Press Release

PCI-X and Mini PCI Specifications to Become Addenda to PCI Local Bus Standard

Additional specifications aimed at extending PCI technology

PORTLAND, Oregon - April 5, 1999 - The PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) announced today that the PCI-X and Mini PCI specifications currently under development will be incorporated into the PCI local bus standard as specification addenda. Chartered to maintain the PCI specifications, the PCI-SIG is leading the evolution of the PCI Local Bus standard to meet today's increasing I/O demands.

PCI-X is a backward compatible high performance extension of the PCI local bus that addresses the increased I/O requirements for high-bandwidth applications such as Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, Ultra3 SCSI and graphics. PCI-X supports 32-bit and 64-bit operations at frequencies up to 133 MHz, allowing performance capability of up to 1 Gigabyte per second data throughput.

While PCI-X will potentially be used throughout the entire computer industry, the initial application of PCI-X is expected to be in server and workstation products with additional applications in embedded systems and data communication environments. In addition to providing enterprise class I/O performance, PCI-X is focused on protecting customer investment by providing backward compatibility with existing systems and adapters.

"We are pleased with the progress of the PCI-X workgroup and expect to have a final draft of the specification as it is completed over the next quarter," said Alan Goodrum, chairman of the PCI-X workgroup. "PCI-X technology has significant support from numerous companies in the industry." The PCI-X workgroup is the largest SIG-based workgroup ever formed, including 3Com, AMD, Adaptec, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, LSI Logic, Microsoft, Mylex, Novell, Phoenix Technologies, Reliance, SCO and Texas Instruments.

The PCI-X workgroup is expected to formally submit PCI-X for member review in Q2 1999. After a mandatory review period and PCI-SIG Steering Committee approval, the SIG plans to release version 1.0 of the PCI-X addendum in early Q3 1999.

Mini PCI extends the PCI standard and the functional equivalency of PCI expansion cards into the definition of form factors for integrated communication peripherals such as modems and Network Interface Cards (NICs). The addendum to the PCI Local Bus specification 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-related form factors," said Kip Meacham, co-Chair of the Mini PCI workgroup. "The specification will give the industry a true standard for design and will help stabilize costs as the industry moves towards greater integration of communication peripherals."

The Mini PCI workgroup is expected to formally submit Mini PCI for member review at the end of Q1 1999. After a mandatory review period and PCI-SIG Steering Committee approval, the SIG plans to release version 1.0 of the Mini PCI addendum in Q2 1999.

"With the addition of Mini PCI and PCI-X, the PCI Local Bus specification proves its flexibility and long-term ability to be extended to new applications," said Mike Bailey, chairman of the PCI-SIG. "The PCI-SIG is a proven model for the development of I/O technology and will continue to evolve the standard to meet the needs of the industry."

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.