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Mixed Signal and Analog Products
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Two New PCI-to-CardBus Controllers Bring High-Speed 130 Mbytes/Second Access to Entry-Level Portable Computers and Hand-Held SystemsPC 98 Compliance Assures Windows Compatibility
The CardBus specification was defined by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA). CardBus is a 32-bit interface for credit-card size add-in modules which gives the computer system access to peripherals including modems, printers and local area networks. The PCMCIA also defined the 16-bit PC Card interface which is commonly known in the industry as the R2 specification. "We are dedicated to maintaining our leadership position in the PCI bus marketplace. As a result, we are using TI's mixed-signal design expertise to bring the benefits of high-speed 32-bit CardBus modules to all types of portable computers, including systems in the price-sensitive segment of the market, like network computers, hand-held PCs and personal digital assistants (PDAs)," said Jim Holbrook, TI's PCI bus marketing specialist. "These PCI-to-CardBus controllers expand our already extensive line of PCI bus interface devices and they establish a new price/performance mark for other suppliers to try to reach." The two new devices are designated as PCI1221 and PCI1210. The 1221 provides two slots for CardBus or PC Card modules while the 1210 supports just one slot. Both are compatible with either 3.3V or 5V PCI signaling environments. The 1221 and 1210 achieve their high burst rates over the PCI bus because of a dual in-line FIFO architecture which lets the devices pipeline their operations, as well as receive and transmit data in two directions simultaneously. Hot insertion and removal of CardBus or PC Card modules is also supported. By complying with the PCI Power Management specification and Microsoft's PC 97 Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI), both devices extend a portable system's battery life by consuming minimal power. In addition, the 1221 and 1210 fulfill the requirements of Microsoft's PC 98 hardware specification. PC 98 is a set of hardware "guidelines for designing PC systems that will result in optimal user experience with typical Windows-based applications running under either the Microsoft™ Windows™ or Windows NT™ Workstation operating systems."1 Emerging One-Slot Market By providing just one CardBus slot, the PCI1210 addresses the emerging needs of systems like network PCs or network computers, hand-held personal computers, PDAs and even set-top boxes that provide access to cable television networks. "We are seeing increasing interest in one-slot PCI-to-CardBus interface devices," said Holbrook. "Most users of portable PCs like notebooks or laptops prefer having two CardBus slots because this gives them greater flexibility when it comes to peripheral equipment, but some new types of systems must be very cost-effective to compete. Certainly eliminating the expense of a second CardBus slot can help these types of systems achieve their targeted cost/performance point." Some designers of notebook PCs are considering implementing a one-slot CardBus interface in addition to the two-slot CardBus interface already found in most portable computers. The third CardBus slot could be used as a dedicated interface to a peripheral which is accessed on a fairly constant basis, like a local are network (LAN). Pricing and Availability The PCI1221 and PCI1210 devices are packaged in 208-pin and 144-pin thin quad flat packs (TQFP), respectively. Samples are available now and production volumes will be available during the first quarter of 1998 from Texas Instruments and its authorized distributors. Suggested resale pricing in quantities of 1,000 is $12 for the PCI1221 and $9 for the PCI1210.
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DALLAS (Nov. 3, 1997) -- With either of two new PCI bus-to-CardBus controllers from Texas Instruments, Inc., entry-level notebook computers and hand-held systems will be able to support the most demanding applications like multimedia programs, high-speed networking, real-time video and others. The new controllers are capable of transferring data over the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus at approximately the theoretical limit of the bus or 130 Mbytes per second.