PCI-SIG and MIPI Alliance Collaborate to Extend PCI Express Technology to Mobile Devices

Technology organizations cooperate to enable PCIe protocols to operate over MIPI M-PHY, delivering a low-power, high-performance solution to the Mobile industry

BEAVERTON, OR and PISCATAWAY, NJ – September 17, 2012 –PCI-SIG® and MIPI® Alliance today announced a liaison agreement to deliver an adaptation of the PCI Express® (PCIe®) architecture to operate over the MIPI M-PHY® physical layer technology, extending the benefits of the PCIe I/O standard to mobile devices including tablets and smartphones. This collaboration will provide the Mobile industry with a low-power, scalable solution that enables interoperability and a consistent user experience across multiple devices.

“We’re excited about the opportunities this collaboration creates for the Mobile industry, MIPI Alliance and its members,” said Joel Huloux, MIPI Alliance Chairman of the Board. “By leveraging our proven M-PHY technology that meets mobile low-power requirements, coupled with the reuse of existing PCIe IP, component and device manufacturers can recoup their investments faster, can drastically reduce the time for product development and validation, and can thus hasten the delivery of innovative solutions to the market.”

A broadly adopted standard, PCIe technology is universally supported in all major operating systems, has a robust device discovery and configuration mechanism, and delivers comprehensive power management capabilities. The EMI-friendly, bandwidth scalable, low-power MIPI M-PHY physical layer enables device manufacturers to leverage the highest performance and most power efficient data transport interface technology available today. The layered architecture of the PCIe I/O technology facilitates the integration of the power-efficient M-PHY with its extensible protocol stack to deliver best-in-class and highly scalable I/O functionality for mobile devices.

“This collaboration brings together decades of PCIe innovation in PCs with the proven technology of the M-PHY specification that meets the low-power needs of handhelds devices,” said Al Yanes, chairman and president, PCI-SIG. “As PCs evolve to thin and light platforms and tablets and smartphones take on the role of primary computing devices, consumers demand a seamless, power-efficient user experience. We’re pleased to work with MIPI Alliance to deliver a technology solution that meets these demands.”

The adaptation of PCIe protocols to operate over the M-PHY is targeted to be released as an ECN to the PCIe 3.0 Base specification and will achieve full integration into the PCIe 4.0 Base specification upon its release. The initial application of this technology is anticipated to be high-performance wireless communications with other applications based on device design requirements. Future implementations are expected in the handheld device market, including smartphones, tablets and other ultra-low power applications. Implementers of this technology must be members of both PCI-SIG and MIPI Alliance in order to leverage member benefits including access to licensing rights and specification evolutions.

About PCI-SIG

PCI-SIG is the consortium that owns and manages PCI specifications as open industry standards. The organization defines industry standard I/O (input/output) specifications consistent with the needs of its members. Currently, PCI-SIG is comprised of more than 750 industry-leading member companies. For more information and a list of the Board of Directors, visit www.pcisig.com.

About MIPI Alliance

MIPI Alliance is a global, collaborative organization comprised of companies that span the mobile ecosystem and are committed to defining and promoting interface specifications for mobile devices. MIPI Specifications establish standards for hardware and software interfaces which drive new technology and enable faster deployment of new features and services. For more information, visit www.mipi.org.