Unifying Storage Diversity: Leveraging PCIe IP for Multi-Device, Multi Form Factor Designs


In the fast-paced world of data storage, designers are racing to keep up with ever-evolving interface standards and form factors. This whitepaper explores the impact of these industry shifts, focusing on the integration of PCIe interfaces within the context of varying storage device form factors like the Enterprise and Datacenter Standard Form Factor (EDSFF). PCIe designs need to be flexible in... » read more

Essential Insights for Design PCIe 6.0 Interconnects


PCI Express (PCIe) is a serial communication protocol that has progressed through generations to enhance data rates and functionality. The latest version, PCIe 6.0, doubles the data rate to 64 GT/s, enabling up to 256 GB/s of bandwidth in an x16 configuration. The technology incorporates PAM4 signaling and forward error correction to maintain high speeds with improved signal integrity and relia... » read more

Survey of CXL Implementations and Standards (Intel, Microsoft)


A new technical paper titled "An Introduction to the Compute Express Link (CXL) Interconnect" was published by researchers at Intel Corporation, Microsoft, and University of Washington. Abstract "The Compute Express Link (CXL) is an open industry-standard interconnect between processors and devices such as accelerators, memory buffers, smart network interfaces, persistent memory, and solid-... » read more

PCIe 7.0: Speed, Flexibility & Efficiency For The AI Era


As the industry came together for PCI-SIG DevCon last month, one thing took center stage, and that was PCI Express 7.0. While still in the final stages of development, the world is certainly ready for this significant new milestone of the PCIe specification. Let’s look at how PCIe 7.0 is poised to address the escalating demands of AI, high-performance computing, and emerging data-intensive ap... » read more

PCIe 6.0 Address Translation Services: Verification Challenges And Strategies


Address Translation Services (ATS) is a mechanism in PCIe that allows devices to request address translations from the Input/Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU). This is particularly important where devices need to access virtual memory. ATS enhances performance by enabling devices to cache translations, reducing the latency associated with memory access. This blog delves into the semantics ... » read more

Why PCIe 7.0 Over Optics


By Keivan Javadi Khasraghi and Ruben Sousa Data centers are currently facing the increasing need to enhance their bandwidth capacities. This surge is largely driven by the rise of new technologies, especially the growing demand for AI and machine learning applications. As these technologies advance, bandwidth requirements are projected to expand dramatically. As Large Language Models (LLMs) ... » read more

PCIe 7.0 Takes Center Stage At PCI-SIG DevCon ’24


From the simplest building blocks like GPIOs to the most advanced high-speed interfaces, IP subsystems are the lifeblood of the chipmaking ecosystem. A key enabler for IP has been the collaboration between industry and academia in the creation of standards and protocols for interfaces. PCI-SIG drives some of the key definitions and compliance specifications and ensures the interoperability of i... » read more

Testing PCI Express 5.0 PHY Transmitter Performance Without Analysis Software


PCI Express (PCIe) 5.0 silicon characterization across process, voltage, and temperature variations, is necessary for accelerating SoC designs. To measure key qualifying parameters, designers and test engineers must have a good understanding of the PCIe 5.0 base electrical specification and know the physical layer’s design architecture and features for accurate characterization of 32GT/s PHY ... » read more

Data Center Evolution: The Leap to 64 GT/s Signaling with PCI Express 6.1


The PCI Express (PCIe) interface is the critical backbone that moves data at high bandwidth and low latency between various compute nodes such as CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, and workload-specific accelerators. With the rapid rise in bandwidth demands of advanced workloads such as AI/ML training, PCIe 6.1 jumps signaling to 64 GT/s with some of the biggest changes yet in the standard. Find more inform... » read more

Rigorous Correlation Methodology for PCIe 5.0 & PCIe 6.0 DSP Based IBIS-AMI Models


IBIS-AMI models have been around for a decade and evolved to provide off-chip and system designers an efficient way to assess link performance of high-speed electrical interfaces with transceivers implementing various combination of equalization techniques [1]. As with any model, for IBIS-AMI to be useful they need to be benchmarked and carefully correlated to real-world silicon performance of ... » read more

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