PLX PCIe Switches and USB 2.0 Controllers on Integrators Lists

PLX Technology, Inc. announced that its entire PCI Express (PCIe) and Universal Serial Bus (USB) product families are now represented on integrators lists of the PCI Special Interest Group and USB Implementers Forum, respectively.

All 37 PLX ExpressLane switches (PCIe Gen 1 and Gen 2 devices ranging from five to 96 lanes and three to 24 ports) span the exclusive PCI-SIG Integrators List – by far the most PCIe switches on the list from any vendor. Additionally, each of PLX’s high-performance USB 2.0 controllers has secured a place on the USB-IF Integrators List.

Products on these two lists have been thoroughly vetted by the special interest groups that oversee the standards. The PCI-SIG Integrators List includes all products that have completed the testing procedures of the organization’s Compliance Workshop. The USB-IF Integrators List is a roster of USB products that have met the criteria established by the USB-IF Compliance Program.

All PLX products go through rigorous simulation, verification, pre-silicon emulation, post-silicon validation, system interoperability, and compliance testing. Interoperability plays a key role in the development and release of all PLX products. All chips undergo a broad compatibility program that involves customer systems being coupled with detailed PLX methodology that includes chip detection, end-point connectivity, chip-to-chip, board-to-board and system-to-system evaluation. This process instills confidence in customers and supports faster time to market for their designs.

“To achieve having all PLX PCI Express switches and USB controllers on these integrators lists involved far more than our merely providing technical specifications on those products; it required successfully passing the vigorous compliance testing administered by the special interest groups themselves,” said David Raun, vice president of marketing and business development at PLX. “This success helps assure designers and manufacturers worldwide that the devices they choose meet the high standards of both PLX and these important standards bodies.”

Groups Emphasize Development,
Compatibility in PCIe, USB Standards
The PCI-SIG is the Special Interest Group that owns and manages PCI, PCI-X and PCIe as open industry standards. The organization defines and implements new industry-standard input/output (I/O) specifications as the industry’s local I/O needs evolve. The PCI-SIG was formed in 1992 and currently has more than 900 industry-leading companies worldwide as active members.

The USB-IF Implementers Forum is a non-profit corporation founded by the group of companies that developed the USB specification. The group was formed to provide a support organization and forum for the advancement and adoption of USB technology. The Forum facilitates the development of high-quality compatible USB peripherals, and promotes the benefits of USB and the quality of products that have passed compliance testing.

PCI Express Switches, USB Controllers
Meet Demanding Application Requirements
The ExpressLane family is comprised of high-performance, multipurpose switches that feature unmatched levels of flexibility and configurability. The devices primarily target robust enterprise systems that enable data centers, which service cloud computing and other I/O- and storage-intensive applications. In addition to the industry’s lowest latency and lowest power, the switches are supported by PLX’s unique suite of development software tools that help designers improve systems’ overall performance and get them to market expeditiously.

PLX’s USB controllers offer superior performance and dramatic power savings. The controllers are widely used in printers, portable media players, GPS systems, TV tuners, computers (laptops, notebooks and netbooks), WLAN devices, mobile phones, digital cameras, and camcorders.