Diodes Incorporated PI7C8150DND - PCI-to-PCI Bridge

The PI7C8150DND is a high-performance, versatile PCI-to-PCI bridge designed by Diodes Incorporated to facilitate reliable communication between a primary PCI bus and a secondary PCI bus. This bridge chip is an ideal solution for expanding the PCI bus beyond its standard capabilities, enabling system designers to add more PCI devices or to create a more complex system hierarchy with multiple bus segments.

Constructed with a focus on efficiency and reliability, the PI7C8150DND offers two 32-bit PCI bus interfaces operating at a frequency of up to 66MHz. This allows for a seamless and fast data transfer between the primary and secondary buses, with a peak bandwidth of up to 264 MB/s for each direction. The device is fully compliant with PCI Local Bus Specification Revision 2.2, ensuring broad compatibility with a wide range of PCI devices.

One of the key features of the PI7C8150DND is its support for PCI bus mastering, which allows attached devices to communicate with each other without burdening the CPU. This is particularly useful in systems where the CPU needs to focus on high-priority tasks, while the PCI devices handle their own data transfers autonomously.

The bridge also includes a range of built-in features to enhance system stability and data integrity. These features include support for delayed transaction and PCI arbitration, which help manage data flow and resource allocation efficiently within a busy PCI environment. Additionally, the PI7C8150DND provides error handling capabilities, including parity error detection and address/data stepping, to ensure that any potential issues are identified and managed promptly.

For developers and system integrators, the PI7C8150DND is available in a 160-pin PQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Pack) package, making it suitable for space-constrained applications. Its low power consumption and heat generation characteristics make it an excellent choice for embedded systems, telecommunications, networking equipment, and other industrial applications that require a reliable and expandable PCI interface.

Overall, the PI7C8150DND from Diodes Incorporated represents a robust and efficient solution for expanding and enhancing PCI bus capabilities within a wide array of computing and electronic systems.