Intel-backed PCI spec chosen

AUGUST 10--The PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG), which is responsible for governing the PCI standard, revealed its choice for a new PCI networking standard--Intel Corp. (Santa Clara, CA;) third-generation I/O interconnect point-to-point linking technology, dubbed Arapahoe, formerly code-named 3GIO. Roger Tipley, president of the PCI-SIG, named Compaq, Dell, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft as the promoters of this architecture.

Tipley said the PCI-SIG will concentrate its efforts on making the new standard's technology scalable to meet I/O requirements for the next ten years. To achieve this, the Arapahoe promoters, together with additional key developer companies, will develop a draft 1.0 specification. "It is important that a spec be bought to a 1.0 level, with limited involvement," said Cary Snyder, analyst with Cahners Micro Design Resources, which is owned by Cahners Business Information, the parent company of Electronic News. "The key players will get together and really drive the spec through the initial prototype phases. Certainly they'll take input from anyone within the PCI-SIG membership, however they won't necessarily have a personal involvement."