Here we go ...
see below, plz.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Eric Dittman" <dittman_at_dittman.net>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2001 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: VLB SCSI?
> > A typical example is the 64-bit PCI. I've seen several desirable cards
offered
> > for the 64-bit PCI, yet I've not seen even ONE advertised motherboard that
> > actually supports 64-bit PCI. From what I've read, 32-bit PCI boards work
in a
> > 64-bit slot, yet nobody seems to be offering that feature in their
> > advertisement. I'd guess that's because it's cheaper/easier to diverge
slightly
> > from the published standard in making these products, hence they don't make
> > claims about compatibility.
>
> 64-bit PCI cards will work in a 32-bit PCI slot. I've got a four-port 64-bit
> Ethernet card in a 32-bit PCI slot in one of my systems.
>
I really don't see how they could work, since the connector is not likely to
fit. I recently had a peek at the standard for PCI, and I didn't seen any way
in which this could work.
>
> As for motherboards with 64-bit PCI slots, there are several. First off,
there
> are several Alpha motherboards with 64-bit PCI slots. Then there are the
boards
> for the Pentium III processors with the Serverworks chipsets. There are also
> motherboards for Athlon-MP processors with 64-bit PCI slots (some of which are
> also 66MHz slots). I know there were earlier motherboards for Pentium II and
> Xeon processors with 64-bit PCI slots, but they weren't advertised in the
usual
> places as they were more of a specialized board, but they were advertised in
> some areas.
>
Since there apparently aren't any serious SCSI boards being made for 32-bit PCI
any longer, and since most fibrechanel and firewire boards are 64-bit, I'd think
it desirable to have most PCI mothers support the 64-bit PCI, which, according
to what I've read so far, does support the 32-bit cards. If you want the 250+
MBPs transfer rates, no short PCI slot is going to handle that. The 10Gb
ethernet will demand that the system process sustained, meaning for years and
years, not just for bursts of a few hundred picoseconds, transfer rates of
10Gb/sec, and who knows what will come along after that. What's more, it's got
to work faster than all that at the system level, since the traffic has to go
somewhere and the responses have to come from somewhere as well.
>
ALPHA boards aren't relevant any longer, are they?
> --
> Eric Dittman
> dittman_at_dittman.net
> Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/
>
>
Received on Sun Oct 28 2001 - 16:57:38 GMT