Using nextgen PCI Express switches to eliminate network I/O bottlenecks
(02/06/08, 03:43:00 PM EST) -- Embedded.com
Controllers in today's network-connected embedded systems often are overwhelmed by the data streaming to and from the various I/O sources; it can be difficult for the system's root complex to absorb high-speed bursty traffic such as 10Gig Ethernet when it competes with very fast streaming data from sources such as InfiniBand and Fibre Channel (FC) storage elements.
For example, when a few bytes of Ethernet data get stuck behind large packets of FC data in the root complex, the latency that is introduced by this congestion will severely impact system response time and create bandwidth limitations (see Table 1 below).

Table 1. Ethernet latency bandwidth tradeoffs
The next generation of PCI Express (PCIe) switches have added many new features to mitigate the effects of having to process competing data protocols, thereby improving overall system performance.
Advanced new features such as Read Pacing, enhanced port configuration flexibility, dynamic buffer memory allocation, and the deployment of PCIe Gen2 signaling are reducing I/O bottlenecks, providing dramatic improvements in system performance in server and storage controllers.
To read the full article, click here
Related Semiconductor IP
- USB 4.0 V2 PHY - 4TX/2RX, TSMC N3P , North/South Poly Orientation
- FH-OFDM Modem
- NFC wireless interface supporting ISO14443 A and B with EEPROM on SMIC 180nm
- PQC CRYSTALS core for accelerating NIST FIPS 202 FIPS 203 and FIPS 204
- UCIe Controller baseline for Streaming Protocols for ASIL B Compliant, AEC-Q100 Grade 2
Related White Papers
- How HyperTransport and PCI Express complement each other
- Advanced switching boosts PCI Express
- Compatibility issue slows PCI Express
- With StarFabric as an on-ramp, the PCI Express Advanced Switching is ready
Latest White Papers
- FastPath: A Hybrid Approach for Efficient Hardware Security Verification
- Automotive IP-Cores: Evolution and Future Perspectives
- TROJAN-GUARD: Hardware Trojans Detection Using GNN in RTL Designs
- How a Standardized Approach Can Accelerate Development of Safety and Security in Automotive Imaging Systems
- SV-LLM: An Agentic Approach for SoC Security Verification using Large Language Models