PCIe has moved forward with the 5th generation now established as the latest standard in data transfer interfaces. Systel has been actively incorporating this new standard into its latest systems. Read more >>
Committed to advancing with new computer technologies, Systel’s product roadmaps now include PCIe 5.0 in the company’s rugged rackmount and embedded solutions.
The Systel team has engaged in extensive in-house development and testing, paving the way for the integration of PCIe 5.0 components. This thorough development and testing process ensures that users receive leading-edge technology that is both future-ready and provides a notable performance boost, particularly within defense applications.
Systel engineers have addressed the technical challenges of PCIe 5.0 adoption, including maintaining signal integrity and adequate cooling, to deliver a robust, dependable system that meets rigorous military standards.
What is PCI Express?
PCIe, short for Peripheral Component Interconnect Express, is a widely used high-speed interface found in most PCs and Macs, including Systel’s rugged systems. It serves as a bridge for data transfer between components like storage, memory, video encoders, graphics cards, and network cards, all connected to a system’s motherboard.
What gets connected to a motherboard varies depending on the computer’s intended use, but the connection is typically via a PCIe ‘slot,’ which provides high-speed connectivity for reliable data transfer with minimal latency across components. A motherboard generally has multiple slots, each with a length that corresponds to the number of ‘lanes’ available.
Understanding PCIe Slots and Lanes
Original PCI cards used a parallel bus, transmitting data over several wires at once. PCIe, however, introduced serial communication, sending data one bit at a time through a pair of wires, with several pairs forming ‘lanes.’
PCIe slots can vary in the number of ‘lanes’ they possess; the more lanes, the greater the data transfer capacity. Think of it as a multi-lane highway for data—more lanes allow more data ‘traffic’ to flow, reducing the chances of congestion or bottlenecks.
The number of lanes is indicated by an x followed by a number. For example, PCIe x1 is the smallest and slowest slot, while PCIe x16 is the largest and fastest.
The form factors for PCIe include:
- PCIe x1: Suitable for low-demand applications
- PCIe x4: Used in storage devices like SSDs
- PCIe x8: Supports higher-end storage and some mid-range GPUs
- PCIe x16: Optimized for high-bandwidth applications, such as GPUs
On most motherboards, the PCIe lanes will be labelled to show the number of lanes, although this can usually be confirmed visually. Smaller x1 slots typically host components like Wi-Fi or USB cards, while larger x16 slots are reserved for graphics cards, which need greater bandwidth.
PCIe’s 5th Generation
The size of a PCIe slot dictates data transfer speed, with the generation also playing a crucial role. Each new generation of PCIe has enhanced data transfer rates, leading to more powerful and faster systems.
The specific generation of a PCIe interface is noted by a number before the lane count. For instance, PCIe 4.0 x8 is a fourth-generation device with eight lanes, while PCIe 3.0 x16 is third-generation with sixteen lanes.
Here is a summary of PCIe generations and their respective data rates:
- PCIe 1.0: 2.5 GT/s data rate per lane; 0.25 GB/s bandwidth per lane; 4 GB/s total for x16
- PCIe 2.0: 5.0 GT/s data rate per lane; 0.5 GB/s bandwidth per lane; 8 GB/s total for x16
- PCIe 3.0: 8.0 GT/s data rate per lane; 1.0 GB/s bandwidth per lane; 16 GB/s total for x16
- PCIe 4.0: 16.0 GT/s data rate per lane; 2.0 GB/s bandwidth per lane; 32 GB/s total for x16
- PCIe 5.0: 32.0 GT/s data rate per lane; 4.0 GB/s bandwidth per lane; 64 GB/s total for x16
GigaTransfers per second (GT/s) denotes the number of data transfers per second.
Implications for End Users
Managing data throughput remains a critical challenge, particularly in defense and military applications where device-to-device communication is vital, and data volumes from sensors—such as HD video—are substantial.
Doubling data transfer rates per second is a significant improvement for users as systems handle and generate increasing data volumes, especially in defense and industrial environments where high-performance computing is essential.
Increased bandwidth allows for more efficient use of collected data and maximizes system processing capabilities. PCIe 5.0 retains backward compatibility, allowing for integration with PCIe 4.0 or older components, though users won’t gain the full bandwidth benefit when connecting to legacy components.
Nonetheless, this compatibility future-proofs systems, simplifying future upgrades.
