PLDA Announces New, PCIe-based Embedded Switch Design, Enhancing Embedded Platform Design and Efficiency

PLDA?s Embedded Switch Design dramatically reduces BOM costs and latency versus external switches, while optimizing power consumption and system performance

San Jose, California, Jun. 23, 2015 – 

PLDA, the industry leader in PCI Express® controller IP solutions, today announced an embedded switch design that addresses multiple challenges within embedded platforms. Embedded platforms typically include components from multiple vendors who employ PCIe as the main I/O protocol. By adding an embedded switch design to their products instead of relying on external, chip-based solutions, chip designers can implement an increasingly complex embedded PCIe subsystem, enhance connectivity and enable additional PCIe features while optimizing the overall foot print and power consumption.

The new, PLDA embedded switch design addresses several key design challenges including:

• Connecting devices with different throughput and different PHY PCS I/f
• Routing logic for configuration packet, memory write/read and I/O packet, power management and interrupt
• Peer-to-peer management
• Arbitration to adapt ports operating at different rate/lane speeds
• Error handling and error management
• Testing and debugging

"We have found that our valued design customers are constantly searching for ways to optimize their projects. By incorporating an embedded switch design into their chips, customers are able to solve real world problems including minimizing the number of external chips, reducing the number of PHYs required and enabling reuse of existing designs" said Stephane Hauradou, CTO of PLDA. "Transitioning from an external switch or ASSP to an embedded switch design can significantly reduce bill-of-material (BOM) costs and system power while increasing overall system performance improvement through reduction in parts and their latency."

Learn More about the PLDA Embedded Switch Design at the PCI-SIG Developers Conference - June 23, 2015

PLDA Field Application Engineer, Michael Fernandez, will be presenting an in-depth technical paper on embedded switch designs at the PCI-SIG Developers conference on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm in Santa Clara, California. For additional information, please contact PLDA directly at sales@plda.com.

About PLDA

PLDA designs and sells a wide range of solutions for the PCITM protocol standards and their evolution (PCI Express®, PCI-XTM). The company s research and development team specializes in programmable logic-based electronic systems and intellectual property (IP). Our solution includes semiconductor design IP (controllers and bridges) for FPGAs and ASICs, hardware design platforms, low-level software, customization services, and comprehensive technical support provided directly by the IP designers. PLDA has been developing for Altera® devices since 1996.

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