Press Release

Mini PCI Addendum Released for Member Review

PCI-SIG extends PCI form factor designs and international presence

PORTLAND, Oregon - September 7, 1999 - The PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) announced today that the Mini PCI addendum to the PCI local bus specification v2.2 has been released for member review. Chartered to maintain the PCI specifications, the PCI-SIG is leading the evolution and advancement of the PCI Local Bus standard to meet today's increasing I/O demands.

Mini PCI extends the PCI v2.2 standard and the functional equivalency of PCI expansion cards through the definition of three form factors (Type I, II and III) to address the various configurations of integrated communication peripherals such as modems and Network Interface Cards (NICs). Mini PCI also brings together other PCI specifications such as Power Management and the Mobile Design Guide to leverage established, proven standards in its architecture.

"Mini PCI offers the stability and maturity of the PCI standard into mobile-specific form factors," said Mike Bailey, Chairman of the PCI-SIG. "This specification will give the industry a true standard for design and will help reduce total cost of ownership as the industry moves towards greater integration of communication peripherals."

After a mandatory 30-day review period by the PCI-SIG members and ensuing Steering Committee approval, PCI-SIG plans to release version 1.0 of the Mini PCI addendum in early Q4 1999.

Low Profile PCI and PCI-SIG's Global Presence

The PCI-SIG is also developing an additional standard form factor to meet the industry's movement towards thinner systems in desktop and server designs. The specification, called Low Profile PCI, will be an engineering change to the v2.2 specification.

In the constant challenge to reduce the overall chassis height, Low Profile PCI addresses the physical characteristics of PCI cards without affecting the basic electricals, protocols and other mechanical features of the PCI v2.2 specification. Low Profile PCI will provide a more cost-effective building block while allowing for greater flexibility in overall system design. Low Profile PCI is currently under development in the Mechanical and Marketing Work Groups of the PCI-SIG and is slated for release in Q4 1999.

To better educate the international community and members of PCI-SIG on current developments, PCI-SIG is increasing its activity and visibility in Japan and Southeast Asia. PCI-SIG will be holding PCI Technology Seminars for SIG members in Tokyo (Sept. 7, 1999) and Taipei (Sept. 14, 1999) in conjunction with a trade show booth at World PC Expo in Chiba, Japan (Sept. 7 to 11) and a Japanese press tour. These efforts are to ensure worldwide understanding and adoption of the PCI-based standards developed, managed and distributed by the PCI-SIG.

About the PCI-SIG

Formed in June 1992, PCI-SIG is the industry organization that owns and manages the PCI Local Bus specification. More than 850 industry-leading companies are active PCI-SIG members. The organization is chartered to support new requirements while preserving backwards compatibility for all PCI revisions, maintaining the specification as an easy-to-implement, stable technology, and contributing to the technical longevity of PCI and its establishment as an industry-wide standard. For more information, contact PCI-SIG via phone at 800-433-5177 (within the U.S.) or fax at 503-693-8344, or visit the PCI-SIG Web site at http://www.pcisig.com.