June 6, 2006 -- PLX Technology, Inc. has announced the PLX PEX 8517, a PCIe switch that further enhances the usability of PCIe technology in networking, storage and graphics applications. The newest member of PLX's ExpressLane line of PCIe switching and bridging devices providing designers with a migration path to high-performance PCIe, the PEX 8517 features five ports, 16 lanes and a streamlined second-generation switching architecture. The switch brings lower latency (150ns), improved throughput, reduced per-port and per-lane costs, and lower power (less than 3W) to a broad range of designs.

New PCI-based designs and those migrating from first-generation PLX PCIe switches can take advantage of PLX'S new packet-cut-through switching architecture in port-aggregation and peer-to-peer applications. The device's five flexible ports allow it to be configured in a variety of ways suitable to enable a range of designs. This new architecture also delivers many of the key features from PLX's first-generation architecture: quality of service through two virtual channels (VCs); dual-host support through a flexible non-transparent port; field upgradeability through a standard Hot Plug controller; and source-to-destination data integrity through end-to-end-cyclic-redundancy (ECRC). Furthermore, in addition to the basic error reporting, the PEX 8517 supports advanced error reporting, thus easing system development, debug and optimization.

The switch's two VCs allow optimal use of each port's bandwidth and improve performance in systems by enabling a particular traffic class to receive priority in available bandwidth. The PEX 8517's non-transparent bridging (NTB) function enables processor-domain isolation, which is required in multi-host, fail-over, intelligent I/O, and load-sharing applications. Combined with its NTB, Hot Plug capabilities, internal memory error corrections and end-to-end packet error detection make the PEX 8517 suitable for high-availability applications.

The PEX 8517 already has passed compliance testing in the PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) workshop program, and is now on the PCI-SIG's Integrators List. This list includes all products that have successfully completed testing in the PCI-SIG's Compliance Workshop, which provides an environment for PCI-SIG members to test and validate their products before they reach market.

The PEX 8517 is supported by the PLX Rapid Development Kit (RDK) line of tools that speed board and system designs. The PEX 8517RDK kit includes a working hardware platform incorporating the PEX 8517 switch, along with a complete set of board schematics, symbols, and layout files for hardware design. The RDK, which also can be utilized as an evaluation vehicle for the PEX 8517, also features PLX's extensive Software Development Kit with a GUI utility for access to chip registers, sample drivers and a support library for Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems.

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