TABLE OF CONTENTS I don t know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try and please everyone.
Dr. William Cosby
This chapter explores key goals and requirements for smooth migration of systems and designs to PCI Express architecture. A basic assumption is that PCI Express must be stable and scalable for the next decade and longer. This chapter discusses the need for PCI Express scalability and pin link usage efficiency. Another primary requirement is market segment support, focusing on the four primary market segments, desktop PCs, servers, mobile PCs, and communications. Following the discussion on market segment support, the chapter explores system level cost parity with PCI as a key requirement for technology migration. Afterwards, I/O simplification goals are explored with an emphasis on consolidation of general I/O. Finally, the chapter investigates backward compatibility as it relates to current software environments and form factors.
The direction of the personal computing market and the focus of many large players in the computer industry is to make the PC the center of the digital world. Over a period of a few years the implementations and requirements of I/O have changed dramatically. The usage models for general I/O have grown to include not only streaming audio and video, but the entire array of digital devices such as PDAs, MP3 players, cameras, and more. At first introduction PCI Express will have sufficient bandwidth to support the existing applications. However, evolving applications and future applications will require PCI Express...
