Product category: Communications ICs (Wired)
News Release from: NetChip Technology | Subject: NET4160
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 11 February 2004
Bridge speeds migration to PCI Express
A novel PCI to PCI Express transparent reversible bridge enables the use of legacy PCI ICs in new PCI Express Systems without additional software or driver changes
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In reverse mode, the NET4160 enables the use of PCI Express ICs in existing PCI systems. The NET4160 features an integrated PCI Express PHY running at 2.5GHz. It supports the PCI Express active power management protocol, as well as its full split completion protocol. The NET4160 has a one lane, single virtual channel PCI Express port.
This matches well with the bandwidth provided by its 33MHz, 32bit PCI interface.
In addition to fully transparent bridging functions, the NET4160 also incorporates 8Kbyte of shared memory and multiple GPIO pins for reducing board design complexity.
"The NET4160 allows designers to build new PCI Express silicon without making a commitment to upgrade their entire system to PCI Express", says Wei-Ti Liu, President of NetChip Technology.
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"Likewise, the NET4160 allows easy conversion of existing PCI adapter boards to PCI Express.
All the software and driver investment is retained, functioning right through the NET4160 without modification".
ExpressCard developers can also use the NET4160 for backwards compatibility to Cardbus.
The Cardbus protocol is similar enough to PCI that an ExpressCard developer can use the NET4160 with an existing Cardbus chip to transparently bridge to the PCI Express interface called out by the ExpressCard specification.
All software and drivers can remain unchanged.
Similarly, the NET4160 can be placed in a Cardbus to ExpressCard adapter for using ExpressCard cards in legacy Cardbus laptops (or vice versa).
NetChip will be sampling the NET4160, in a 144-pin BGA package, to customers in June.
Production is planned for Q3 2004.
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