Version 0.8 2007
Features
PEX 8612 General Features
o
12-lane, 3-port PCIe Gen2 switch
-
Integrated 5.0 GT/s SerDes
o
19 x 19mm
2
, 324-pin FCBGA package
o
Typical Power: < 2.5 Watts
PEX 8612
PCIe Gen2, 5.0GT/s 12-lane, 3-port Switch
The
ExpressLane
TM
PEX 8612 device offers PCI Express switching
capability enabling users to add scalable high bandwidth, non-blocking
interconnection to a wide variety of applications including
workstations, storage systems, communications platforms,
embedded systems, and intelligent I/O modules.
The PEX 8612 is
well suited for
fan-out, aggregation, and peer-to-peer
applications.
High Performance & Low Packet Latency
The PEX 8612 architecture supports packet
cut-thru with a maximum
latency of 150ns (x4 to x4).
This, combined with large packet memory and
non-blocking internal switch architecture, provides full line rate on all ports
for performance-hungry applications such as
servers
and
switch fabrics.
The low latency enables applications to achieve high throughput and
performance. In addition to low latency, the device supports a
max payload
size of 2048 bytes,
enabling the user to achieve even higher throughput.
Data Integrity
The PEX 8612 provides
end-to-end CRC
(ECRC) protection and
Poison bit
support to enable designs that require
end-to-end data integrity.
PLX also
supports data path parity and memory (RAM) error correction as packets
pass through the switch.
Flexible Register & Port Configuration
The PEX 8612’s 3 ports can be configured to lane widths of x1, x2, or x4.
Flexible buffer allocation, along with the device's
flexible packet flow
control,
maximizes throughput for applications where more traffic flows in
the downstream, rather than upstream, direction. Any port can be designated
as the upstream port, which
x4
x4
can be changed dynamically.
The PEX 8612 also provides
several ways to configure its
registers. The device can be
PEX 8612
PEX 8612
configured through
strapping pins,
I
2
C
interface,
host software, or
x4
x4
x2
x2
an optional serial EEPROM.
This allows for easy debug
x4
during the development
NT
phase, performance
monitoring during the
PEX 8612
operation phase, and driver
or software upgrade. Figure
1 shows some of the PEX
x4
8612’s common port
Figure 1. Common Port Configurations
configurations.
PEX 8612 Key Features
o
Standards Compliant
-
PCI Express Base Specification, r2.0
(backwards compatible w/ PCIe r1.0a/1.1)
-
PCI Power Management Spec, r1.2
-
Microsoft Vista Compliant
-
Supports Access Control Services
-
Dynamic link-width control
-
Dynamic SerDes speed control
o
High Performance
-
Non-blocking switch fabric
-
Full line rate on all ports
-
Packet Cut-Thru with 150ns max packet
latency (x4 to x4)
-
2KB Max Payload Size
-
Read Pacing (bandwidth throttling)
-
Dual-Cast
o
Flexible Configuration
-
Ports configurable as x1, x2, x4
-
Registers configurable with strapping
pins, EEPROM, I
2
C, or host software
-
Lane and polarity reversal
-
Compatible with PCIe 1.0a PM
o
Dual-Host & Fail-Over Support
-
Configurable Non-Transparent port
-
Moveable upstream port
-
Crosslink port capability
o
Quality of Service (QoS)
-
Eight traffic classes per port
-
Weighted round-robin source
port arbitration
o
Reliability, Availability, Serviceability
-
2 Hot Plug Ports with native HP Signals
-
All ports hot plug capable thru I
2
C
(Hot Plug Controller on every port)
-
ECRC and Poison bit support
-
Data Path parity
-
Memory (RAM) Error Correction
-
INTA# and FATAL_ERR# signals
-
Advanced Error Reporting
-
Port Status bits and GPIO available
-
Per port error diagnostics
-
Performance Monitoring
•
Per port payload & header counters
-
JTAG AC/DC boundary scan
Preliminary - PLX Confidential
PLX [ PLX TECHNOLOGY ]
