Low-Cost PCIe Solution From Texas Instruments & Altera
Your Low-Cost PCI Express Solution Has Arrived!
Altera has partnered with Texas Instruments (TI), a leader in PCI Express transceiver technology, to deliver a low-cost PCI Express solution incorporating a CycloneTM II device, the industry’s lowest-cost FPGA. PCI Express is rapidly establishing itself as the successor to PCI, providing higher performance, increased flexibility, and scalability for next-generation systems without increasing costs, all while maintaining software compatibility with existing PCI applications.
For x1 PCI Express endpoint applications that require the lowest cost possible, Altera and TI collaborated on a two-chip solution (see Figure 1). The two-chip solution is PCI Express v1.1-compliant and fully tested at PCI-SIG Compliance Workshops for total system interoperability. The complete, easy-to-use solution consists of a Cyclone II FPGA, Altera’s proven x1 PCI Express MegaCore® function, and TI's XIO1100 PCI Express x1 Physical Interface for PCI Express (PIPE) Transceiver. The entire solution has been developed and rigorously tested together to ensure risk-free interoperability.
Figure 1. Low Cost PCI Express Solution Block Diagram
Start Your Low-Cost PCI Express Design Now!
- Download Quartus® II software and the x1 PCI Express MegaCore function
- Order your PCI Express Development Kit—Available now from Knott Systems
- Easily bring your product to market with low-cost Cyclone II FPGAs and TI's XIO1100 PCIe x1 PHYs
More Information
Altera Cyclone II FPGAs
Low-cost programmable Cyclone II FPGAs are ideal for implementing new protocol standards, especially PCI Express. Cyclone II FPAGs allows you to focus on your application and not worry about a new protocol standard that needs to be everything PCI was and more. The re-programmability of Cyclone II devices significantly reduce both risk and development time when implementing new applications and new industry protocols.
Texas Instruments PCI Express XIO1100 x1 PHY
The PCI Express PIPE based PHYs (TI-PIPE) integrates seamlessly with the Cyclone II FPGA, enabling you to quickly and cost-effectively implement a PCI Express solution in your system. The XIO1100 implements the physical media attachment (PMA) and physical coding sublayer (PCS) transceiver functions, leaving the higher PCI Express protocol layers and custom application logic to the Cyclone II FPGA. The XIO1100 offers a flexible low-cost solution, providing low power, an easily routable package, and a selectable PIPE data width.
Free Altera PCI Express x1 MegaCore Evaluation and Quartus II Software
This ready-to-go Altera x1 PCI Express MegaCore function implements the media access control (MAC), data link, and transaction protocol layers. To simplify configuration of the MegaCore function’s PIPE interface, Altera provides an intellectual property (IP) Toolbench GUI that allows the user to select the XIO1100 transceiver. With Altera’s free OpenCore® Plus evaluation feature, you can complete full system testing, including functional simulation, timing analysis, and hardware verification before deciding to license the MegaCore function. Quartus II software is a comprehensive suite of leading-edge design tools enabling you to get your PCI Express design up and running quickly. All Cyclone II designs can be created and compiled in Altera’s free Quartus II Web Edition software.
PCI Express x1 Development Kit by Knott Systems
Altera and TI have also worked closely with Knott Systems to provide complete development kits for a wide range of applications needing a PCI Express x1 connection. Details about these kits, including how to order information, can be found at Knott Systems.
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