Re: Open Graphics Project is now taking pre-orders

> I'm just curious here, but why PCI-X, why not
PCI-EXpress ?
> or is this obviously for development reasons.

According to the FAQ,

	While most graphics cards now fit in PCI Express slots,
	PCI is more popular with users of FPGA kits. We have
	identified the parts necessary to support PCI Express,
	so if there is demand, we can build them.  In the mean
	time, we need to sell the PCI version OGD1 to bootstrap
	our efforts.

	PCI-X is backward compatible with your 32-bit 33MHz PCI
slots,
	and OGD1 has been tested with several PC motherboards.
Note
	that some PC motherboards may position components so that
they
	interfere with the "extended" part of the PCI
card edge for
	some slots.  OGD1 is 6.875in long and 4.2in wide
	(17.46cm x 10.67cm).  Some small form-factor systems do
not
	provide enough room in one or both dimensions.

There is a development advantage to PCI.  PCI is a bus, so
it is easy
to sniff the bus if things aren't working.  There has been
some
discussion about writing software to turn the OGD1 into a
PCI bus
sniffer, for developing other boards.

If you are interested in buying a PCIe version of OGD1, OGP
needs to
hear about it.
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On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 08:15:53AM +0100, Dieter wrote:
> > I'm just curious here, but why PCI-X, why not
PCI-EXpress ?
> > or is this obviously for development reasons.
> 
> According to the FAQ,
> 
> 	While most graphics cards now fit in PCI Express
slots,
> 	PCI is more popular with users of FPGA kits. We have
> 	identified the parts necessary to support PCI
Express,
> 	so if there is demand, we can build them.  In the
mean
> 	time, we need to sell the PCI version OGD1 to
bootstrap
> 	our efforts.
> 
> 	PCI-X is backward compatible with your 32-bit 33MHz
PCI slots,
> 	and OGD1 has been tested with several PC motherboards.
Note
> 	that some PC motherboards may position components so
that they
> 	interfere with the "extended" part of the
PCI card edge for
> 	some slots.  OGD1 is 6.875in long and 4.2in wide
> 	(17.46cm x 10.67cm).  Some small form-factor systems
do not
> 	provide enough room in one or both dimensions.
> 
> There is a development advantage to PCI.  PCI is a bus,
so it is easy
> to sniff the bus if things aren't working.  There has
been some
> discussion about writing software to turn the OGD1 into
a PCI bus
> sniffer, for developing other boards.
> 
> If you are interested in buying a PCIe version of OGD1,
OGP needs to
> hear about it.

I think what people (not just here, but folks on Slashdot as
well) want
to know is: is the PCI-X choice *purely* for development
reasons, e.g.
will the retail/non-development version (read:
transistor-based, no
FPGA) of the card be PCIe?

If the manufacturer plans on keeping everything PCI-X -- dev
cards and
commercial/retail cards -- they are making a *huge*
mistake.

-- 
| Jeremy Chadwick                                jdc at
parodius.com |
| Parodius Networking                       http://www.parodius.com/
|
| UNIX Systems Administrator                  Mountain View,
CA, USA |
| Making life hard for others since 1977.              PGP:
4BD6C0CB |

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