3Com 10/100BASE-T4 manual PCI Technology

1-4 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

PCI Technology

The PCI local bus is a high-performance bus that provides a processor-independent data path between the CPU in a PC and high-speed peripherals. This interconnect mechanism is designed specifically to accommodate multiple high- performance peripheral devices that support networking and disk subsystems, graphics, full-motion video, and multimedia.

The PCI specification defines two types of PCI devices: a target and a master. A target is a device that accepts commands and responds to the requests of a master. The Fast Ethernet PCI T4 adapter is a bus master device that can transfer information directly to system memory without interrupting the system processor.

The PCI specification supports the following:

■High performance. The PCI bus runs at a clock speed of

33 MHz and employs a 32-bit data bus that supports multiple peripheral components and add-on cards at a peak bandwidth of 132 Mbps, up to an order of magnitude greater than that of other PC buses (ISA, EISA, or MCA).

■Automatic configuration. A PCI adapter has configuration specifications set in on-board memory and provides installation information to the computer at start-up.

■Shared slots. The PCI specification calls for “shared slots,” which denotes the shared expansion backplate slot.This shared backplate slot provides access to one of two types of adapters: a PCI adapter and an ISA adapter, for example, or a PCI adapter and an EISA adapter. Only one adapter at a time can be installed in a shared slot. Manufacturers are currently producing computers that support the PCI bus in conjunction with conventional ISA and EISA buses in the same chassis.

For detailed information about the PCI local bus, consult the PCI specification.