PCI-X is the successor to the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Bus Specification, the current standard that enables communication between peripheral devices and the computer processor. A major improvement over the older PCI technology, PCI-X enables significantly higher performance with transfer rates of up to 1.06 GB per second.
PCI-X System Architecture is a detailed and comprehensive guide to the PCI-X technology. It highlights the many changes and improvements from PCI 2.2 to PCI-X so that you can build on your PCI knowledge to master PCI-X with greater ease. The book discusses the drawbacks of PCI and how PCI-X solves these problems, achieving faster transfer rates. In addition, it presents in-depth information and practical guidance on the PCI-X transaction protocol, device configuration for PCI-X, load tuning, PCI-X bridges, error detection and handling, and electrical issues. You will find specific information on such key topics as:
The CD-ROM includes a 70-minute PCI-X overview video by Tom Shanley, featuring an introduction to the basic concepts underlying PCI-X bus technology. Topics covered include terminology, detection of PCI-X-capable functions, the block-oriented bus, transaction types and phases, a detailed explanation of an example transaction, and how split transactions replace the delayed transactions of PCI.
Anyone who designs or tests hardware or software that involves the PCI-X bus will find that PCI-X System Architecture is an essential resource for understanding and working with this important technology.