PCI SIG DELIVERS DESIGN GUIDE FOR MOBILE SYSTEM COMPONENTS

New Design Guide Offers Breakthrough Possibilities for Using PCI Components
in Mobile Computing Environments

HILLSBORO, Oregon -- August 22, 1994 -- The PCI Special Interest Group
(SIG) Steering Committee today announced it has approved a design guide
that clearly demonstrates the feasibility of using PCI components in
mobile computing applications, and creates guidelines for building
PCI-based mobile systems. Based on the Rev 2.0 PCI specification, the
design guide shows how using PCI products in mobile applications
significantly reduces power requirements and board space while making use
of the low cost and quick availability of PCI components.

The PCI SIG Steering Committee has approved the distribution of the design
guide to all PCI SIG members thereby initiating a requisite 30-day
feedback cycle. After reviewing the SIG recommendations at the close of
the 30 days, the Steering Committee is expected to ratify the design
guide.

"The PCI specification was defined with the requirements for mobile
applications in mind," said Tonya Dezso, Working Group Chairperson, PCI
Local Bus Mobile Workgroup. "3.3-volt operation is included in the spec,
which is necessary to ensure the longer battery life and smaller, lighter
batteries required for competitive mobile systems. PCI will enable several
distinct advantages for mobile systems designers.! For example, PCI brings
the graphics performance of mobile systems to the level that users have
come to expect from desktop machines. At the same time, by virtue of its
under-50-signal, no-glue interface, PCI minimizes package size and chip
count. This not only reduces cost but conserves precious board real estate
-- a premium in any computer, let alone a mobile system."

The reduced pin count made possible by PCI also allows developers to pack
more functions into a given package size, enhancing product
differentiation. Finally, PCI serves as an inexpensive route for
incorporating such peripherals as LANs and SCSI into notebooks by using
small, economical controller chips.

The Mobile Design Guide is divided into three sections: Specification
Items, Design Recommendations and Design Examples and Considerations.

Specification Items

The primary purpose of the Mobile Design Guide is to aid in designing
PCI-based mobile systems or components in compliance with the requirements
of the Rev. 2.0 PCI Specification. The intent is not to add to the
existing specification or create additional requirements.

To optimize components for mobile applications, a new clock control pin,
CLKRUN#, has been specified. This feature can be used to stop the PCI
component's clock for maximum power savings. Use of this pin is optional,
so existing components not using the feature are still supported in mobile
applications. Conversely, products which have the pin are supported in
desktop applications that do not.

Design Recommendations

The PCI SIG Mobile Working Group worked closely with the Cardbus group to
define common silicon between the two products, thereby maximizing
economies of scale. Comparisons and differences between the two
applications at the silicon level are given in the Design Guide. For high
bandwidth mobile expansion requirements, the Mobile Working Group
recommends using PCMCIA's Cardbus (a 32-bit PCMCIA card).

Design Examples and Considerations

Included in this section are examples of controlling the PCI clock,
reducing buffer leakage and other power control considerations to maximize
power savings. Also given are examples of using the CLKRUN# signal over a
bridge and mixing devices using the CLKRUN# with ones that don't.

PCI Background

Introduced in June 1992, the PCI Local Bus is a high-performance, 32-bit or
64-bit local bus architecture designed to eliminate bottlenecks between a
system' s processor and its high bandwidth peripherals, such as graphics,
video, SCSI and LAN. The PCI SIG was formed to develop the PCI Local Bus
into an open, industry-standard peripheral bus that accommodates current
and future processor technologies and architectures. The PCI SIG, now
represented by more than 300 companies, includes industry leaders from
every computer market segment.

The PCI SIG is responsible for the administration and establishment of PCI
as an open, local bus standard. The PCI SIG Steering Committee includes
Adaptec, Advanced Micro Devices, Apple Computer Corp., AT&T-GIS, Compaq,
Digital Equipment Corp., Phoenix Technologies, Intel Corp. and IBM Corp.

PCI Special Interest Group
5200 N.E. Elam Young Parkway
Hillsboro, OR 97124-6497
503-696-6111,  fax 503-693-0920

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