PCI-SIG Delivers PCI Express Bridge 1.0 Specification; New Specification Lays Foundation for Standard I/O Expansion Based on PCI Express Architecture.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 16, 2003

The PCI-SIG, the Special Interest Group responsible for PCI Express(TM), PCI(TM) Conventional, and PCI-X(R) industry-standard I/O technologies, announced today that it has released the PCI Express to PCI/PCI-X Bridge Specification Revision 1.0 -- the latest addition to the growing suite of PCI Express companion specifications.

The PCI Express to PCI/PCI-X Bridge Specification facilitates in-the-box I/O expansion by using the PCI-SIG family of technologies top to bottom. Implementing this specification allows vendors to preserve their investments in the installed base of parallel PCI devices by delivering PCI Express products with a translation bridge to conventional PCI and PCI-X environments. PCI-SIG members can download the newest specification free-of-charge at http://www.pcisig.com/specifications/pciexpress/bridge.

This specification supports compatibility with existing PCI software/firmware interfaces and provides systems designers the opportunity to accelerate the introduction of their PCI Express solutions in the computing and communications market segments. The PCI Express Bridge specification defines a scalable set of capabilities for designing large, complex systems and provides straightforward performance optimizations that allow a high degree of implementation choice and flexibility.

"The completion of the PCI Express Bridge specification provides the industry with a ratified blueprint for PCI Express designs," said Tony Pierce, PCI-SIG chairman. "The breadth of development of PCI Express specifications showcases the vast market opportunity for the new technology. We look forward to working with the industry in delivering a plethora of standard and interoperable I/O expansion products based on the PCI Express architecture."

"The PCI Express Bridge specification provides PCI-SIG members worldwide with another method to jump start their PCI Express-based designs while protecting their investments during technology transitions," said Ajay Bhatt, chairman of the PCI Express Technical Working Group. "With the delivery of the PCI Express Bridge specification, the PCI-SIG is fulfilling its promise to enable the coexistence of PCI Express and PCI technologies in the same platform."

Benefits of PCI-SIG Membership

All PCI-SIG members were able to participate in the review of the PCI Express Bridge specification before it was released to the industry. If you are interested in becoming a member, please visit the PCI-SIG web site at http://www.pcisig.com/membership. PCI-SIG members develop and maintain this and other PCI Express specifications and are actively involved in defining compliance criteria and checklists, as well as other technical enabling collateral.

As an additional and extremely valuable benefit of PCI-SIG membership, members are given the right to receive patent licenses from any other member of our organization with necessary claims of patent embodied within our specifications. These licenses may be limited in scope to an implementation of a particular specification, but must be granted to all members on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.

About the PCI-SIG

The PCI-SIG is the Special Interest Group that owns and manages PCI specifications as open industry standards. The organization defines and implements new industry standard I/O (Input/Output) specifications as the industry's local I/O needs evolve. The PCI Special Interest Group was formed in 1992, and the organization became a nonprofit corporation, officially named "PCI-SIG" in the year 2000. Currently, more than 860 industry-leading companies are active PCI-SIG members worldwide. The PCI-SIG's current directors are employed by the following PCI-SIG member companies: AMD, HP, IBM, Intel, LSI Logic, Microsoft, Phoenix Technologies, ServerWorks and Texas Instruments. For more information about the PCI-SIG, and PCI-SIG membership benefits, contact the PCI-SIG by phone, at 503-291-2569 (within the United States), or by fax at 503-297-1090, or visit the PCI-SIG web site at http://www.pcisig.com.

PCI-SIG, PCI Conventional, PCI-X and PCI Express are trademarks of PCI-SIG.

All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.