- Altera PCI Express IP Core
- PLDA PCI Express IP Core
- PCI Express Development Kit, Stratix II GX Edition
- Arria GX FPGA Development Kit
- Stratix IV FPGAs
- HardCopy IV ASICs
- Arria II GX FPGAs
- Stratix II GX FPGAs
- Arria GX FPGAs
- Cyclone IV FPGAs
Altera provides a range of complete PCI-SIG-compliant FPGA solutions for a variety of x1, x4, and x8 PCI Express applications. The solutions include configurable PCI Express intellectual property (IP) cores and development boards for endpoint, bridge, switch, and root complex functionality. The solutions enable simple and fast protocol implementation, thereby reducing design risk, shortening development times, and allowing you to concentrate on the core functions of the system design.
PCI Express hard IP that implements PHY-MAC, data link, and transaction layer functionality is also available in Stratix® IV GX FPGAs, Arria® II GX FPGAs, Cyclone® IV GX FPGAs, and HardCopy® IV GX ASICs.
Integrated PCI Express Solutions
Utilizing built-in transceivers to implement the protocol in a single device, Stratix II GX, Stratix IV GX, Arria II GX, Arria GX, and Cyclone IV GX(1) FPGAs provide a fully integrated PCI Express-compliant solution for multi-lane (x1, x4, and x8), high-performance applications. Table 1 provides an overview of the complete PCI Express solution for Altera® devices.
| Table 1. Complete PCI Express Solution | |
| Solution | Description |
|---|---|
| Device | |
| Transceiver | Integrated PCI Express PIPE-compliant PHY |
| Altera PCI Express IP MegaCore® Functions | PCI Express Compiler—x1, x4, and x8 MegaCore functions |
| Partner PCI Express IP Core | |
| Development Boards | PCI Express Development Kit, Stratix II GX Edition |
| PCI-SIG Compliance Testing | Passed |
| PCI Express Characterization Report | Contact your local Altera sales representative. |
| Reference Designs | PCI Express to DDR2 SDRAM Reference Design |
| Training | Implementing PCI Express Solutions in FPGAs with Transceivers |
- Cyclone IV GX FPGAs support PCI Express-compliant solution for multi-lane (x1, x2, and x4).
External Transceiver PCI Express Solutions
For PCI Express applications, you can use an external transceiver (PHY device) with an FPGA. For applications that require low power, you can use Cyclone series FPGAs with an external transceiver; for applications requiring the highest density and performance, you can use Stratix series FPGAs and HardCopy ASICs.
Table 2 shows the Altera FPGAs and ASICs with external PHY solutions for PCI Express.
| Table 2. External PHY Solutions for PCI Express | |
| Solution | Description |
|---|---|
| Devices | |
| Transceiver | (x1) implementation Texas Instruments XIO1100 |
| (x1) implementation NXP PX1011A | |
| Altera PCI Express IP MegaCore Functions | PCI Express Compiler—x1, x4, and x8 MegaCore functions |
| Partner PCI Express IP Core | PLD Application PCI Express x1, x4, and x8 IP core Northwest Logic PCI Express x1, x4, and x8 IP core |
| Development Boards | Cyclone II EP2C35 PCI Express Development Board from Knott Systems featuring a TI XIO1100 transceiver |
| PCI-SIG Compliance Testing | Passed |
PCI Express Hardware Testing
To ensure the highest reliability, Altera’s PCI Express solutions are fully tested in hardware at PCI-SIG-sponsored PCI Express compliance workshops. Tested hardware includes the following:
- Stratix II GX and Arria GX FPGAs using the x1, x4, and x8 PCI Express MegaCore function
- PCI Express Development Kit, Stratix II GX Edition
- PCI Express Development Kit, Arria GX Edition
- Cyclone II FPGA and Texas Instruments XIO1100 x1 PCI Express transceiver
- Stratix GX FPGA using the x1, x4, and x8 PCI Express MegaCore function
Related Links
Devices
- Stratix IV FPGAs
- HardCopy IV ASICs
- Stratix II GX FPGAs
- Arria II GX FPGAs
- Arria GX FPGAs
- Stratix III FPGAs
- HardCopy III ASICs
- Stratix II FPGAs
- HardCopy II ASICs
- Cyclone IV FPGAs
- Cyclone III FPGAs
- Cyclone II FPGAs
PCI Express Protocol Standards
- PCI-SIG
- PCI Express Technical Library (membership is required to access most documents)
- PCI-SIG PCI Express Integrators List
