Upgraded PCI drivers speed I/O accelerators

The latest software development kit from PLX Technology dramatically boosts performance - up to 42 times - in Linux and Microsoft Windows XP drivers for all PLX I/O accelerator devices.

The latest software development kit from PLX Technology dramatically boosts performance - up to 42 times - in Linux and Microsoft Windows XP drivers for all PLX I/O accelerator devices.

The SDK v3.5 includes major enhancements to PLX's PCI drivers; many of the SDK's advanced programming interface elements have been optimised to take advantage of the drivers' performance in Linux and Windows.

SDK v3.5 benchmark testing conducted by PLX shows API performance at near 51Mbyte/s under Windows, and 45Mbyte/s under Linux, representing a 4200% improvement over the SDK's predecessor.

Additionally, the SDK adds support for Linux kernel 2.4, the latest for that operating system.

"Developing systems and boards with PLX's PCI devices running under Linux and Windows continues to demand more speed from the API libraries", said Tom Martin, Product Marketing Manager at PLX.

"In addition to adding support for the latest Linux kernels, the SDK v3.5's APIs have been optimised to significantly increase the performance of user designs.

Designers of communications and other embedded systems can use PLX's array of proven development tools, now featuring the SDK v3.5, to take full advantage of PLX's PCI device performance in a variety of today's operating environments".

The SDK Pro v3.5 is tailored to the needs of the software engineer, facilitating the development of application code for use in proven platforms, such as Linux and Windows XP.

The SDK includes local-side, real-time operating systems (RTOS) application API libraries, drivers and board support packages that accelerate the development of real-time software running on PCI-based systems and adapters.

Additionally, the SDK Pro v3.5 provides host-side support, consisting of Windows and Linux host drivers, APIs and libraries, enabling developers to rapidly establish communication with PLX I/O accelerator devices across the PCIbus.

(A Windows host-side-only version of the kit, the SDK-Lite, also provides the same Windows drivers, APIs and libraries as the SDK Pro v3.5.) With the SDK Pro v3.5's broad operating-system and PCI silicon support, developers can write host- and local-side software for any PLX PCI I/O accelerator device.

The PCI SDK Pro v3.5 includes: Windows 98, 2000, NT, Me and XP host drivers with source code for all PLX I/O accelerators; VxWorks RTOS support for the PCI 9056, PCI 9656 and PCI 9054 I/O accelerators (SDK Pro v3.5 only); Wind River pSOS RTOS support for the PCI 9054 I/O accelerator; Linux Pentium host drivers with source code for the PCI 9030, PCI 9050, PCI 9052, PCI 9054, PCI 9056, PCI 9080 and PCI 9656 I/O accelerators; more than 140 fully documented host and embedded APIs with source code and usage example (SDK Pro v3.5 only); Windows-based PLXMon tool for debugging hardware and software, and code downloading; capability to be used in conjunction with a wide variety of development tools, including third-party compilers, debuggers, RTOSs and other tools available through PLX's industry partners; and full printed (SDK Pro v3.5 only) and electronic documentation.

The SDK Pro v3.5 and SDK-Lite v3.5, priced at $495 and $99, respectively, are available now.

Users of previous SDK-Lite revisions may upgrade to the SDK-Lite v3.5 for $49 and to the SDK-Pro v3.5 for $395.

Users of previous SDK-Pro revisions may upgrade to the SDK-Pro v3.5 for $99.

SDK-Lite v3.5 is now included in all PLX Lite rapid development kits, and SDK Pro v3.5 is now included in all PLX MPC860-based rapid development kits.

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