Extending PCI performance beyond the desktop

In just a few years since its introduction, the PCI (peripheral component interconnect) bus has become an industry standard, implemented in most PC systems as well as in some workstations. Designed for the desktop PC market, the PCI bus cannot be used directly in most embedded systems or in industrial applications due to packaging, reliability, or maintenance considerations. While the proliferation of PCI-related standards attests to PCI's success, some confusion arises because it is not always clear why there are so many standards, what the differences are between them, and which standards apply to a specific application. To address these questions, the authors provide a detailed description of the PCI bus architecture. They also review the various standards that enable the use of PCI silicon, software, and firmware in various segments of the computer industry.