Re: Is is possible to receive a cheep SubVendorID?

["Meindert Kuipers" <m_kuipers@wxs.nl>]

Let me add some of my thoughts. Please note that this is my private opinion,
and not that of my employer (I am using my private email address).
I have been giving PCI workshops throughout Europe for over 5 years, and
consistently pressed the point that a vendor ID would cost $2500, along with
support and being 'official'. That typically raised some eyebrows. I have
also always mentioned that most FPGA vendors have their own Device ID
program, and that usually seemed to satisfy most attendees.

I think that both the PCI-SIG and some of the users have made their point,
and for a company making small quantities of products it does not seem to
make much sense to charge $2500.

Why don't we start a user group, and collectively apply for a Vendor ID, and
start our own Device ID program? With 25 or 50 users each funding $100 a
year the group could start to become a major factor in PCI design for small
companies.
Like in the Linux community, we can benefit from each others experience, and
any code developed could be handled as open source under some GNU-like
license program.

How about this?

Meindert Kuipers
Netherlands

----- Original Message -----
From: "F.Pitzl" <F.Pitzl@GMX.DE>
To: "PCISIG List (E-mail)" <pci-sig@znyx.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2000 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: Is is possible to receive a cheep SubVendorID?


> Dave, Dimiter and all the others,
>
> It seems that this is a point of great interest. Even the Chairman
> of the PCISIG wrote a message to the membership thing.
> (Value Message from PCI-SIG Chairman - Roger Tipley)
>
> There are some nice suggestions to get a ID, but on my point of view is
> the Vendor ID a unique ID of the manufacturer of the interface IC,
> and the SUBVendor ID a unique ID of the manufacturer of the board.
> What some operating systems and other programs will do with this
> information is a other thing.
>
> In the message of Roger Tipley he tells us the benefits of a membership,
> but I (and some of you) do not want to (and could not) use it. We only
> want a 16 digits binary number to identify our products! We are willing
> to pay for it, but not $2500 - $3000.
>
> If the PCISIG doesn't change their opinion I'm going to use the Vendor
> ID
> of the interface IC for the whole board - this could not be in the
> interest of the PCISIG, but there is on other way.
>
> Regards,
> Florian Pitzl
>
>
> Dimiter Popoff wrote:
> >
> > Dave,
> >
> > >At that point, there will be three groups of victims.  All the folks
> > >that used your 'home-grown' ID to spawn renegade boards; the company
> > >that paid $2500 and released possibly several expensively-developed
> > >boards that fail mysteriously in the field; and all the users whose
> > >machines go belly-up because two other entities got in a peeing match
> > >over vendor ID issues.
> >
> > as you may remember this was one of the first issues I addressed
> > when I offered the idea. I would like to see the company which will
> > accept $FA3C as an ID and pay $2500 for it, once it is known
> > to be even considered for public use. The only counteraction
> > can come from the SIG - but it is a hard choice for them, wether
> > to ignore the issue or to openly declare a war against the small guys
> > by 'officially' assigning this ID to someone/something else.
> >
> > >> Does the CPLD have to clock the bus?
> > >
> > >No, but to be PCI 2.1 clock-compliant means following....
> > >....
> >
> > Sorry, but I still do not get it what CPLD specific clock problems
> > arise out of this?
> >
> > >I'm sure that other embedded designers will be interested in
> > >what you are doing.  I'm looking forward to seeing what you've
> > >done (personally, of course 8-).
> >
> > I have my first demos scheduled already (in Europe). I am planning
> > a US demo trip as well for next year, I'll let you know when
> > I know more.
> >
> > Dimiter
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Dimiter Popoff
> > Transgalactic Instruments, Gourko Str. 25 b, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
> > http://transgalactic.freeyellow.com
> > Email: tgi@bulnet.bg, tgi_earth@yahoo.com
> > Phone: 00359/2992/3340, 00359/2/9805997, Fax: 00359/2/9540384
>
>