simple increases in clock speed and bus width. Because of the demand for even higher throughput and to improve error correction, the PCI-X 2.0 specification was developed. It extends the bus frequency to 266 MHz and 533MHz and adds advanced features like Error Code Correction (ECC), while still maintaining backward compatibility to the first generation.

There are four speed grades in the PCI-X 2.0 specification: PCI-X 66, PCI-X 133, PCI-X 266, and PCI-X 533. The PCI-X 66 and PCI-X 133 speed grades were included in the PCI-X 1.0 specification; they support 66MHz, and 133MHz PCI-X respectively. 100MHz PCI-X has been implemented in the market by using PCI-X 133 adapter cards. Both PCI-X 266 and PCI-X 533 are new to PCI-X 2.0; they are the 266MHz and 533MHz versions of the specification. All four speed grades are included in the PCI-X 2.0 specification.

Yes. PCI-X 2.0 is logically backward compatible to all previous generations and speed grades of PCI and PCI-X. PCI-X 266 and PCI-X 533 devices are electrically compatible with 3.3V and 1.5V IO buffers only; they are not compatible with 5V PCI.

The PCI-X 2.0 specification introduces features such as Error Correction Code (ECC), 1.5V signaling, source-synchronous strobes, device ID messages, and a 16-bit version. The ECC improves the robustness of the interface. Likewise, the 1.5V signaling and strobes improve the performance so that the bus can run at 533MHz. Device ID messages are designed to enable a whole new class of peer-to-peer transfer applications. The 16-bit version of the bus is designed for embedded applications where bandwidth can be traded-off to reduce device pin counts.

The target applications for PCI-X 2.0 technology are the workstation and server segments of the computer industry.

The 16-bit application of PCI-X is uniquely suited for applications that require a reduced cost interface. The 16-bit functionality can be implemented either by creating a stand-alone 16-bit bus, or by breaking a 64-bit bus into four different segments of 16-bits each. For example, a peer-to-peer bridge with a 64-bit PCI-X 533 interface on its secondary side could alternatively implement four independent buses, each 16 bits wide, to support four independent loads each running at 533MHz. This capability may be particularly interesting for embedded applications.

PCI-X 2.0 supports both point-to-point loads and multi-drop loads. A PCI-X bus running at 66MHz can support four card slots. A PCI-X bus running at 100MHz can support two slots (when using PCI-X 133 adapter cards). At higher speeds (PCI-X 133, PCI-X 266, and PCI-X 533) one slot is supported.

In embedded environments where components are soldered down and connectors aren't used there exists the possibility for multiple loads at 133MHz. However, these electrical environments are not defined in the specification, since interoperability isn't an issue in embedded applications. It is left to the user to validate multiple embedded loads at the higher clock frequencies.

The transition to PCI-X 266 and PCI-X 533 is shorter than that of other technologies because it leverages and reuses much of the technology in the PCI-X 1.0 specification. The architecture, state machine, bus functional model, device drivers, signals and signal functionality, pin-outs, connector, test suites, form factors, layouts, and design tools are all either identical to PCI-X 1.0, or are highly leveraged.

PCI-X 2.0 is highly cost-effective throughout the entire cost structure. PCI-X 2.0 uses very little silicon for its protocol engine and uses very little silicon for its physical interface. It requires minimal redesign from earlier versions of PCI, maintains the same low cost connector, uses similar design tools and testing methodology and equipment. It uses the same board form factor that has already been designed into previous systems and requires no new BIOS, device drivers, or operating systems. For high-bandwidth systems it maintains similar pin counts to serial technologies.

• PCI Express architecture is an industry standard high-performance, general-purpose serial I/O interconnect designed for use in enterprise, desktop, mobile, communications and embedded platforms. It has many state-of-the-art attributes, including:
  • PCI compatibility using the established PCI software programming models, thus facilitating a smooth transition to new hardware while allowing software to evolve to take advantage of PCI Express features
  • A cost-effective, low-pin count interface offering maximum bandwidth per pin, reducing cost and design complexity and enabling smaller form factors
  • Scalable bandwidth of 16 Gigabytes per second at its initial signaling rate of 2.5GHz with much higher transfer rates in the future using higher frequency signaling technologies
  • Support for multiple interconnect widths via 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 32 lane configurations aggregated to match application bandwidth needs Support for new and innovative, hot-plug/hot-swap add-in card and module devices
  • Unique, advanced features such as Power Management, Quality of Service and other native functions not available in other I/O architectures

The interconnect demands of emerging computing and communications platforms exceed the capabilities of traditional parallel buses such as PCI. Innovations such as 10GHz and higher CPU speeds, faster memories, high-end graphics, gigabit networking and storage interfaces, and high-performance consumer devices have driven the need for a system interconnect with much greater bandwidth scalability and lower cost of implementation. PCI Express architecture uniquely meets these varying market segment requirements.

PCI-SIG holds regular Compliance Workshops in various locations around the world to satisfy the needs of its members. These workshops are intended for members to demonstrate their product's interoperability with those of other PCI-SIG members. Member products that successfully demonstrate interoperability at a workshop are listed on the PCI-SIG Integrators List. Member products that conform to the PCI Express architecture may use the PCI Express logo (registered trademark of PCI-SIG) subject to the PCI-SIG Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines.

The PCI Express architecture suite of specifications can be described as follows:

PCI Express Base Specification: the core specification for the multi-layered PCI Express architecture. It is currently at revision 1.1.
PCI Express Card Electromechanical Specification: the ATX-based form factors.
PCI Express Mini Card Electromechanical Specification: the BTO/CTO mobile platform form factor.
PCI Express to PCI/PCI-X? Bridge Specification: the bridging architecture to enable PCI Express components to function with legacy PCI devices.
PCI Express x16 Graphics 150W-ATX: the considerations for power and thermal issues in the next generation of platforms with leading-edge graphics and multimedia applications to deliver higher performance capabilities.
PCI Express ExpressModule?: a hot-pluggable modular form factor defined for servers and workstations.

PCI Express x16 Graphics 150W-ATX 1.0 is a supplementary specification to the PCI Express architecture specification specifically for delivery for higher performance capabilities for the next generation of platforms with leading-edge graphics and multimedia applications. The specification considers power and thermal issues in these platforms and provides a solution space for designers of these systems.

The ExpressModule Specification is a PCI Express modular form factor defined for Servers & Workstations. Its ease-of-use packaging and integrated features provide benefits to many customers and system integrators (OEM, IHV, VAR and End-users). The ExpressModule enables and promotes fundamental improvements in the way Servers & Workstations are built and serviced.

The ExpressCard standard was created by a broad coalition of PCMCIA member companies, including Dell, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Lexar Media, Microsoft, SCM Microsystems and Texas Instruments. PCMCIA developed the new standard with assistance from the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) and PCI-SIG. PCMCIA was a non-profit trade association founded in 1989 to establish technical standards for PC Card technology and to promote interchangeability among computer systems. In 2010, PCMCIA transferred its technology assets to the USB-IF and dissolved as an organization.

ExpressCard technology is the name of a standard introduced by PCMCIA in Spring 2003. The ExpressCard standard promises to deliver thinner, faster and lighter modular expansion to desktop and notebook computer users. Consumers will be able to add hardware capabilities such as memory, wired and wireless communications and security features by simply inserting a module into their systems. All ExpressCard slots will accommodate modules designed to use either Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, or the emerging PCI Express standards. Over time ExpressCard technology is expected to become the preferred solution for hot-pluggable internal I/O expansion for desktop and mobile computers.