PCI-SIG Developers Conference: Upcoming PCIe 7.0 Specs for Release in 2025

At PCI-SIG Developers Conference 2022, PCI-SIG announced that the PCIe 7.0 specification will double the data rate to 128GT/s and is targeted for release to members in 2025.

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PCI-SIG technical workgroups will be developing the PCIe 7.0 spec with following feature goals:

• Delivering 128GT/s raw bit rate and up to 512GB/s bi-directionally via x16 configuration

• Utilizing PAM4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation with 4 levels) signaling

• Focusing on the channel parameters and reach

• Continuing to deliver the low-latency and high-reliability targets

• Improving power efficiency

• Maintaining backwards compatibility with all previous generations of PCIe technology

“For 30 years the guiding principle of PCI-SIG has been, ‘If we build it, they will come,’” observed Nathan Brookwood, research fellow, Insight 64. “Early parallel versions of PCI technology accommodated speeds of hundreds of megabytes/second, well matched to the graphics, storage and networking demands of the 1990s. In 2003, PCI-SIG evolved to a serial design that supported speeds of gigabytes/second to accommodate faster solid-state disks and 100MbE Ethernet. Almost like clockwork, PCI-SIG has doubled PCIe specification bandwidth every three years to meet the challenges of emerging applications and markets. Today’s announcement of PCI-SIG’s plan to double the channel’s speed to 512GB/s (bi-directionally) puts it on track to double PCIe specification performance for another 3-year cycle.”

“With the forthcoming PCIe 7.0 specification, PCI-SIG continues our 30-year commitment to delivering industry-leading specifications that push the boundaries of innovation,” said Al Yanes, president and chairperson, PCI-SIG. “As PCIe technology continues to evolve to meet the high bandwidth demands, our workgroups’ focus will be on channel parameters and reach and improving power efficiency.”

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The PCIe 7.0 specification is targeted to support emerging applications such as 80 GbE, AI/ML, cloud and quantum computing, and data-intensive markets like hyperscale data centers, HPC and military/aerospace.