PCIeSchnittstelle

The PCI Express (PCIe) interface is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards. It was developed by the PCI-SIG (Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group) and has become the standard for connecting peripheral devices to the motherboard in modern computers. The PCIe interface is known for its high data transfer rates, scalability, and efficient power management.

The PCIe interface uses point-to-point serial connections between the motherboard and peripheral devices, which allows for higher data transfer rates compared to parallel bus standards. The interface supports multiple lanes, with each lane capable of transferring data at speeds of up to 16 GT/s (gigatransfers per second). The number of lanes used determines the width of the interface, with x1, x4, x8, x16, and x32 being common configurations. The total data transfer rate is calculated by multiplying the number of lanes by the speed of each lane.

PCIe is used to connect a wide range of peripheral devices, including graphics cards, storage devices, network interface cards, and sound cards. It is also used to connect internal components such as CPUs and memory modules. The PCIe interface is backward compatible with PCI and PCI-X devices, allowing for a smooth transition from older bus standards to PCIe.

The PCIe interface has several generations, with each generation offering higher data transfer rates. The first generation (PCIe 1.0) introduced in 2003 supported data transfer rates of up to 250 MB/s per lane. The second generation (PCIe 2.0) introduced in 2007 doubled the data transfer rate to 500 MB/s per lane. The third generation (PCIe 3.0) introduced in 2010 doubled the data transfer rate again to 1 GB/s per lane. The fourth generation (PCIe 4.0) introduced in 2017 doubled the data transfer rate once more to 2 GB/s per lane. The fifth generation (PCIe 5.0) introduced in 2019 doubled the data transfer rate again to 4 GB/s per lane.

The PCIe interface is a critical component of modern computing systems, enabling high-speed data transfer between the motherboard and peripheral devices. Its high data transfer rates, scalability, and efficient power management make it an essential standard for connecting a wide range of devices to modern computers.